Body size aftereffects are adult-like from 7 years onward

Batish, Anjali; Parchment, Amelia; Handy, Evan; Tovée, Martin J; Boothroyd, Lynda G

Abstract

There is considerable evidence that adults’ perception of body weight in others can be manipulated via visual exposure to multiple bodies at one or another weight extreme. No study has yet examined how early in childhood such visual adaptation aftereffects exist. We ran experimental adaptation tests with predominantly White British 11- and 12-year-olds, 14- and 15-year-olds, and adult men and women (Study 1; N = 181) and with 7- and 11-year-olds and adults (Study 2; N = 110). Participants viewed bodies ranging from low to high weight before and after being adapted to bodies with very low or very high body mass. Participants of all ages showed a significant change in their weight estimates after being adapted to larger bodies (but not to smaller bodies), suggesting that this aspect of body perception is functionally mature by 7 years.

Citation

Batish, A., Parchment, A., Handy, E., Tovée, M. J., & Boothroyd, L. G. (2025). Body size aftereffects are adult-like from 7 years onward. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 254, Article 106203. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jecp.2025.106203

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Jan 14, 2025
• Online Publication Date: Mar 12, 2025
• Publication Date: 2025-06
• Deposit Date: Mar 13, 2025
• Publicly Available Date: Mar 13, 2025
• Journal: Journal of Experimental Child Psychology
• Print ISSN: 0022-0965
• Electronic ISSN: 1096-0457
• Publisher: Elsevier
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 254
• Article Number: 106203
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jecp.2025.106203
• Keywords: Adolescent, Weight, Age Factors, Male, Body Image - psychology, Visual diet, Body Size, Humans, Adaptation, Child, Adult, Body perception, Female, BMI, Young Adult, Weight perception, Figural Aftereffect
• Public URL: https://durham-repository.worktribe.com/output/3707941