Author Description

How does an individual form a body image? Where do the internal representations of one's body image intersect with the external bodily reality? How does a person adjust the image to reflect the changes wrought by aging, disease, deformity, or injury? What is the role of body images in the development of eating disorders and other psychological disorders? What psychotherapeutic and medical procedures facilitate positive body-image changes?<br/>In the last two decades, questions such as these have spurred significant progress in the construction of a psychology of physical appearance, transcending disciplinary boundaries to incorporate elements from both the behavioral and biomedical sciences. Because the body-image construct is multidimensional and entails a rich diversity--body image is, more accurately, body-images--the most productive thinking on the topic requires an integration of both objective and subjective foci. Bringing the literature up to date, BODY IMAGES: DEVELOPMENT, DEVIANCE, AND CHANGE reviews and elucidates various concepts of body image, body-image development, psychosocially dysfunctional deviations from normal appearance, and methods of facilitating body image change.