The Association The Association Between Body Image, Between Body Image,

Self-Esteem, and Self-Esteem, and Dating Behavior:Dating Behavior:

A Moderator ModelA Moderator Model

The Association The Association Between Body Image, Between Body Image,

Self-Esteem, and Self-Esteem, and Dating Behavior:Dating Behavior:

A Moderator ModelA Moderator Model

Renee V. Galliher, Ph.D.Renee V. Galliher, Ph.D.Idaho State University Institute of Rural HealthIdaho State University Institute of Rural Health

Melinda S. HarperMelinda S. HarperDeborah P. Welsh, Ph.D.Deborah P. Welsh, Ph.D.

University of Tennessee Department of PsychologyUniversity of Tennessee Department of Psychology

Study SummaryStudy SummaryThe current study examines the association between The current study examines the association between adolescent body dissatisfaction and a range of dating adolescent body dissatisfaction and a range of dating behaviors, including sexual behaviors and dating behaviors, including sexual behaviors and dating aggression. In the proposed model, self-esteem was aggression. In the proposed model, self-esteem was hypothesized to operate as a moderator in the hypothesized to operate as a moderator in the relationship between weight change behaviors and relationship between weight change behaviors and sexual behaviors and dating aggression. Among sexual behaviors and dating aggression. Among adolescents with high body image dissatisfaction, high adolescents with high body image dissatisfaction, high self-esteem may function as a resiliency factor, self-esteem may function as a resiliency factor, protecting them from engagement in risky or protecting them from engagement in risky or dangerous romantic relationships, while low self-dangerous romantic relationships, while low self-esteem may operate as a risk factor. Results esteem may operate as a risk factor. Results suggested that self-esteem did not operate as a suggested that self-esteem did not operate as a moderator variable between body dissatisfaction and moderator variable between body dissatisfaction and dating behavior for girls. Rather, self-esteem alone was dating behavior for girls. Rather, self-esteem alone was a better predictor of sexual behavior, while concern a better predictor of sexual behavior, while concern about being underweight (or efforts to gain weight) about being underweight (or efforts to gain weight) was related to dating aggression. For boys, there was was related to dating aggression. For boys, there was evidence of a moderator effect in predicting the evidence of a moderator effect in predicting the number of nonromantic sexual partners from concern number of nonromantic sexual partners from concern about being overweight. Boys who reported higher about being overweight. Boys who reported higher levels of self-esteem reported greater numbers of levels of self-esteem reported greater numbers of nonromantic sexual partners, despite weight concern.nonromantic sexual partners, despite weight concern.

HypothesesHypotheses

• Self-esteem will moderate the Self-esteem will moderate the relationship between adolescent body relationship between adolescent body image dissatisfaction and dating image dissatisfaction and dating aggression.aggression.

• Self-esteem will moderate the Self-esteem will moderate the relationship between adolescent body relationship between adolescent body image dissatisfaction and sexual image dissatisfaction and sexual behaviors.behaviors.

ParticipantsParticipants• National Longitudinal Study of National Longitudinal Study of

Adolescent Health: Wave IIAdolescent Health: Wave II– n = 6504n = 6504– age: range = 11 to 21 yearsage: range = 11 to 21 years

Sex of Participant

G irls52%

Boys48%

010203040506070

Race

Race White

A fricanA mericanA merican Indian

A sian

Hispanic

Body Image Body Image DissatisfactionDissatisfaction

• Concern about being overweightConcern about being overweight– Self reported weight loss strategiesSelf reported weight loss strategies

• diet, exercise, vomiting, diet pills, laxativesdiet, exercise, vomiting, diet pills, laxatives• Weight Loss Score = Weight Loss Score =

# strategies endorsed# strategies endorsed• Possible range = 1 to 5Possible range = 1 to 5

• Concern about being underweightConcern about being underweight– Self reported weight gain strategiesSelf reported weight gain strategies

• diet, exercise, weight lifting, food diet, exercise, weight lifting, food supplements, steroidssupplements, steroids

• Weight Gain Score =Weight Gain Score = # strategies endorsed # strategies endorsed

• Possible range = 1 to 5Possible range = 1 to 5

Males Females

Mean =1.10

SD = .33

N =1258

Mean =1.25

SD = .49

N =2017

Males Females

Mean = .16

SD = .36

N = 720

Mean = .48

SD = .50

N = 180

Self-EsteemSelf-Esteem• Six items designed to assess Six items designed to assess

self-esteemself-esteem– e.g., you like yourself as you are, e.g., you like yourself as you are,

you have lots of good qualitiesyou have lots of good qualities– Likert scale:Likert scale:

1=strongly agree1=strongly agree5=strongly disagree5=strongly disagree

– Items worded such that Items worded such that lower scores indicate lower scores indicate higher self-esteemhigher self-esteem

Males Females

Mean =10.42

SD = 3.32

N = 2302

alpha = .86

Mean =11.16

SD= 3.58

N= 2511

alpha = .85

Sexual BehaviorSexual BehaviorHave you ever: Males Females

had sexual intercourse?44.4% yes55.6% no

42.1% yes57.9% no

had sex with a nonromantic partner?

21.5% yes78.5% no

13.8% yes86.2% no

had forced sex?2.3% yes97.7% no

6.8% yes93.2% no

Total number of sexual partners:

mean = 5.94; SD = 28.55Range = 1 to 500N = 590

mean = 3.12; SD = 3.23Range = 1 to 35N = 339

Total number of nonromantic sexual partners:

mean = 3.69; SD = 19.73Range = 1 to 444N = 543

mean = 2.33; SD = 3.02Range = 1 to 35N = 319

Dating AggressionDating AggressionHas Your Partner Ever: Males Females

Sworn at you?Yes: 6.1 - 20.1%No: 79.9 – 93.0%

Yes: 10.3 – 19.7% No: 80.3 – 98.7%

Insulted you in public?Yes: 5.4 – 10.9%No: 89.1 – 94.6%

Yes: 8.9 – 13.6%No: 86.4 – 91.1%

Threatened violence toward you?Yes: 1.3 – 3.0%No: 97.0 – 98.7%

Yes: 2.9 – 6.2%No: 93.8 – 97.1%

Thrown something at you?Yes: 0.7 – 2.6%No: 97.4 – 99.3%

Yes: 1.3 – 2.6%No: 97.4 – 98.7%

Pushed or shoved you?Yes: 6.1 - 20.1%No: 91.4 – 96.0%

Yes: 2.6 – 6.8%No: 93.2 – 97.4%

Total number of types of aggression endorsed:

mean = .86; SD = 1.14Range = 0 to 8; N = 140

mean = 1.10; SD = 1.64Range = 0 to 7; N = 144

* Percentages represent range over past three relationships

Testing the Testing the Moderator ModelModerator Model• ““Moderator is a variable that affects the Moderator is a variable that affects the

direction and/or strength of the relation direction and/or strength of the relation between an independent or predictor variable between an independent or predictor variable and a and a dependent variable”.dependent variable”.

• Series of multiple regression and logistic Series of multiple regression and logistic regression analysesregression analyses– Body dissatisfaction variable, self-esteem, and the Body dissatisfaction variable, self-esteem, and the

product of the two entered as independent variables product of the two entered as independent variables

• Moderator effects are indicated by the Moderator effects are indicated by the significant effect of the product of body significant effect of the product of body dissatisfaction and self-esteem while controlling dissatisfaction and self-esteem while controlling for the effects of the individual variables.for the effects of the individual variables.

Baron & Kenny (1986). J. of Pers. and Soc. Psych. 51(6), 1173-1182.

Predicting Dating Predicting Dating AggressionAggression

• Girls with higher Weight Gain Sum Girls with higher Weight Gain Sum Scores reported more incidents of Scores reported more incidents of dating aggressiondating aggression– RR22= .41= .41– t = 2.81, p = .01t = 2.81, p = .01

• Body dissatisfaction and self-esteem Body dissatisfaction and self-esteem were unrelated to dating aggression for were unrelated to dating aggression for boysboys

• No moderator effects observed in No moderator effects observed in predicting dating aggressionpredicting dating aggression

Predicting Males’ Predicting Males’ Sexual BehaviorsSexual Behaviors

• Self-esteem moderated the relationship Self-esteem moderated the relationship between weight loss efforts and the between weight loss efforts and the number of nonromantic sexual partnersnumber of nonromantic sexual partners– Interaction beta = -.16, t = -2.53, p =.01Interaction beta = -.16, t = -2.53, p =.01

• Self-esteem predicted whether or not Self-esteem predicted whether or not males had ever had sexual intercoursemales had ever had sexual intercourse– Logistic regression: Wald = 5.31, df = 1, Logistic regression: Wald = 5.31, df = 1,

p< .05p< .05

• Self-esteem predicted whether or not Self-esteem predicted whether or not males had ever had forced sexual males had ever had forced sexual intercourseintercourse– Logistic regression: Wald = 4.47, df = 1, Logistic regression: Wald = 4.47, df = 1,

p< .05p< .05

Predicting Females’ Predicting Females’ Sexual BehaviorsSexual Behaviors

• Self-esteem predicted whether or not Self-esteem predicted whether or not females had ever had sexual females had ever had sexual intercourseintercourse– Logistic regression: Wald = 22.48, Logistic regression: Wald = 22.48,

df = 1, p< .001df = 1, p< .001

• Self-esteem predicted whether or not Self-esteem predicted whether or not females had ever had sexual females had ever had sexual intercourse with a nonromantic intercourse with a nonromantic partnerpartner– Logistic regression: Wald = 16.13, Logistic regression: Wald = 16.13,

df = 1, p< .001df = 1, p< .001

DiscussionDiscussion• For boys, self-esteem moderated the effects For boys, self-esteem moderated the effects

of concern about being overweight. Boys of concern about being overweight. Boys with higher self-esteem who engaged in with higher self-esteem who engaged in more weight loss behaviors had more more weight loss behaviors had more nonromantic sexual partners, while boys nonromantic sexual partners, while boys with lower self-esteem who engaged in with lower self-esteem who engaged in more weight loss behaviors had fewer more weight loss behaviors had fewer nonromantic partners. Higher self-esteem nonromantic partners. Higher self-esteem may moderate feelings of unattractiveness may moderate feelings of unattractiveness and enhance boys’ capacity to attract and enhance boys’ capacity to attract sexual partners. However, it may also put sexual partners. However, it may also put boys at risk for some of the health boys at risk for some of the health consequences associated with multiple sex consequences associated with multiple sex partners (e.g., sexually transmitted partners (e.g., sexually transmitted diseases, pregnancy).diseases, pregnancy).

• For both boys and girls, lower self-esteem was For both boys and girls, lower self-esteem was related to greater likelihood of having had related to greater likelihood of having had sexual intercourse. Girls who reported lower sexual intercourse. Girls who reported lower self-esteem were more likely to have had sex self-esteem were more likely to have had sex andand to have had sex with a nonromantic to have had sex with a nonromantic partner. Boys who reported lower self-esteem partner. Boys who reported lower self-esteem were more likely to report having had sex were more likely to report having had sex andand having had forced sex. High self-esteem may having had forced sex. High self-esteem may protect both male and female adolescents from protect both male and female adolescents from engaging in premature sexual behavior, engaging in premature sexual behavior, particularly potentially harmful or dangerous particularly potentially harmful or dangerous sexual behaviors such as forced sex and sex sexual behaviors such as forced sex and sex with multiple/nonromantic partners.with multiple/nonromantic partners.

• For girls, concern about being underweight For girls, concern about being underweight (more efforts to gain weight) was associated (more efforts to gain weight) was associated with report of more incidents of dating with report of more incidents of dating aggression. Perhaps girls with more diminutive aggression. Perhaps girls with more diminutive stature are at greater risk for dating aggression. stature are at greater risk for dating aggression. This hypothesis could be tested with This hypothesis could be tested with physiological data assessing actual size, as physiological data assessing actual size, as opposed to attitudes and behaviors.opposed to attitudes and behaviors.

Study SummaryStudy SummaryThe current study examines the association between The current study examines the association between adolescent body dissatisfaction and a range of dating adolescent body dissatisfaction and a range of dating behaviors, including sexual behaviors and dating behaviors, including sexual behaviors and dating aggression. In the proposed model, self-esteem was aggression. In the proposed model, self-esteem was hypothesized to operate as a moderator in the hypothesized to operate as a moderator in the relationship between weight change behaviors and relationship between weight change behaviors and sexual behaviors and dating aggression. Among sexual behaviors and dating aggression. Among adolescents with high body image dissatisfaction, high adolescents with high body image dissatisfaction, high self-esteem may function as a resiliency factor, self-esteem may function as a resiliency factor, protecting them from engagement in risky or protecting them from engagement in risky or dangerous romantic relationships, while low self-dangerous romantic relationships, while low self-esteem may operate as a risk factor. Results esteem may operate as a risk factor. Results suggested that self-esteem did not operate as a suggested that self-esteem did not operate as a moderator variable between body dissatisfaction and moderator variable between body dissatisfaction and dating behavior for girls. Rather, self-esteem alone was dating behavior for girls. Rather, self-esteem alone was a better predictor of sexual behavior, while concern a better predictor of sexual behavior, while concern about being underweight (or efforts to gain weight) about being underweight (or efforts to gain weight) was related to dating aggression. For boys, there was was related to dating aggression. For boys, there was some evidence of a moderator effect in predicting the some evidence of a moderator effect in predicting the number of nonromantic sexual partners from concern number of nonromantic sexual partners from concern about being overweight. Boys who reported higher about being overweight. Boys who reported higher levels of self-esteem reported greater numbers of levels of self-esteem reported greater numbers of nonromantic sexual partners, despite weight loss nonromantic sexual partners, despite weight loss efforts.efforts.