Men Respond Too: The Effects of a Social-Evaluative Body Image Threat on Shame and Cortisol in University Men. (November 2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Lamarche, Larkin; Ozimok, Brianne; Gammage, Kimberley L.; Muir, Cameron
• Is Part Of: American journal of men's health. Volume 11:Number 6(2017)
• Page Start: 1791
• Page End: 1803
• Publication Date: 2017-11
• Subjects: men -- muscularity -- social evaluation -- cortisol -- social self-preservation theory; Men -- Diseases -- Periodicals; Sex factors in disease -- Periodicals; Men -- Health and hygiene -- Periodicals; Men -- Health and hygiene -- United States -- Periodicals; Men -- Medical care -- Periodicals; 362.10811
• DOI: 10.1177/1557988317723406
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1557-9883

Abstract

Framed within social self-preservation theory, the present study investigated men's psychobiological responses to social-evaluative body image threats. University men ( n = 66) were randomly assigned to either a high or low social-evaluative body image threat condition. Participants provided saliva samples (to assess cortisol) and completed measures of state body shame prior to and following their condition, during which anthropometric and strength measures were assessed. Baseline corrected values indicated men in the high social-evaluative body image threat condition had higher body shame and cortisol than men in the low social-evaluative body image threat condition. These findings suggest that social evaluation in the context of situations that threaten body image leads to potentially negative psychobiological responses in college men.