A Qualitative Study of Gender-Specific Pathways to Body Dissatisfaction

Abstract This qualitative study examined gender differences in sociocultural pressures related to body image and the psychological mechanisms through which these pressures are experienced among college students. Responses from 1014 undergraduates to an open-ended question about perceived pressure to conform to cultural body ideals were analyzed. Results revealed distinct gender-specific patterns: women’s narratives primarily emphasized media pressure, drive for thinness, and social comparison, while men’s responses more frequently featured internal pressure alongside drive for muscularity and drive for leanness. These findings demonstrate how similar sociocultural pressures operate through different pathways across genders—women more explicitly acknowledged external pressures through direct social comparison, while men more frequently transformed sociocultural pressures into internalized goals framed as personal motivation. This pattern aligns with the theoretical frameworks of Objectification Theory and Self-Determination Theory, and extends the Tripartite Influence Model by illuminating the gendered nature of body image concerns through narrative accounts. Implications for gender-specific clinical approaches to body image disturbance are discussed.