We predicted that reasons for exercise would
mediate the relationship between self-objectification
and both body esteem and self-esteem for both
men and women. The preconditions for a test of
mediation (Holmbeck, 1997) require significant relationships
between the predictor variable (selfobjectification)
and the mediator variable (reasons
for exercise), the predictor variable and outcome
variable (body esteem), and the mediator variable
and the outcome variable. Thus, based on the significant
correlations presented in Table II, it was possible
to test whether appearance enhancement reasons
for exercise mediate the relationship between selfobjectification
and body esteem for both men and
women.