Faculty Publications

Comparisons Of Body Self-Concept Between Social Nudists And Nonnudists

Document Type

Article

Journal/Book/Conference Title

Journal of Psychology: Interdisciplinary and Applied

Volume

118

Issue

1

First Page

99

Last Page

112

Abstract

Body self-concepts of a stratified sample of 300 social nudists and 562 non nudists were compared by using ratings on a 5-point Likert-type scale of 49 individual and one total body aspects. Of the other effects examined that might interact with nudity classification to influence body self-concept—sex, age, and satisfaction with interpersonal relationships—only sex was significant. The body self-concept ratings of nudists and males were higher than those of nonnudists and females, but nudity as a variable was more important than sex in determining body self-concept. Ratings on the total body self-concept question yielded the same body self-concept scores as the mean of ratings on the 49 individual body aspects. Reasons given for body self-concept ratings and open-ended responses to what body part was liked best and why and liked least and why also varied according to nudity and sex classification. Factor structures accounting for a majority of the variance in body self-concept ratings were identified for nonnudists but not for nudists. © 1984 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.

Department

Department of Home Economics

Original Publication Date

1-1-1984

DOI of published version

10.1080/00223980.1984.9712599

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