Hostname: page-component-7c8c6479df-995ml Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-03-28T05:10:26.942Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

The Importance of Aesthetics in Body Dysmorphic Disorder

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  07 November 2014

Abstract

It is hypothesized that body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) patients are firstly more “aesthetical,” an attribute much like being musical, which varies between different individuals. This results in a greater emotional response to more attractive individuals and placing greater value on the importance of appearance in their identity compared with healthy individuals. Some BDD patients may have greater aesthetic perceptual skills. This is manifested in their education or training in art and design. Secondly, BDD patients may have higher aesthetic standards than the rest of the population. Their failure to achieve an unrealistic aesthetic standard is at the core of BDD, leading to severe distress and handicap.

Type
Feature Article
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2002

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

1.American Psychiatric Association. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. 4th ed. Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Association; 1994.Google Scholar
2.Faravelli, C, Salvatori, S, Galassi, F, Aiazzi, L, Drei, C, Cabras, P. Epidemiology of somatoform disorders: a community survey in Florence. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol. 1997;32:2429.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
3.Thornhill, R, Gangestad, SW. Facial attractiveness. Trends Cogn Sci. 2000;3:452460.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
4.Etcoff, N. Survival of the Prettiest: The Science of Beauty. New York, NY: Doubleday; 1999.Google Scholar
5.Thornhill, R, Gangestad, SW. Human facial beauty averageness, symmetry, and parasite resistance. Hum Nat. 1993;4:237269.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
6.Concar, D. Sex and the symmetrical body. New Sci. 1995;146:4044.Google Scholar
7.Thornhill, R, Gangestad, SW. Human fluctuating asymmetry and sexual behavior. Psychol Sci. 1994;5:297302.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
8.Langlois, JH, Roggman, LA. Attractive faces are only average. Psychol Sci. 1987;1:115121.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
9.Symons, D. The Evolution of Human Sexuality. London, England: Oxford University Press; 1987.Google Scholar
10.Thornhill, R, Grammer, K. Human (Homo sapiens) Facial attractiveness and sexual selection: the role of symmetry and averageness. J Comp Psychol. 1994;108:233242.Google Scholar
11.Johnston, V, Franklin, M. Is beauty in the eye of the beholder?Ethol Sociobiol. 1993;183199.Google Scholar
12.Rhodes, G, Hickford, C, Jeffery, L. Sex-typicality and attractiveness: are superfemale and superfemale faces superattractive. Br J Psychol. 2000;91(pt 1):125140.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
13.Perrett, DI, Lee, KJ, Penton-Voak, I, et al.Effects of sexual dimorphism in facial attractiveness. Nature. 1998;394:884887.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
14.Thornhill, R, Moller, AP. Developmental stability, disease and medicine. Bio Rev Camb Philos Soc. 1997;72:497548.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
15.Becker, AE, Burwell, RA, Gilman, SE, Herzog, DB, Hamburg, P. Eating behaviours and attitudes following prolonged exposure to television among ethnic Fijian adolescent girls. Br J Psychiatry. 2002;180:509514.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
16.Walster, EA, Aronson, V, Abrahams, D, Rottman, L. Importance of physical attractiveness in dating behaviour. J Pers Soc Psychol. 1966;4:508516.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
17.Dion, KK, Berscheid, E, Walster, E. What is beautiful is good. J Pers Soc Psychol. 1972;24:285290.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
18.Webster, M, Driskell, J. Beauty as status. AJS. 1983;140165.Google Scholar
19.Lacey, JH, Birtchnell, S. Body image and its disturbances. J Psychosom Res. 1986;90:623631.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
20.Downs, AC, Lyons, PM. Natural observations of the links between attractiveness and initial legal judgements. Pers Soc Psychol Bull. 1991;17:541547.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
21.Baer, L. Factor analysis of symptom subtypes of obsessive compulsive disorder and their relation to personality and tic disorders. J Clin Psychiatry. 1994;55:1823.Google ScholarPubMed
22.Pitman, RK. A cybernetic model of obsessive-compulsive psychopathology. Compr Psychiatry. 1987;28:334343.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
23.Veale, D, Gournay, K, Dryden, W, et al.Body dysmorphic disorder: a cognitive behavioural model and pilot randomised controlled trial. Behav Res Ther. 1996;34:717729.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
24.Harris, DL. Cosmetic Surgery—where does it begin? Br J Plast Surg. 1982;35:281286.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
25.Veale, D. Overvalued ideals: a conceptual analysis. Behav Res Ther. 2001;40:483–400.Google Scholar
26.Wilhelm, S, Buhlmann, U, Etcoff, N, Savage, CR, Jenike, M. Ratings of facial attractiveness in body dysmorphic disorder. Presented at: World Congress of Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies; July 17-21, 2001; Vancouver, Canada.Google Scholar
27.Marquardt, D. Marquandt Beauty Analysis Web site. Available at: http://www.beautyanalysis.com/index2-mba.htm. Accessed September 15, 2001.Google Scholar
28.Veale, D, Ennis, M, Lambrou, C. Body dysmorphic disorder: an elevated association with an occupation or education in art and design. Am J Psychiatry. In press.Google Scholar
29.Sarwer, DB, Wadden, TA, Pertschuk, MJ, Whitaker, LA. Body image dissatisfaction and body dysmorphic disorder in 100 cosmetic surgery patients. Plast Reconstr Surg. 1998;101:16441649.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
30.Veale, D, Kinderman, P, Riley, S, Lambrou, C. Self-discrepancy and body dysmorphic disorder. Br J Clin Psychol. In press.Google Scholar