Role of Visual Cues in Body Size Estimation

By (author) Anne Thaler

Image coming soon

Extent: 204 pages

Publisher: Logos Verlag Berlin

Subjects: Psychology, Psychoanalysis, & Psychotherapy

Series: MPI Series in Biological Cybernetics

Series volume number: 56

Language: English

Paperback (Published)

(December 2019)

ISBN: 9783832550264

5.71 x 8.27 inches

Price: $65.00

In stock

Our body is central to what we define as our self. The mental representation of our physical appearance, often called body image, can have a great influence on our psychological health. Given the increase in body mass index worldwide and the societal pressure to conform to body ideals, it is important to gain a better understanding of the nature of body representations and factors that play a role in body size estimation tasks. This doctoral thesis takes a multifaceted approach for investigating the role of different visual cues in the estimation of own body size and shape by using a variety of experimental methods and novel state-of-the-art computer graphics methods. Two visual cues were considered: visual perspective and identity cues in the visual appearance of a body (shape, and color-information), as well as their interactions with own body size and gender. High ecological validity was achieved by testing body size estimation in natural settings, when looking into a mirror, and by generating biometrically plausible virtual bodies based on 3D body scans and statistical body models, and simulating real-world scenarios in immersive virtual reality.

  • By (author) Anne Thaler