Social Physique Anxiety and Physical Activity Among Adolescents

ody composition. In other words, the link between SPAand the motive to exercise to improve appearance, for example,cannot be attributed simply to some objective needto reduce fat. Thus, it should not be assumed that onlythose individuals with "imperfect" physiques will experienceSPA and be motivated to pursue "perfect" physiquesthrough physical activity.Although SPA may stimulate an interest in exercising toimprove physical appearance, lose weight, or even to improvehealth and well being, the fear of physique-relatednegative evaluation may also serve as a barrier to participationin physical activity. In some instances, participationin physical activity may require apparel that is too revealingto be tolerated by those who are particularly selfconsciousabout their bodies. For example, the prospect oftaking swimming lessons can engender a striking reticenceamong some adolescents simply because they fear the selfpresentationalconsequences of being seen in a swimsuit.Avoidance might occur because participation requires theuse or positioning of the body in ways that are intolerableto people who are self-conscious about how their body appearsduring exercise.Concerns on both these accounts (required outfits, bodypositioning) have been identified as the most influentialfactors limiting the willingness of overweight girls andwomen to exercise in public or to attend exercise studios(Bain, Wilson, & Chaikind, 1989). Evidence has also indicatedthat prospective exercise venues populated by peoplein physique-revealing attire were viewed substantiallyless favorably by people high in SPA than settings wherephysique was deemphasized (Eklund, 1998). Hence, perceptionsof physique evaluative threat (real or imagined)offer the substantial prospect of inhibiting motivated behaviorin physical activity settings and undermining theenjoyment adolescents might otherwise derive from suchinvolvement.Saliency of Exercise Setting FeaturesIn addition to the type of attire required, there are other socialcontextual features of the exercise setting that influencethe motivation to participate in physical activityamong individuals high in SPA (Eklund, 1998). For example,the evidence suggests that perceptions of self-presentationalthreat are attenuated when one is in better shape thanother class members. Specifically, while people high in SPAdo not appear to have a systematic preference for workingout with people in "worse shape" than they are, workingout with people who are in substantially "better shape"can be quite threatening.The presence of young men stimulates perceptions of evaluativethreat relative to the physique among youngwomen prone to such concerns. Specifically, the contextualThose who are most prone to physiqueevaluation concerns may refuse to participatein order to avoid the obligatory trialsof the locker room, or they may participatewhile refusing to change and/or shower. Itis easy for teachers, coaches, and parentsto regard these refusals as defiant, insolent,or rude when they merely reflect thestrength of adolescents' concerns aboutnegative evaluations of the physical self. Asa result, young people struggling to maintaina sense of dignity in their physical selfpresentationscan find themselves betweena rock (disciplinary action) and a hard place(the perceived self-presentational tyrannyof the locker room).salience of young men participating in physical activitysettings appears to vary systematically among youngwomen differing in their level of SPA. Women in late adolescenceand early adulthood who are high in SPA tend tobe less amenable to co-ed classes and more aware of thepresence of members of the opposite gender. Evidence hasnot been collected at this point to evaluate whether a similarpattern of threat perception would be evident amongmale adolescents.Women who are in late adolescence and early adulthoodon average do not tend to indicate any particular affinityfor aerobics class spectators, and those highest in SPA tendto find the presence of spectators least desirable (Ecklund,1998). Further, the tendency to be concerned about physiqueevaluation in the presence of spectators appears tobe independent of body composition; hence, this aversionto spectators is not simply a matter of degree of fatness. Ona related note, research has suggested that even in situationswhere they will be evaluated primarily on physical skill(i.e., sport competition), athletes' concerns about how spectatorsmay evaluate their bodies can still be important (Wilson& Eklund, 1999). Interestingly, women's competitiveanxiety is aligned to some significant degree with SPA,whereas men's competitive anxiety seems to be relativelyunrelated to concerns about physique evaluation.Other Anxiety-Provoking ElementsAside from specific features of the exercise setting that actas a deterrent to participation in physical activity, other asvolume9, number 3 fall 2000 141

socia ted elements can be equally aversive for adolescentshigh in SPA. Often self-conscious of their ever-changingbodies, young people are not necessarily favorably disposedtoward "baring all" to peers' prying eyes. As a consequence,changing clothes in front of peers can be asource of distress, and the communal shower can prove tobe nothing less than a tribulation.Unfortunately for those who sweat profusely or who areprone to exuding strong body odors when perspiring, failingto shower and change can present an additional selfpresentationalrisk. (Is there anyone who didn't have aclassmate at some point who was nicknamed "Stinky"?) Ofcourse, it isn't too difficult to imagine other participationrelatedself-presentational complications that can occur (e.g.,think of the ravages of sweating or swimming on hairstylesand makeup). For all these reasons, those individualssusceptible to appearance-related self-presentationalconcerns might refuse to exercise regardless of the disciplinaryconsequences or, when they do agree to exercise,they might do so at a very low intensity (still running therisk of disciplinary action) to attempt to mitigate the collateralrisks.ConclusionIn light of both the short-term and long-term benefits associatedwith participating in physical activity, there isgood reason to be concerned about the marked decline inphysical activity participation that occurs throughout adolescence.We believe that an awareness and considerationof the self-presentational sensitivities that adolescents mayexperience in physical activity settings provide importantavenues for understanding and addressing certain typesof troubling physical activity-related behaviors. The bodyand its presentation are necessarily consequential in physicalactivity settings; it is foolish to pretend otherwise. Nonetheless,a school culture that alleviates self-presentationalconcerns (or allows adolescents to successfully managethese concerns) is more likely to foster a positive attitudetoward exercise and physical activity than one that explicitlyor implicitly emphasizes physical appearance and rewardsphysical attractiveness.Robert C. Eklund, PhD, is an associate professor of humanmovement and exercise science at the University of WesternAustralia, Nedlands, WA 6907, Australia. Theresa Bianco is aPhD candidate at the University of Western Australia. Dr. Eklundmay be reached at: beklund@cyllene.uwa.edu.auREFERENCESBain, L. L., Wilson, T., & Chaikind, E. (1989). Participant perceptions of exerciseprograms for overweight women. Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport,60, 134--143.Davies, E., & Furnham, A. (1986). Body satisfaction in adolescent girls. BritishJournal of Medical Psychology, 59, 279- 287.Dion, K (1986). 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