UTS 6.6 Physical self

• The influence to have a perfect body is used and exploited by the media and the economy for commercial aims
• Academic self-concept


  Refers to the way an individual regards their own academic achievement, success, grade averages, motivation, creativity, and navigation of difficult subject areas
• Physical self-concept may be influenced by experimental interventions involving sport, exercise, or weight loss programs
• The body develops across the lifespan and changes may be a result of gender, age, education, standard values, and physical activity
• The body is the main device of self-realization and interaction with the world
• Physical self's influence on behavior and sense of well-being is highlighted by Fox (1997)
• Physical Self occupies a unique position in the self-system as the body provides a substantive interface between the individual and the world
• Pubertal changes impact physical self as adolescents become conscious of changes in their body during puberty
• Boys express a preference for the mesomorphic type of male figure from early childhood
• Emotions and health are expressed through the body
• Non-academic self-concept

  Subdivided into social self, emotional self, and physical self
• Most individuals are inclined to meet the standards of a "physically perfect body"
• Physical Self-Concept


  The individual’s perception of themselves in areas of physical ability (speed, endurance, coordination, flexibility, appearance) and attitudes towards their body
• Total Self

  Divided into academic self and non-academic self; physical self is part of the non-academic self
• Physical self-concept may function as a behavioral mediator of the influence of an intervention, such as subsequent exercise adherence
• A person's physical identity and relation with physical activities, sport, body mass, and personality to the objective world are influenced by how they conceive their body and their relation to it
• Body can be perceived as a distinctive social, related entity
• Adolescents strive towards societal ideals of attractiveness influenced by cultural norms
• Boys aspire towards the mesomorphic ideal during adolescence and may judge themselves negatively if their physical appearance falls short of this ideal
• Ferron, 1997: 'Many studies of body image in adolescence have analyzed the extent to which boys and girls manage to adjust to the bodily transformations of puberty, and to overcome the personal and relational difficulties which may ensue from these changes'
• At the onset of puberty, boys

  Gain muscle definition and their shoulder width increases, moving them closer to society's ideal body shape for a man
• Problems with one's own body in puberty

  • Body change
  • Females being more dissatisfied with their bodies than males
  • Body dissatisfaction leading to eating disorders
• Individuals who do not conform to the ideal standards of society are not satisfied with their body image, and dissatisfaction with body image affects self-esteem negatively
• Boys globally express more satisfaction and pride in their changing body than girls, related to the way the genders experience puberty differently
• As puberty nears, children become increasingly focused on the appearance of their bodies, influenced by heredity and environment
• A delay in the starting up of the maturing process of puberty does not seem to cause serious psychological and relational difficulties, except when the principal symptom is considerable retardation of height growth
• Adaptation to bodily changes of puberty

  Exerts a strong influence on adolescents' social adjustment, psychological well-being, and health behaviour
• At the onset of puberty, girls

  Experience physical changes that may move them further away from society's ideal body shape for a woman, leading to higher levels of body dissatisfaction and poorer self-esteem
• When adolescents reach adolescence

  They aspire toward society's ideal body shape and judge themselves negatively if their physical appearance falls short of this ideal
• Kartal (1994, cited by Clay et al. 2005): 'Satisfaction with one’s own body may have an effect on self-acceptance and positive evaluation'
• Two crucial periods in the development of the Physical Self

  • Early childhood
  • Adolescence
• The length and pace of puberty significantly influence the experience of the evolution of body image
• Early onset of physiological changes may be linked to involvement in delinquent behaviours among boys and to the emergence of important adjustment problems among girls
• Boys evaluate themselves based on body efficiency and physical ability, while girls assess changes in their body based on physical attractiveness