Maternal Communication Strategies That Promote Body Image in Daughters

Abstract

This research examined the relationships between perceived maternal communication behaviors and daughters’ body image by borrowing from the tenets of three commonly used body image prevention approaches. The sample consisted of 532 adult women who completed an online survey asking them to recall perceptions of their mothers’ communication behaviors as well as perceptions of their own attitudes, behaviors, and body image. Results from structural equation modeling revealed that (a) in accordance with the Social Cognitive Approach, daughters’ recall of mothers modeling healthy behaviors was associated with higher levels of daughters’ adaptive weight-related behaviors, which was in turn associated with daughters’ body image; (b) in accordance with the Non-Specific Vulnerability-Stressor Model, a close mother-daughter relationship was associated with higher levels of daughters’ social competence, which was in turn associated with daughters’ body image; and (c) in accordance with the Feminist-Empowerment-Relational Model, consciousness-raising discussions between mothers and daughters were associated with higher levels of daughters’ feminist ideology, which was in turn associated with daughters’ body image. In addition, (d) when evaluating the three approaches simultaneously, the Social Cognitive Approach was the only model that significantly predicted daughters’ body image.