Body size perception : Accuracy and cognitive mechanisms

Abstract: The accuracies of body size perception have been fount to be associated with level of mental health in the general population as well as the understanding, prevention and treatment of eating disorders. However, number of empirical studies in this field is limited and the findings are largely heterogeneous. First of all, patients with eating disorders overestimated their own body. The accuracies might be influenced by personal BMI as well as severity and prognosis of the disorders. Second, by comparing the estimation of one’s own body size with others among individuals with eating disorders, it was also found that the overestimation of one’s own body size was partly influenced by their attitudes towards own body. Third, studies on body size perception in the general population have not yet reached consistent conclusions, which may be influenced by the assessment methods. Finally, Three cognitive mechanisms underlying distorted body size perception have been proposed, namely contraction bias, adaptive aftereffect and serial dependence.