Abstract
Slimness and dieting are considered as aspects of adornment. We hypothesized that slimness, similar to adornment, has two psychological functions: for oneself and for others. In this study, positive and negative aspects of body outcome expectancies were examined to clarify cognitions about the functions of slimness. In Study 1, descriptions were obtained from participants and classified into 11 categories. Slimness had the same psychological functions for self and others as had been found for adornment. In Study 2, the relationship between body outcome expectancies and the drive for thinness was examined. To measure the degree of body outcome expectancies, items were developed based on the descriptions obtained in Study 1. Pearson’s r between these scores and the drive for thinness score were calculated, which showed positive relationships.
