Body Image

The image of physical self, or body image, is how an indi The il perceives the size, appearance, and functioning of the body and its parts.It also includes body prostheses, such as artificial limbs, dentures, and hairpieces, as well as devices required for functioning, such as wheelchairs, canes, and eyeglasses.Body image includes clothing, makeup, hairstyle, jew- elry, and other things intimately connected to the individ- ual (Figure 39.1).For example, body image develops in infancy as the parents or caregivers respond to the child with smiles, holding, and touching, and as the child explores their own body sensations during breastfeeding, thumb sucking, and the bath.The cognitive is the knowledge of the material body; the affective includes the sensations of the body, such as pain, pleasure, fatigue, and physical movement.Body image is the sum of these attitudes, conscious and uncon- scious, that an individual has toward their body.