Abstract
This study investigated the relationship between self-consciousness, abnormal eating behaviors, and body-image dissatisfaction among 823 female university students. Self-consciousness comprises public and private self-consciousness. Public self-consciousness is defined as the consciousness of the self as a social object, while private self-consciousness is defined as the consciousness of an aspect of the self. The measures used in this study include the Body-image Dissatisfaction Scale, Eating Attitudes Test 26 (EAT-26), and the Self-consciousness Scale. The procedure of analysis involved the investigation of (1) the relationship between self-consciousness and body-image dissatisfaction, (2) patterns of self-consciousness, (3) the classification of abnormal eating behaviors, and (4) the relationship between self-consciousness and abnormal eating behaviors. The results of the analyses suggested a relationship between body-image dissatisfaction and public self-consciousness; a possible relationship between dissatisfaction that stems from others' body evaluation and private self-consciousness was also indicated. Both these relationships were measured by the Self-consciousness Scale. Moreover, if the private self-consciousness of individuals is accompanied by a strong public self-consciousness, their sense of control concerning food-intake might be strong. In addition, if the public self-consciousness of individuals is accompanied with a strong private self-consciousness, their apprehension about food might be strong.
