Synonyms
Definition
Body size distortion, also known as body size overestimation, is the difference between a person’s perceived and actual body size.
History
Overview.
Body image disturbance is comprised of two components, perception and attitude. The perceptual component is commonly referred to as body size distortion but is more accurately defined as the overestimation of size of a body site.
Bruch (1962) was the first person to propose body size overestimation as a pathognomonic feature of anorexia nervosa. In subsequent years, empirical studies provided mixed support for this finding. Slade and Russell (1973) reported that the prevalence of body size overestimation was higher in female participants with anorexia nervosa than healthy controls. However, size overestimation did not occur when participants viewed physical objects, and researchers soon found that a variety of factors affected what was thought to be a purely “perceptual” dimension of body image.
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References and Further Reading
Bruch, H. (1962). Perceptual and conceptual disturbances in Anorexia Nervosa. Psychosomatic Medicine, 24(2), 187–194.
Cash, T. F., & Deagle, E. A. (1997). The nature and extent of body-image disturbances in anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa: A meta-analysis. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 22(2), 107–126. doi:10.1002/(SICI)1098-108X(199709)22:2<107::AID-EAT1>3.0.CO;2-J.
Crisp, A. H., & Kalucy, S. (1974). Aspects of the perceptual disorder in anorexia nervosa. British Journal of Medical Psychology, 47(4), 349–361.
Farrell, C., Lee, M., & Shafran, R. (2005). Assessment of body size estimation: A review. European Eating Disorders Review, 13(2), 75–88. doi:10.1002/erv.622.
Gardner, R. M. (2011). Perceptual measures of body image for adolescents and adults. In T. F. Cash & L. Smolak (Eds.), Body image: A handbook of science, practice, and prevention (2011th ed., Vol. 2, pp. 146–153). New York: Guilford Press.
Gardner, R. M., & Boice, R. (2004). A computer program for measuring body size distortion and body dissatisfication. Behavior Research Methods, Instruments, & Computers, 36(1), 89–95.
Kneipp, L., Kelly, K., & Wise, I. (2011). Trauma symptoms as predisposing factors for body image distortion. Individual Differences Research, 9(3), 126–137.
Penner, L., Thompson, J. K., & Coovert, D. L. (1991). Size overestimation among anorexics: Much ado about very little? Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 100, 90–93.
Slade, P. D., & Russell, G. F. M. (1973). Awareness of body dimensions in anorexia nervosa: Cross-sectional and longitudinal studies. Psychological Medicine, 3(02), 188–199. doi:10.1017/S0033291700048510.
Thompson, J. K., & Spana, R. E. (1988). The Adjustable light beam for assessment of size estimation accuracy: Description, psychometrics, and normative data. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 7, 521–526.
Thompson, J. K., Coovert, D. L., Pasman, L. N., & Robb, J. (1993). Body image and food consumption: Three laboratory studies of perceived calorie content. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 14(4), 445–457.
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Boepple, L., Choquette, E., Thompson, J.K. (2015). Body Distortion: Perceptual Measurement of Body Image Disturbance. In: Wade, T. (eds) Encyclopedia of Feeding and Eating Disorders. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-287-087-2_110-1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-287-087-2_110-1
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