2.1 INTRODUCTION
This purpose of this Chapter is to provide literature in support of the aim and purpose of the study. Aspects included in the study focus on the concept of body image, which is an individual’s feelings, perceptions, and behaviours towards their own bodies (Jung, 2006:335). It attempts to examine the influence of edited media images on the way women perceive their own bodies.
2.1.1 Definitions and History of Body Image Perception
Body image is generally understood as a mental image of a person’s own body and the way it appears to others (Featherstone, 2010:193). It includes the total inner experience of a person regarding their own body appearance. This study investigates the influence the media has on a woman’s moods,
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The structural–functional approach adopts an objectivist approach and takes a specific interest in the cognitive-behavioural dimension regarding an individual’s body experiences (Cash, 2004:39). This approach has also accumulated a considerable amount of information on body image since the 1960’s.
The aim of Thompson, Heinberg, Altabe and Tantieff-Dunn (1999:4) was to conclude in a professional consensus about the conceptual structure of body image as an “internal representation of your own outer appearance”. According to Fisher (2000:4) body image contains the total, subjective experience of individuals regarding their body appearance. It is subjective because it represents how an individual sees themselves, “the view from inside”, as opposed to the objective image, the “view from outside”, how other people see the individual (Cash, 1990:51). Fisher (2000:6) also does not refer to a specific phenomenon in his study regarding body image, but uses it as a comprehensive term to include any human experience related to the body. He also pointed out body experiences of individuals are so versatile that there may not be one single body image and that scholars should consider that there are multiple body-images to fully understand the whole phenomenon. Even
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Cognitive body image includes the beliefs and self-statements about the appearance a person has about their body (e.g. attractive / unattractive). It is the picture one has in their mind about their appearance (i.e. size and shape) of their body (Delinsky, 2011:180).
The emotional (affective) dimension relates to experiences of appearance. It refers to the amount of satisfaction or dissatisfaction a person feels about their own physical appearance, usually in relation to the media, other people, or in relation to their sociocultural beauty “ideal”. Affect also includes feelings about their general appearance, being fat or skinny, ashamed or confident and feelings of their body shape or specific body parts, especially in situations that trigger thoughts of weight or shape (Delinsky,