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Description:
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A review of the physical attractiveness and aging literature suggested that double standards exist with respect to both age and gender . Physical attractiveness and physical attractiveness with respect to age have each been implicated in the literature as cause for differential treatment in both young and old alike . Implicit in the literature is the notion that physical characteristics attributed to aging (e .g . , balding , wrinkling ) are judged harshly by today's standards . This is found to be especially true for women and suggested to their affect self -concepts .
The present study investigated the relationship between body image and self -concept in the aging process . Results from this study revealed that body image and self -concept were related but did not , as predicted , decrease as age increased . Further , physical and mental symptoms of aging were also related to self -concept but did not increase , as predicted , as individuals aged . Surprisingly , discrepancy between current body image and a retrospective account of body image at age twenty -one was not related to either selfconcept or age . Similar results were found with respect to discrepancy between real and ideal weight . |