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The Association Of Objectification And Discrimination With Partner Gender And Disordered Eating Behaviors In Bisexual Women, Rachel A. Amerson

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

Sexual minority women are at increased risk of negative outcomes compared to heterosexual women. Bisexual women report disparities when compared to both heterosexual and lesbian women. The disparities experienced by bisexual women also appear to vary based on the gender of their partner, with those partnered with men reporting more negative health outcomes than those partnered with women. One area in which heterosexual and sexual minority women’s experiences differ is in the experience of objectification or being treated as a body rather than a person. While objectification has been linked to negative outcomes, such as body shame and disordered eating …

Body Dissatisfaction And Disordered Eating Among College Women’S Social Networks: An Investigation Of Perceived Changes Following A Dissonance-Based Body Image Intervention, Rachel I. Macintyre

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

Body dissatisfaction is associated with numerous health consequences and is pervasive among college women. Effective interventions exist that reduce body dissatisfaction in college women by helping them resist sociocultural pressures to conform to the appearance ideal, such as the Body Project. Yet research is limited on whether social and behavioral processes help participants reduce their engagement in sociocultural appearance-ideal messages and contribute to the intervention’s effectiveness. The primary purpose of the present study was to examine these social and behavioral processes, including the changes in college women’s social networks associated with their participation in the Body Project. Undergraduate and graduate …

Understanding The Experiences Of Women With Anorexia Nervosa Who Complete An Exposure Therapy Protocol In A Naturalistic Setting, Gina B. Polychronopoulos

Counseling & Human Services Theses & Dissertations

Anorexia Nervosa (AN) is a serious mental health concern in the United States, with the highest mortality rate of all mental disorders. Females comprise the vast majority of people with AN, although the number of males with the condition is rising. Anorexia Nervosa has a high relapse rate and is often enduring, which makes it challenging to treat successfully; therefore, the mental health profession is in need of innovative therapeutic approaches. Exposure therapy has a growing evidence base for the treatment of eating disorders, including AN; however, there are very few studies that explore body image/mirror exposure specifically in patients …

Body Image And Quality Of Life Among Postsurgical Bariatric Patients, Amy Leigh White

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

In recent decades, bariatric surgery has become an increasingly popular intervention for the treatment of morbid obesity. Bariatric surgery leads to substantial improvements in physical health (e.g., weight loss, increased life expectancy) and psychological health (e.g., body image, quality of life). After bariatric surgery, many patients undergo subsequent surgical procedures to remove excess skin (“body contouring”), which are also associated with positive medical and psychological outcomes.

The present study sought to expand upon existing research into the psychosocial outcomes of bariatric surgery, investigate correlates of patients’ desire for body contouring, and determine whether presurgical motivations were associated with postsurgical outcomes. …

Fat Talk Between Friends: Co-Rumination About Physical Appearance, Jonathan A. Rudiger

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

In recent years, there has been a growing interest in the study of social and interpersonal factors that influence emotional adjustment and body image. Co-rumination is a new construct in the friendship literature which refers to discussing problems excessively and sharing negative feelings within the context of a close relationship. However, there is a lack of research with regard to the specific content of co-ruminative dialogues. In the body image literature, the term "fat talk" was coined to describe a negative, appearance focused dialogue that takes place in the context of female social circles. There have been no studies examining …

The Effects Of Aerobic Exercise On State And Trait Body Image And Physical Fitness Among College Women, Sherri L. Hensley

Theses and Dissertations in Urban Services - Urban Education

Cumulative evidence shows body dissatisfaction is a salient problem among women, and is linked to various psychological disorders and disturbances. While numerous perspectives regarding the negative body-image phenomenon exist, one area of scientific inquiry is the relationship between physical exercise and body image. With the current sociocultural emphasis on physical fitness and attractiveness, the effects of exercise on body image warrants serious consideration. The present investigation compared 57 women who participated in a 13-week aerobic exercise program to 29 sedentary control women on the following variables: state and trait body image, cardiorespiratory fitness, and body composition. The exercising women were …

Body-Image Attitudes And Perceptions Among African-Americans And Whites As A Function Of Socioeconomic Class, Christopher Eugene Huffine

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

While many facets of body image have been extensively researched, relatively few studies have examined racial and social class differences in body image. The present paper consists of two studies examining racial and class differences in body image among males and females. Study 1 utilized a national sample of respondents to a 1985 Psychology Today survey to examine racial (Black and White) and educational differences in body image among men and women. Study 2 utilized a smaller sample of Black subjects, half drawn from several Southeastern universities and the other half from non-academic locations in the Tidewater area of Virginia …