台灣民眾的身體意象及其預測因子：人際壓力、媒體信任作為中介變項

Body Image and Its Predictors in Taiwan : Interpersonal Pressure and Media Agreement As Mediators

90年代開始，以身體意象（body image）為主題的研究開始引起社會科學家之矚目，本研究根據中央研究院「台灣地區社會變遷基本調查第四期第三次」之資料，研究對象為1953位18歲以上之成人，以社會心理學的概念模式，重新檢測台灣民眾的身體意象（包含體型誤認、體型滿意、體型改變三面向）及其預測因子與影響路徑。研究結果顯示：台灣民眾的客觀體型（BMI值）絕大多數是在標準健康的範圍內，但卻傾向誤認自己體型過胖，其中以女性與年齡層較低者之誤認程度為甚；性別與年齡對身體意象的三面向都有顯著的影響力，平均而言，女性與年齡層低者，傾向體型誤認為較胖重，體型滿意度較低，體型改變的行為較多；隨著年齡漸長，體型誤認值越小、體型滿意度較高、人際壓力感也顯著降低。另外也發現人際壓力是影響身體意象的重要中介因子，配偶或親密關係對體型之批評最被在意，其次是店員的批評，這是最具本土意義之處；但媒體與性別意識兩者的影響力則比預設中的強度偏低。最後，本研究以身體意象為依變項，性別與年齡為自變項，人際壓力與媒體信任為中介變項，建構一結構方程模式並檢驗其適配度。最後，本研究（1）以「客體化理論」（objectification theory）解釋性別與年齡對身體意象的顯著影響力，（2）以華人的社會取向（social orientation）之行動邏輯解釋何以人際壓力為重要的中介因子；（3）討論信任媒體與批判媒體正反兩種力量之抗拮，造成媒體對身體意象之影響力在本研究中顯得微弱；（4）以「態度雙元模式」（model of dual attitudes）中的顯性與隱性態度之別解釋何以性別意識之中介影響不顯著。

Since the 90's, body image has become an important theme of research in social scientists' eyes. Both domestic and international research has found that people tend to feel more and more frustrated with their body image, and much more people feel dissatisfied with their own body and distort their own body shape. However, most studies focus solely on college students, teenagers and females. This study is based on a large representative survey sample of almost 2000 adults conducted by Academia Sinica at Taiwan in 2003. It reexamines Taiwanese body images (including three components: body distortion, body satisfaction, and body change) and its influencing factors and path. Results showed that the mean objective body shape (Body Mass Index, BMI) of the sample was within standard health ranges, but people tended to overestimate their body shape (especially females and young people). In addition, gender and age were found to have significant influence on body images. On average, females and young people showed more body distortion, body dissatisfaction and more desire for body change. Older adults showed less body distortion and dissatisfaction and less impact of interpersonal pressure. Moreover, interpersonal pressure was the most significant mediating factor between gender and age, and body image. Romantic partners' and intimate others' criticism of the body was the first priority of concern for females under 35, and clothes clerks' criticism was second. The influence of media and gender consciousness was not as strong as expected. Finally, using body images as dependent variables, gender and age as independent variables, and interpersonal pressure and media agreement as mediating variables; a structural equation model (SEM) was constructed and found to have an acceptable fit with the data. Objectification theory is applied to illustrate the significant differences between body images according to gender and age; Chinese social orientation is used to explain how interpersonal pressure is an strong effective mediator of gender and age differences; the trade-off between trusting and criticizing media results in a weakening the influence of media, and finally, distinguishing explicit attitudes from implicit attitudes is used to explain the lack of mediation effects for gender consciousness.