The study of body image in people of Taiwan – an exploration of body dysmorphic disorder

Abstract

The research aims to study the symptoms of body dysmorphic disorder in a non-clinical student sample in Taiwan and to compare these data between male students and female students. Body dysmorphic disorder is a preoccupation with an 'imagined' or exaggerated defect in one's appearance. With an eye to understanding students' inner and phenomenological worlds, a body dysmorphic disorder self-check test was administered to 560 college students in Taiwan. The finding of this study shows that influenced by Chinese culture, female students in Taiwan experience more body dysmorphic disorder than male students. It could be possible that cultures have placed great value on women's physical attractiveness and beauty; hence, women get social pressure about how they should look. Consequently, they rely more on appearance and attractiveness in their perception of gender difference.