Background/Purpose Physical self-concept (PSC) is an important mediator of outcomes in physical activity. Recent research has demonstrated PSC contributes to improving and promoting levels of physical and skill development associated with physical education classes beyond what can be expected by prior measures of skill and activity (Peart, Marsh, Richards, Martin, & Dowson, 2006). The purpose of this study was to examine actual and perceived body image among college students.
Method 378 students (M age = 23.36, SD = 6.19) selected from physical activity classes at a comprehensive university in California participated in this study. Standard fitness tests were administered to measure actual body fat (BMI and skinfold), strength (handgrip dynamometer), endurance (push-ups), and flexibility (sit-and-reach). Perceived physical-self (i.e., body image), was measured by the Physical Self Description Questionnaire (Marsh, 1996; PSDQ).
Analysis/Results Pearson-product correlations were performed to examine relationships between actual and perceived body image. Results showed no significant discrepancies were found between actual and perceived body image; BMI/body fat (r = .62), skinfold/PSDQ body fat (r =.65), sit-and-reach/PSDQ flexibility (r =.43), push-ups/PSDQ endurance (r =.48), hand grip/PSDQ strength (r =.41). Factors negatively affected the perceived global physical factor were BMI (r =-.40), skinfold (r =-.48), and step test (r =-.26).
Conclusions It is recommended for future research that gender differences also be considered to understand how self-concepts in specific areas are related to global measures of self, since females tend to have larger actual-ideal discrepancies and to have ideal-self scores that are thinner than their actual-self score (Feingold & Mazzella, 1998).
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