The present research examined whether and which adaptive body image displays in peers can promote more adaptive body image in self. In two studies, female-identified undergraduates recalled a personally distressing body image event. In Study 1, participants (N = 158) then heard an alleged female-identified peer responding to her own distressing body image event with either self-compassion, self-esteem enhancement, or distraction. Participants across conditions reported increased body acceptance and body image-related self-compassion, and decreased body image distress, but changes did not vary by condition. Study 2 sought to determine which component(s) common to Study 1′s conditions explained the benefits participants experienced. Participants (N = 207) listened to an alleged peer: describe body image distress with which she coped adaptively; express body image distress but no adaptive coping; or deny body image distress and relate positively to her body. Hearing a peer cope adaptively with body image distress yielded the greatest body image benefits, whereas hearing a peer deny body image distress was generally least helpful. Results suggest that learning how a peer copes adaptively with body image distress may be most helpful in the face of personal body image distress, and support the overarching theory that adaptive body image may be socially transmissible.

本研究检验了在同伴中展示的自适应身体形象是否以及哪种自适应身体形象可以促进自我更具适应性的身体形象。在两项研究中，女性身份的本科生回忆起一个令人痛苦的身体形象事件。在研究 1 中，参与者 ( N  = 158) 然后听到一个所谓的女性识别同伴以自我同情、自尊增强或分心来回应她自己令人痛苦的身体形象事件。不同条件下的参与者报告说，身体接受度和与身体形象相关的自我同情增加，身体形象痛苦减少，但变化并没有因条件而异。研究 2 试图确定哪些与研究 1 的条件共同的组成部分解释了参与者所体验到的好处。参与者（N = 207) 听了一个所谓的同伴：描述她适应性地应对的身体形象困扰；表达身体形象困扰但没有适应性应对；或否认身体形象困扰并与她的身体积极相关。听到同伴自适应地应对身体形象困扰会产生最大的身体形象益处，而听到同伴否认身体形象困扰通常是最没有帮助的。结果表明，学习同伴如何自适应地应对身体形象困扰可能对个人身体形象困扰最有帮助，并支持适应性身体形象可能在社会上传播的总体理论。