It’s better naked - who knew?

[Peter S]

https://www.psypost.org/2020/10/getting-naked-around-strangers-improves-your-body-image-study-finds-58209

Serious article about some some serious research that proves what we already knew.

[Greenbare Woods]

Research published in the Journal of Sex Research.

And we're always told getting naked is not about sex. 

[John P]

And the subjects of the study were recruited by an ad that had the wording: "some participants may be asked to take part in safe, non-sexual nude activity". They might as well conclude that "Nudists enjoy nudity more than non-nudists".

[yeldew]

I tend to feel that a nudist would not have found any change in body image after mixing in either group. They would probably be the least body conscious there, so would have reduced any of the the obvious benefits noticed.
Norman.

[nuduke]

Not that I want to decry anything which furthers the benefits and advantages of naturism but....
A single experiment of 45 minutes in a public bar (presumably with alcohol served) with 2 questionnaires, published in the Journal of Happiness studies (what a title!) does not fill me with admiration for their academic rigour!  With a 2 groups sized 25 and 26, self selected as opposed to a controlled cross section.  Hmmm.  And as Yeldew suggests, one or two persons 'having a laugh' and giving more extreme answers to the questionnaire could skew the results for the whole group.  I hope they had means of applying more rigour to the questionnaire answers and the selection of participants than one can conclude from the article.
John

[jbeegoode]

Digging a little deeper, there is access to the actual paper. I haven't read it yet, I intend to, when I get the time (been quite tied up lately). The concept has been anecdotally accepted since the nude encounter groups of the 1960's. I'm convinced that the finding are true, although... yup, it sounds kinda flakey at this point.

[nuduke]

I haven't read the paper, just the abstract..  Couldn't find a free access.  Send us a link if you do get to it, Jbee.   The paper was £34 ($43) to download from the journal.  I have no doubt that the findings are true i.e. it's (everything's) better naked.  My point is that the method seemed to be wanting rigour!
John

[yeldew]

Keon West was responsible for the Naked Beach television series, which was a series of 4-day experiments on a similar theme.

The latest research is only a start along fresh lines, and is stated to be a qualitative rather than a quantitative study to start with.  That is to say, not intended to prove anything, but to give guidance for future work.

Keon's summary is:
This research is still in its infancy and not yet conclusive. Nonetheless, given this slowly accumulating body of evidence, it is worth considering whether nakedness may be a low-cost, effective means of improving body image, self-esteem and overall happiness, despite its unconventional image in contemporary society.

Poaching information from the BN website:-
Dr Keon West is a really serious academic, and is very much on an upward trajectory too.
He is now president of the Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues (www.spssi.org), an international organisation based in the US.

Norman.

[nuduke]

Ok, Yeldew,
I get qualitative.  That does mitigate some of my criticism.
My bottom line is that promulgating the benefits of naturism in an objective way, as in this study, must be a good thing. But it's important to do it well to maintain credibility.
I didn't know that the researcher, K West, was behind naked beach.  I wonder if he is a naturist too?
John

[Peter S]

He recently featured in a BBC World Service documentary, one of their science series, asking Why Are We Embarrassed to Get Naked (or something like) - you can find it on BBC Sounds, John

[nuduke]

Ah! Connection!  I have listened to that BBC programme some weeks or months ago!  Didn't clock it was the same guy.  I shall revisit!
John