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Body image and attachment styles in the female population have received
much academic attention over the years. This study involved 69 Irish women between
the ages of 17 and 36, exploring body image dissatisfaction in relation to attachment
styles with one's parents. The main prediction of this research was Jhat women
scoring high in body image dissatisfaction and eating attitudes would also score high
in insecure attachment. Attachment styles were examined using The Relationship
Questionnaire (BartholOlnew and Horowitz, 1991), eating attitudes were measured
using The Eating Attitudes Test (Gamer, Olmsted, Bohr, and Garfinkel, 1982) and
body image was investigated using The Body image Self-Assessment, Size
Acceptance and Shape Satisfaction Questionnaire (Mciza, Goedecke, Steyn, Charlton,
Puoane, Meltzer, Levitt and Lambert, 2005). A demographic questionnaire was also
administered to control for variables such as age, socioeconomic status, parental
status and level of education. Results of this study supported the null hypotheses,
finding no significant relationship between insecure attachment and low body image
in Irish women. From this study it was concluded that body image dissatisfaction in
Irish women is common in all attachment styles and not solely attributed to insecure
attachment styles as is the case in many eating disordered studies.
