Percepción de la imagen corporal en estudiantes de primer y noveno ciclo de la Facultad de Psicología, periodo septiembre 2023-febrero 2024

Abstract

Body image is a multidimensional construct encompassing how an individual perceives, feels, and thinks about their body. Grounded in the Tripartite Model of Influence and the CognitiveBehavioral Model, individuals internalize judgments related to key social agents—family, friends, and media—establishing ideals of physical appearance with strong sociocultural pressure. These behavior patterns pose a risk, fostering a negative and distorted body image reflected in self-devaluation. The study aimed to describe body dissatisfaction perception in first and ninth-semester Psychology students, comparing it based on sociodemographic variables. Employing a quantitative, descriptive approach with a non-experimental crosssectional design, the Body Shape Questionnaire (BSQ-34) was applied. A convenience nonprobabilistic sampling yielded a total sample of 100 female participants from the first (54%) and ninth semesters (46%). Results indicate similarity in body dissatisfaction perception in the first (M=52.21) and ninth semesters (M=62.39), with heightened extreme concern in firstsemester students (M=159.11). Additionally, knowing or not knowing weight does not motivate physical activity in both groups. In conclusion, students occasionally report feelings of selfdevaluation, body shame, comparison, fear of weight gain, and concerns about exercise and specific body areas.