The relationship between emotion regulation, femininity and masculinity norms, body dissatisfaction and eating attitudes: A model proposal

The aim of this study was to test the theoretical models explaining the relationship between regulation of positive and negative emotions, femininity and masculinity norms, body dissatisfaction and deterioration in eating attitudes. For this aim, the psychometric properties of Feminity Ideology Scale (FIS), Male Body Attitude Scale (MBAS) and Ben-Tovim Walker Body Attitude Scale (BTWBTO) were examined in the preliminary study. The sample of the preliminary study (N= 1516) consisted of male and female participants studyi4ng in different departments of Akdeniz University. The results of the preliminary study indicated that Turkish versions of all three scales were valid and reliable with acceptable ranges. In the main study, the theoretical models based on the literature were tested on 430 women and 414 men with the same characteristics of the preliminary study. In the main study, Emotion Regulation Processes Scale, Eating Attitude Test, Male Role Norms Scale, FIS, MBAS and BTWBTÖ were filled out by the participants. The model tested for women showed that adherence to the ideas of femininity directly predicted the increase in body dissatisfaction and the decrease in impaired eating attitudes. In women, emotion regulation processes positively affected the decrease in body dissatisfaction while predicting deterioration of eating attitudes in a positive direction. When the indirect relationships between the variables were examined in women, the increase in the use of emotion regulation processes indirectly predicted the decrease in eating attitudes, while adherence to thoughts on femininity indirectly predicted deterioration in eating attitudes in a positive way. In addition, the increase in women's approvals for masculine role norms positively predicted deterioration in eating attitudes. In men, the increase in the use of emotion regulation processes positively predicted the deterioration in eating attitudes. However, increase in adherence to masculinity role norms positively predicted body dissatisfaction and indirectly impaired eating attitudes. In addition, the increase in body dissatisfaction in both men and women positively predicted deterioration in eating attitudes. The findings and clinical implications of the study were discussed in the light of the literature.