An investigation of effects of family, peer and television on body image development during adolescence

This study was conducted to determine body image satisfaction and investigate the effect of family, peer and television on development of body image in high school adolescents. Mix method methodology was applied through out the research. Both quantitative and qualitative research methods were used to collect data. For the quantitative part of the data collection ?Body Parts and Physical Characteristics Satisfaction Questionnaire? was administrated among 1222 high school student who were in 9th, 10th and 11th grades in Eskişehir. t test was used to investigate effects of gender as an independent variable on adolescents? body image satisfaction. One-way ANOVA was used in order to investigate whether body image satisfaction of adolescents is related to age. Semi structured interviews were conducted with 18 students who received the highest score and 18 students who received the lowest score on the Body Parts and Physical Characteristics Satisfaction Questionnaire. Data from the interviews were transcribed and analyzed descriptively.Results of the study indicated that there is a meaningful difference between male and female students in terms of body image satisfaction (p<0.05).Adolescents stated that although they have some body characteristics that they are not fully satisfied with, in general they have positive feelings and ideas about their body image. They also indicated that their feelings and ideas about their body image change from time to time. Adolescents pointed out that they are affected by their peers? positive or negative ideas about their bodies. They stated that they feel good about their bodies when they received positive comments by their peers; however their peers? negative comments make them feel negative about their bodies. Adolescents indicated that when they meet a person, they try to understand their personal characteristic instead of physical characteristics. They stated that although physical characteristics of a person may be important at first, personal characteristics are the determinants when it comes to choosing a friend. Adolescents also said that the change in their physical characteristics would impact on the number of their friends or their acceptance or rejection among their friends.About the effect of families on adolescents? body image development, they indicated that their families affected them positively without hurting their feelings about their body image and physical appearance. They also stated that they feel they are accepted as a part of their families. They indicated that their families have shaped and influenced their body by genetics and by providing the life style they have. Adolescents expressed that even if their physical appearance changes attitudes of their families toward them would not change.Adolescents indicated that the most common body types and physical characteristics for women and men are different in various television programs. They also pointed out that generally similar body types which are perfectly shaped, beautiful and not representative of the middle class are presented on television. Adolescents stated that commonly presented perfect body images through television effects their own body image and they usually find very tall, thin, fit, physically well shaped and well dressed, charismatic, and well spoken people attractive.