Abstract
M.A.
The search for identity is an important developmental task during adolescence. During this period teenagers also evaluate their physical identity against existing external standards. Evaluation of the body is often done in comparison with the Western norms of beauty. These norms are however not universally attainable and can lead to negative evaluations of the body’s attractiveness, resulting in both negative evaluations of the body and body dissatisfaction, which creates concern due to the link that exists between body dissatisfaction and dieting. Diet behaviour has also been established as an etiological factor in the development of certain eating disorders. On the other hand positive evaluations of the body’s appearance and abilities are associated with higher levels of life-satisfaction. It is therefore necessary to develop interventions that could enhance female adolescents’ body evaluations, body-esteem and possibly also life-satisfaction albeit indirectly. Interventions that focused on more realistic evaluations of the self and attempted to enhance teenage girls’ self-esteem have already been implemented in the USA and Australia, but with mixed results. Existing research within the South African context that focus on female adolescents’ body evaluations, body-esteem and life-satisfaction are also limited and no studies could be found that investigated all three facets.
The aims of this study were to develop and evaluate a psychosocial training programme (PTP), to enhance female adolescents’ body evaluations, body-esteem and life-satisfaction. A group of adolesscent girls (experimental group)(n = 39) participated in the PTP, while the control group (n = 33) looked at magazine photos and then answered questions about these photos. Both groups completed the following measurement scales before and after the completion of the PTP: Body evaluations (Body-Image Self-evaluation Colouring Lens, BISCL) (Gusella, Clark & van Roosmalen, 2003), body-esteem (Body Esteem Scale for Adolescents and Adults, BES)
vi
(Mendelson, White & Mendelson, 1996) and life-sattisfaction (Satisfaction with Life Scale,SWLS) (Diener, Emmons, Larson & Griffen, 1985).
Firstly the experimental group’s mean averages on all measuring instruments were calculated before and after the completion of the PTP then compared to get an indication of the significance of differences in mean scores within the group. The programme resulted in statistically meaningful changes on al three the measured fascets. After the PTP the body evaluations of participants in the experimental group were less negative towards the form and function of their bodies (BISCL-v (p= .00) and BISCL-f (p= .00). The change in mean scores on the BES full scale (p= .003) and the subscales appearance (p= .01), attribution (p= .03) and weight (p= .00) indicated that evaluation of body- esteem was also more positive. Participants’ life-satisfaction was significantly higher after they participated in the PTP (p= .03). Effects sizes for the significance of difference in mean scores were also calculated, yielding a large effect on effect body evaluation (0.19 tot 0.20), a medium to large effect on body-esteem (0.12 tot 0.20) and medium effect on life satisfaction (0.11). These effect sizes suggest that the results also have practical significance.
Secondly the mean scores of the experimental and control groups prior to and after the PTP were compared. No statistically meaningful difference was noted between the mean values of these two groups in terms of body evaluations, body-esteem or life- satisfaction. This is possibly due to the small sample size and variables such as age and ethnicity. In conclusion the psychosocial training programme shows promise as an intervention to enhance female adolescents’ body evaluations, body-esteem and life-satisfaction.