Futurity.org » self-image

Guys, it’s not healthy to be so vain

Diane Swanbrow-Michigan — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 15:19:54 +0000

U. MICHIGAN (US) — The personality trait narcissism may have an especially negative effect on the health of men, new research shows.

“Narcissistic men may be paying a high price in terms of their physical health, in addition to the psychological cost to their relationships,” says Sara Konrath, a University of Michigan psychologist who co-authored the study published in PLoS ONE.

Women post more photos on Facebook

Patricia Donovan-Buffalo — Tue, 08 Mar 2011 20:15:41 +0000

U. BUFFALO (US) — Women who use image and appearance as a basis for self-worth tend to post more photos of themselves online on social media sites like Facebook.

“The results suggest persistent differences in the behavior of men and women that result from a cultural focus on female image and appearance,” says Michael Stefanone, assistant professor of communication at the University at Buffalo, and author of a new study published in the journal Cyberpsychology, Behavior and Social Networking.

Can lookalike avatars help us shape up?

Dan Stober-Stanford — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 14:02:18 +0000

Researchers found that study participants who saw their own avatars running were more likely to exercise after they left the lab than participants who saw someone else’s avatar exercising or saw themselves hanging out in a virtual room. They also found that an avatar’s dress influenced attitudes and views toward women. (Courtesy: Stanford)

STANFORD (US)—If you saw a digital image of yourself running on a virtual treadmill, would you feel like going to the gym? Probably so, according to a study showing that personalized avatars can motivate people to exercise and eat right.

And, you are more likely to imitate the behavior of an avatar in real life if it looks like you, says Jesse Fox, a researcher at the Stanford Virtual Human Interaction Lab and doctoral student at Stanford University.

I’m so fantastic (if I ignore my frontal lobes)

Tim Green-U. Texas — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 21:27:32 +0000

U. TEXAS-AUSTIN—The less you use your brain’s frontal lobes, the more you see yourself through rose-colored glasses, new research shows.

“In healthy people, the more you activate a portion of your frontal lobes, the more accurate your view of yourself is,” says Jennifer Beer, an assistant professor of psychology at the University of Texas at Austin. “And the more you view yourself as desirable or better than your peers, the less you use those lobes.”

Loving partners sculpt like Michelangelo

Pat Vaughan Tremmel-NU — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 18:52:41 +0000

The Michelangelo studies show that close partners sculpt one another’s traits and skills and promote, versus inhibit, one another’s goal achievement. “It’s not just that you treat me positively,” Eli Finkel says. “You treat me in particular ways that dovetail with my ideal self.”

NORTHWESTERN (US)—Just as a sculptor chisels and polishes away flaws in stone to reveal an ideal form, skillful partners support each other’s dreams and aspirations and nurture traits they hope to develop.

An international review of this so-called “Michelangelo phenomenon” shows that when close partners affirm and support each other’s ideal selves, they and the relationship benefit greatly.

Viral case of the blame game

Karen Lowe-USC — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 15:45:45 +0000

Blame spreads quickly because it triggers the perception that one’s self-image is under assault and must be protected. “When we see others protecting their egos, we become defensive too,” says Nathanael Fast, the study’s lead author. “We then try to protect our own self-image by blaming others for our mistakes, which may feel good in the moment.”

USC/STANFORD (US)—Merely observing someone publicly blame an individual in an organization for a problem—even when the target is innocent—greatly increases the odds that the practice of blaming others will spread, new research shows.

The reason: Blame triggers the perception that one’s self-image is under assault and must be protected.

Exercise—not fitness—buffs up body image

Ron Wayne-U. Florida — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 20:37:32 +0000

“Body dissatisfaction is a huge problem in our society and is related to all sorts of negative behavior including yo-yo dieting, smoking, taking steroids, and undergoing cosmetic surgery,” says Heather Hausenblas.

U. FLORIDA (US)—The simple act of exercise can boost confidence, a new study finds. Researchers say people who don’t achieve workout milestones such as losing fat, gaining strength, or improving cardiovascular fitness feel just as good about their bodies as their more athletic counterparts.

“You would think that if you become more fit that you would experience greater improvements in terms of body image, but that’s not what we found,” says Heather Hausenblas, a University of Florida exercise psychologist. “It may be that the requirements to receive the psychological benefits of exercise, including those relating to body image, differ substantially from the physical benefits.”