Acknowledgments This book evolved while I was a member of the Faculty of the Department of Psychiatry of the State University of New York Medical School in Syracuse, New York. I wish to express my appreciation for the support I have received by way of facilities, computer services, and a general ambiance conducive to scholarly work. Special thanks are in order to the Upstate Medical Center li- brary, which can apparently locate anything that has ever been printed. Also, grants from the National Institutes of Health have from time to time been of real assistance to my research. I owe much to my wife, Dr. Rhoda Fisher, for innumerable conversations in which we explored body image issues. My daughter, Ms. Eve Fisher, and my son, Dr. Jerid Fisher, aided in the collection of data for several studies, and I thank them. My secretary, Ms. Mary McCargar, has now seen me through ten books. Her superb typing and common sense helped to keep the whole enterprise moving. Special acknowledgments are due to the publishers listed below for permis- sions to quote extensively from various of my published papers. Williams and Wilkins: Theme induction of localized somatic tension, Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease, 1980, 168: 721-731. American Psychological Association: Boundary effects of persistent inputs and messages, Journal of Abnor- mal Psychology, 1971, 77: 290-295. Influencing selective perception and fantasy by stimulating body land- marks, Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 1972, 79: 97-105. Academic Press: Anxiety and sex role in body landmark functions, Journal of Research in Personality, 1978, 12: 87-99. -ix- |