Gender Identity, Weight Bias, and Appearance Stereotypes in Young Girls

• In Event: Processes, correlates, and effects of gender-related stereotypes as they relate to aspects of gender identity.

Abstract

Gender typicality, the degree to which one feels like a typical member of one’s gender group, and felt pressure, the degree to which a child feels pressure to conform to gender norms, are aspects of gender identity studied in children (Egan & Perry, 2001). Gender atypicality, in combination with high felt pressure, is a risk factor (Carver et al., 2003). Researchers have begun to examine the positive correlates of gender atypicality and found that gender atypical children hold less rigid gender stereotypes (Patterson, 2012) and less sexist beliefs (Pauletti et al., 2017) than gender typical children. We extend this work to the domains of weight and appearance. Anti-fat attitudes and attractiveness biases are well documented in children (Paxton & Damiano, 2017; Rennels & Langlois, 2014). Acquiring gender, for girls, may include becoming preoccupied with weight and appearance (Smolak, 2009).

We interviewed 120 6-11 year-old girls (Mage = 8.29; 62% White). Gender typicality was measured using a 10-item graphic measure assessing perceived similarity to girls and to boys (Martin et al., 2017). Children reported on a Likert-type scale the degree of pressure they felt from their parents (5 items) and peers (5 items) to adhere to gender norms. Weight stereotypes were measured by asking children to rate a thin, average-weight, and overweight figure on 5 semantic differential scales reflecting common weight-based stereotypes (e.g., mean/nice, neat/sloppy, cute/ugly; Musher-Eizenman et al., 2004). Appearance stereotypes were assessed with 3 items (Stone et al., 2015). We assessed children’s perceptions of body size change by presenting two figures and telling a story about body size increase. Children were asked open-ended questions about why increase in body size occurred, whether the bigger girl should change back, and how.

Age in months was associated with weaker “girls as appearance focused” beliefs, r(118) = -.287, p = .002, and stronger negative stereotyping of the thin figure, r(118) = .181, p = .048. Felt pressure from peers to conform was associated with more negative stereotyping of the overweight figure among girls who felt low similarity to boys, b = 0.76, t = 3.51, p < .001 and moderate similarity to boys, b = 0.34, t = 2.11, p = .037. For girls who felt high similarity to boys, this association was nonsignificant, b = -0.08, t = -0.30, p = .764. Felt pressure from peers to conform was associated with more negative stereotyping of the overweight figure among girls who felt high similarity to girls, b = 0.79, t = 3.46, p < .001 and moderate similarity to girls, b = 0.34, t = 2.11, p = .037. For girls who felt low similarity to girls, this association was nonsignificant, b = 0.24, t = -0.46, p = .645. Open-ended results indicated that “fat is bad” and a variety of strategies for weight loss are salient for young girls and are unrelated to gender constructs. Findings inform the potential protective role of gender atypicality and highlight the need for interventions to reduce anti-fat attitudes.

Authors

• Sarah Savoy, Stephen F. Austin State University
  Presenting Author

• Flora Farago, Stephen F. Autstin University
  Non-Presenting Author