Optimism and positive body image in women: The mediating role of the feared fat self

•Optimism is positively related to positive body image in women.•Feared fat self expectancy mediated the impact of optimism on positive body image.•Hoped-for thin self expectancy is unrelated to positive body image and optimism.•Feared fat self expectancy is an important aspect of positive body image in women.

We predicted that an expectancy judgment about acquiring a feared fat self and an expectancy judgment about acquiring a hoped-for thin self would mediate dispositional optimism on positive body image. We also predicted that the mediation pathway through the feared self would be significantly stronger than that through the hoped-for self. Participants were 208 female college students who reported their age, height and weight and completed measures of dispositional optimism, the likelihood of acquiring the feared fat and hoped-for thin selves, and positive body image. Statistical analyses revealed that only the perceived likelihood of acquiring the feared fat self mediated dispositional optimism on positive body image. Implications for future research are discussed.