An investigation into the perceptual features used to judge female body size, and how they relate to other dimensions of body image disturbance

Body image disturbance refers to an altered experience of one's own body that is theorised to involve evaluative, behavioural, and perceptual components. The perceptual component has received little attention, so the thesis begins by using an experimental paradigm to determine the physical features that influence perceptual judgments of body size. Having furthered our understanding of what the perceptual component measures, the thesis then considers its importance. An individual differences approach is used, revealing that the perceptual component is strongly related to other dimensions of body image disturbance and, can predict symptoms for body image related clinical disorders.