Lenny R Vartanian, Mahika Parmar
The Identity Disruption Model of body dissatisfaction suggests that childhood family adversity is associated with body dissatisfaction via lower self-concept clarity and increased appearance processes (internalization of appearance ideals and appearance comparisons). This study explored possible extensions of the Identity Disruption Model by examining whether peer bullying is another form of childhood adversity associated with lower self-concept clarity, and whether difficulties in emotion regulation could be another pathway through which childhood adversity is associated with weight/shape dissatisfaction. Participants (316 women) completed self-report measures of the relevant constructs. Path analysis showed that family adversity (but not peer bullying) was associated with lower self-concept clarity; lower self-concept clarity was associated with greater internalization and more frequent appearance comparisons; and greater internalization and more frequent appearance comparisons were associated with greater weight/shape dissatisfaction. Family adversity and peer bullying were both associated with greater difficulties in emotion regulation, which were in turn associated with greater weight/shape dissatisfaction. Self-concept clarity and emotion dysregulation may be separate mechanisms through which early adversity is associated with weight/shape dissatisfaction, but future research should explore the potential for more nuanced associations among early adversity, self-concept clarity/emotion dysregulation, and other constructs represented in the Identity Disruption Model.