Kohlmann Carl-Walter, Eschenbeck Heike, Heim-Dreger Uwe, Hock Michael, Platt Tracey, Ruch Willibald
Psychology, University of Education Schwäbisch Gmünd, Schwäbisch Gmünd, Germany.
Psychology, University of Bamberg, Bamberg, Germany.
Front Psychol. 2018 Aug 14;9:1447. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2018.01447. eCollection 2018.
Weight bias toward obese youths is often accompanied by the experience of psychological stress in those affected. Therefore, the fear of being laughed at (i.e., gelotophobia) in overweight children and adolescents can be rather serious. In four explorative studies, the importance of relative weight, self-awareness of weight (incl. satisfaction with weight), experiences of teasing and ridicule, as well as the role of social-evaluative situations in school were analyzed with regard to gelotophobia. In two online interviews of adults with pronounced gelotophobia (Study I: 102 English-speaking participants, Study II: 22 German-speaking participants) relating to reasons they assumed for their development of gelotophobia, there was evidence of injurious appearance-related experiences during childhood and adolescence. In Study III (75 Swiss adolescents) associations between the experience of weight-related teasing and mockery with overweight, self-perceptions of weight, and gelotophobia were analyzed. Especially in girls, overweight was associated with the experience of weight-related teasing and ridicule, which in turn was accompanied by gelotophobia. Study IV included 178 German adolescents who were asked to report their body image ("Do you think you are… too thin, just the right weight, or too fat?"). In addition, gelotophobia, teasing, BMI based on self-reports, and joy at school were measured. In particular, girls who felt too fat and boys who felt too thin reported teasing. Teasing was related to diminished joy at school and to gelotophobia. Among boys, underweight mediated by weight-related teasing contributed to gelotophobia. The results suggest that more research should be devoted to gelotophobia and the experience of weight-related teasing and mocking to better understand factors contributing to the well-being of children and adolescents with weight problems.
对肥胖青少年的体重偏见往往伴随着受影响者的心理压力体验。因此，超重儿童和青少年对被嘲笑的恐惧（即恐笑症）可能相当严重。在四项探索性研究中，分析了相对体重、体重自我认知（包括对体重的满意度）、被取笑和嘲笑的经历，以及学校社会评价情境在恐笑症方面的作用。在两项针对有明显恐笑症的成年人的在线访谈中（研究一：102名说英语的参与者，研究二：22名说德语的参与者），探讨了他们认为自己患恐笑症的原因，有证据表明在童年和青少年时期存在与外貌相关的伤害性经历。在研究三中（75名瑞士青少年），分析了与超重相关的取笑和嘲讽经历、体重自我认知与恐笑症之间的关联。尤其是在女孩中，超重与与体重相关的取笑和嘲笑经历有关，而这又伴随着恐笑症。研究四包括178名德国青少年，他们被要求报告自己的身体形象（“你认为自己……太瘦、体重正好还是太胖？”）。此外，还测量了恐笑症、取笑、自我报告的体重指数以及在学校的快乐程度。特别是，感觉太胖的女孩和感觉太瘦的男孩报告了被取笑的情况。被取笑与在学校的快乐程度降低以及恐笑症有关。在男孩中，与体重相关的取笑所介导的体重过轻导致了恐笑症。结果表明，应该对恐笑症以及与体重相关的取笑和嘲笑经历进行更多研究，以便更好地理解影响有体重问题的儿童和青少年幸福感的因素。
