Gender differences in state body satisfaction, affect, and body-related attention patterns towards one’s own and a peer’s body: an Eye-Tracking Study with Women and Men

Abstract

Background: Body-related attentional biases are assumed to contribute to the development and maintenance of body-related concerns or specific mental disorders such as eating disorders. However, while studies have indicated gender-specific differences in body-related concerns, less is known about gender-specific differences in body-related attention allocation. Methods: An eye-tracking paradigm was used to assess women’s (n = 41) and men’s (n = 42) attention patterns towards their own and a peer’s body. Additionally, state body satisfaction and affect were examined. Results: While both women and men showed higher state positive and negative affect after viewing one’s own body than after viewing a peer’s body, only women displayed worse state body satisfaction after viewing one’s own body than after viewing a peer’s body. Conversely, both genders showed a similar deficit-oriented attention pattern, irrespective of the presented body type. Conclusions: The findings provide evidence of gender-specific differences in state body satisfaction after viewing one’s own and a peer’s body. However, these differences do not seem to be reflected by gender differences in body-related attention allocation. As both women and men showed a deficit-oriented attentional bias, they might benefit from interventions which aim to establish a functional or self-serving way of looking at one’s own body.