Interaction of Masculinity Ideology and Body Talk on Psychological Symptoms and Body-Change Behavior Among Adolescent Boys

• In Event: Poster Session 14
  In Poster Session: PS 14 Topic - Developmental Psychopathology

Abstract

The relationship between body-related talk and undesirable psychological outcomes (i.e., depression, anxiety) and body change behaviors has been regularly studied among women and girls (Shannon & Mills, 2013); however, adolescent boys have largely been omitted from this discussion. Limited research suggests that adolescent boys also engage in body-related talk with peers (Strandbu & Kvalem, 2013). One potentially unique influence in boys’ experience of body talk is masculinity ideology (rigid thoughts about expected gender roles), which is associated with depressive symptoms anxiety symptoms, and muscle-related body change behavior among males (Rogers, DeLay, & Martin, 2017; Eisler et al., 1988; Griffiths et al., 2014;). The current study examined (a) the relationship between body talk among adolescent male friends and depression/anxiety/body change behavior and (b) the interaction effects between masculinity and body talk in predicting said outcomes.
Methods: Participants included 72 adolescent boys recruited to participate in an online survey (Mage = 14.77 years, SD = 2.38; MBMI% = 57.70, SD = 34.32). The adolescents completed self-report questionnaires including age, body weight, height, body talk (Jones et al., 2004), masculinity ideology (AMIRS; Chu et al., 2005), depression, anxiety (YSR; Archenbach, 1991), and body change efforts (BCI; Ricciardelli & McCabe, 2002).
Results: Individuals’ masculinity ideology predicted report of depressive symptoms (B=.20, SE=.07, p<.01), anxiety symptoms (B=.17, SE=.08, p<.05), and body change efforts to decrease body size (B=.39, SE=.11, p<.001) and increase muscle size (B=.37, SE=.11, p<.001) after controlling for age and BMI. After accounting for masculinity ideology, adolescents’ engagement in body talk was also related to depressive symptoms (B=.16, SE=.07, p<.05), anxiety symptoms (B=.21, SE=.07, p<.01), and efforts to decrease body size (B=.35, SE=.11, p<.01) and increase muscles size (B=.24, SE=.11, p<.05). Further, body talk and masculinity interacted to predict depressive (B =.18, SE =.05, p <.001) and anxiety symptoms (B=.19, SE=.06, p<.001). Simple slopes analysis showed that adolescent boys with higher masculinity ideology were at risk of higher depressive and anxiety symptoms when they engaged in more body talk with friends. There was no interaction effect for either decrease body size (B=.13, SE=.08, p =.11) or increase muscle size (B=.11, SE=.08, p =.15). None of the predictors were related to efforts to increase body size.
Discussion: These findings support the hypothesis that masculinity ideology and body talk play a role in depression, anxiety, and body change behavior (efforts to decrease weight and increase muscle). Body talk appears to be more detrimental for teens who identify strongly with a rigid definition of masculinity. Traditional masculinity is defined relationally, focusing on the way in which a male must behave in order to be respected. As such, sharing body-related vulnerabilities or concerns by engagement in body talk is not consistent with traditional masculinity ideology, and this discrepancy may be related to higher symptoms of anxiety and depression. Future research should continue to investigate the nuanced ways in which masculinity and patterns of peer communication interact in predicting mental health outcomes.

Authors

• Ellen Hart, Eastern Michigan University
  Presenting Author

• Aidan Schmitt, Eastern Michigan University
  Non-Presenting Author

• Chong Man Chow, Eastern Michigan University
  Non-Presenting Author