Gender Schema and Gender Role Discrepancy as Correlates of Body Image

Past studies of gender role and body image have focused on women's self-reported levels of femininity and masculinity as correlates of body dissatisfaction and eating disorders. This study explored how college-aged women's and men's self-reported discrepancies in actual and ideal femininity and masculinity are linked to three measures of body image. For this group of women, physical size, but not gender role discrepancy, was predictive of body image. For the men, in addition to physical size, falling short of their masculine ideal was predictive of more negative body image. Results are discussed in relation to gender schema theory and cultural ideals of female thinness and male muscularity.