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Disordered Eating In Transgender And Non-Binary Individuals, Vincent Marais

Student Scholar Symposium Abstracts and Posters

The purpose of this study was to examine the prevalence and nature of disordered eating behaviors and body image issues among transgender and non-binary individuals. It examined prevalence rates of different disordered eating behaviors to contrast them with rates among cisgender individuals. It also examined the ways in which gender-affirming healthcare and social acceptance of one's gender identity are correlated with improvement in eating habits and body image. For transgender and non-binary survey participants, the prevalence of disordered eating behaviors was compared to self-reported stage of transition. The prevalence of disordered eating behaviors among binary transgender participants at different stages …

Eating Disorders And Adolescents: A Plea For Early Childhood Intervention, Abby Smiley

Student Works

According to Gerbasi et al. (2014), eating disorders are considered a global health crisis, if not a worldwide epidemic. Early intervention in adolescence may be effective in slowing the prevalence of disordered eating behaviors in this at-risk demographic. Bills et al. (2023) concluded that physical complications may come from participating in disordered eating and may eventually attribute to the development of an eating disorder; these complications may include diminished brain function and health, as well as diminished heart function and health. It was also concluded that eating disorders may be linked to suicidal ideation and other mental health issues (Bills …

How Victoria Secret Marketing Affects Women’S Self Esteem And Body Image, Marianne Kamhazi

Global Strategic Communications Student Work

With society and media beauty standards, the ‘thin model ideal’ can have a detrimental effect on women’s self esteem and body image. Through extensive literature reviews, it can be seen how the media portrays body image of models which, in turn, causes women to be self conscious about their bodies and portrays unrealistic beauty standards. The research questions ask the impact of Victoria’s Secret marketing on body and self esteem issues and how do women feel when they see these models on their social media. The methods used were both a focus group and survey. Results support the research questions. …

Self‑Objectification During The Perinatal Period: The Role Of Body Surveillance In Maternal And Infant Wellbeing, Lauren M. Laifer, Olivia R. Maras, Gemma Sáez, Sarah Gervais, Rebecca L. Brock

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

Pregnancy represents a unique time during which women’s bodies undergo significant physical changes (e.g., expanding belly, larger breasts, weight gain) that can elicit increased objectification. Experiences of objectification set the stage for women to view themselves as sexual objects (i.e., self-objectification) and are associated with adverse mental health outcomes. Although women may experience heightened self-objectification and behavioral consequences (such as body surveillance) due to the objectification of pregnant bodies in Western cultures, there are remarkably few studies examining objectification theory among women during the perinatal period. The present study investigated the impact of body surveillance, a consequence of self-objectification, on …

Encouraging Or Guilt-Inducing? An Analysis Of Fitspiration Content And Its Effect On Body Image And Lifestyle Changes, Brenna Mazour

Honors Theses

More people are acquiring their nutrition and exercise information from social media accounts called fitspiration. Analyses of fitspiration content have found the focus to be on restrictive diets and excessive exercise that’s appearance driven. Although its intent is to inspire its consumers to change their lifestyle, many speculate that it brings upon negative body image and induces guilt. The Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) has been used to determine why people take part in certain health behaviors, such as diets or exercise regimens posted on fitspiration. TPB shows how the characteristics of social media discourage people to use fitspiration as …

Sexual Orientation Differences In Pathways From Sociocultural And Objectification Constructs To Body Satisfaction: The Us Body Project I, David A. Frederick, Vivienne M. Hazzard, Lauren M. Schaefer, Rachel F. Rodgers, Allegra R. Gordon, Tracy L. Tylka, Jamie-Lee Pennesi, Lexie Convertino, Michael C. Parent, Tiffany A. Brown, Emilio J. Compte, Catherine P. Cook-Cottone, Canice E. Crerand, Vanessa L. Malcarne, Jason M. Nagata, Marisol Perez, Eva Pila, J. Kevin Thompson, Stuart B. Murray

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

Objectification theory and the tripartite influence model provide useful frameworks for understanding the body image experiences of men and women. However, there is little systematic investigation of how sexual orientation moderates the links between these constructs and body image satisfaction. It has been hypothesized, for example, that the associations of surveillance (i.e., monitoring of one’s appearance due to objectification by others) would be strongest for groups targeted by the male gaze (e.g., gay men, lesbian women, and bisexual men and women). Here we proposed an integrated sociocultural model and examined these pathways in multigroup structural equation models in a national …

Racial Identity Differences In Pathways From Sociocultural And Objectification Constructs To Body Satisfaction: The U.S. Body Project I, David A. Frederick, Lauren M. Schaefer, Vivienne M. Hazzard, Rachel F. Rodgers, Tracy L. Tylka, Lydia Q. Ong, Jamie-Lee Pennesi, Lexie Convertino, Michael C. Parent, Tiffany A. Brown, Emilio J. Compte, Catherine P. Cook-Cottone, Canice E. Crerand, Vanessa L. Malcarne, Jason M. Nagata, Marisol Perez, Eva Pila, J. Kevin Thompson, Stuart B. Murray

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

Racial minority men and women face a wide variety of appearance-related pressures, including ones connected to their cultural backgrounds and phenotypic features associated with their identity. These body image concerns exist within a larger context, wherein racial minorities face pressures from multiple cultures or subcultures simultaneously to achieve unrealistic appearance ideals. However, limited research has investigated racial differences in the relationships between theorized sociocultural risk factors and body image in large samples. This study tests pathways from an integrated sociocultural model drawing on objectification theory and the tripartite influence model to three key body image outcomes: appearance evaluation, body image …

Demographic Predictors Of Body Image Satisfaction: The Us Body Project I, David A. Frederick, Canice E. Crerand, Tiffany A. Brown, Marisol Perez, Cassidy R. Best, Catherine P. Cook-Cottone, Emilio J. Compte, Lexie Convertino, Allegra R. Gordon, Vanessa L. Malcarne, Jason M. Nagata, Michael C. Parent, Jamie-Lee Pennesi, Eva Pila, Rachel F. Rodgers, Lauren M. Schaefer, J. Kevin Thompson, Tracy L. Tylka, Stuart B. Murray

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

We examined how gender, body mass, race, age, and sexual orientation were linked to appearance evaluation, overweight preoccupation, and body image-related quality of life among 11,620 adults recruited via Mechanical Turk. Men were less likely than women to report low appearance evaluation, high overweight preoccupation, negative effects of body image on their quality of life, being on a weight-loss diet, and trying to lose weight with crash diets/fasting. Racial differences were generally small, but greater appearance evaluation was reported by Black men versus other groups and Black women versus White women. Across all measures, gay and bisexual men reported poorer …

Examining The Effects Of Instagram On Body Image And Eating Disorders Among Adolescent Girls, Ellie Cuoco

Education Theses

Throughout the past decade, as social media begins to grow in popularity, individuals' mental health is being sacrificed. Therefore, providing others with the knowledge of the effects will tend to decrease these numbers. The purpose of this paper is to delve into the link between Instagram and body image and eating disorders in young adolescents. Women are more likely to suffer body dissatisfaction and develop an eating disorder when encountering Instagram body ideals. Implementing lesson plans, including parents, and engaging school personnel is an excellent way to start the conversation and address adolescent body dissatisfaction to counter the known negative …

Associations Between Body Dissatisfaction And Relationship Functioning Among Same-Sex Female Couples: An Actor-Partner Interdependence Model, Cassidy M. Sandoval, Kelly A. Romano, Kristin E. Heron, Charlotte A. Dawson, Tiphanie G. Sutton, Barbara A. Winstead, Robin J. Lewis

Psychology Faculty Publications

Nearly all past research about body dissatisfaction and romantic relationship factors is among heterosexual couples; little is known about these associations in sexual minority couples. The present study aimed to fill gaps in the current literature by using actor-partner interdependence models (APIMs) to examine dyadic patterns of association between body dissatisfaction and different aspects of relationship functioning among same-sex female couples. Participants were 163 same-sex female romantic dyads (326 women) between the ages of 18-35 years who completed measures of body dissatisfaction and relationship factors. Results from significance testing of actor and partner effects indicated higher levels of women's own …

Construal Level Moderates A Local Dominance Effect Of Appearance Comparisons In Undergraduate Women, Kathryn Bruchmann, Maggie L. Osa, Kahana Wong, Lindsay Baerg

Psychology

Body image concerns are pervasive within university environments. In this study, we suggest that high rates of body image concerns among undergraduate women may be due, in part, to a local dominance effect of appearance comparisons. That is, undergraduate women may increasingly make upward social comparisons with a predominantly thin and fit student population, rather than downward or lateral social comparisons with the size-diverse global population. The present research tested for and found evidence of this local dominance effect in Study 1 (N = 50), and tested a construal level manipulation as a moderating factor in Study 2 ( …

Does The Tripartite Influence Model Of Body Image And Eating Pathology Function Similarly Across Racial/Ethnic Groups Of White, Black, Latina, And Asian Women?, Natasha L. Burke, Lauren M. Schaefer, Yvette G. Karvay, Anna M. Bardone-Cone, David A. Frederick, Katherine Schaumberg, Kelly L. Klump, Drew A. Anderson, J. Kevin Thompson

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

The tripartite influence model suggests that appearance pressures from family, peers, and the media contribute to thin-ideal internalization, which leads to increased body dissatisfaction and subsequent eating disorder pathology. The tripartite influence model was initially developed and tested among primarily White samples, and emerging research suggests racial/ethnic differences in mean levels of particular model constructs. Consequently, the model's appropriateness for understanding eating disorder risk in racial/ethnic minorities warrants investigation to determine its usefulness in explicating eating disorder risk in diverse populations. Participants in the current study were White (n = 1167), Black (n = 212), Latina (n …

Cultural Influences On Exercise Type And Body Confidence In Women, Skye Sakashita, Desiree Crevecoeur-Macphail

Student Scholar Symposium Abstracts and Posters

This study examined cultural influences on exercise habits and body confidence in women, specifically between ethnic minority and white women. Past research has indicated that Asian women often feel more cultural pressure than their White counterparts. This study wanted to examine further and see if an individual’s parent being an immigrant differs in amount of cultural pressure. Another aspect that this survey examined is motivation for exercise. Past research found that women who felt greater dissatisfaction with their physical appearance were more likely to list factors such as appearance or weight as their reasoning for exercise rather than for health …

Chronic Use Of Non-Medical Abdominal Compressors: Medical And Psychological Implications, Sawsan Edriss, Bushra Azom, Manar Edriss, Mustafa Edriss, Ann-Cathrin Guertler, Eva Waineo Md, Diane L. Levine Md

Medical Student Research Symposium

The popularity of waist cinchers, shapewear, abdominal binders, corsets, and waist trainers has increased in the population. Although corsets have been part of western fashion since the 18th century, abdominal compressors remain in style even today. In 2018, sales for shapewear worldwide were estimated at 2.26 billion USD. 1 Despite its popularity, shapewear safety and medical effects have not been widely studied.

In 1968, “Pantygirdle Syndrome” was described, attributing vulvitis, urethritis, and urinary tract infections to materials used from the “pantygirdle”. 2 The article describes that the girdle caused gastrointestinal symptoms with diaphragmatic and stomach displacement causing gastro-esophageal reflux disease …

'She Should Not Be A Model': The Effect Of Exposure To Plus-Size Models On Body Dissatisfaction, Mood, And Facebook Commenting Behaviour, Daniel Talbot, Hannah Mansfield, Samantha Hayes, Evelyn Smith

Sciences Papers and Journal Articles

Objectives: The present study investigated the exposure effect of plus-size models on body dissatisfaction and mood, and the nature of participants’ commenting behaviour towards images of plus-size models.

Method: The study was comprised of 92 female university students who were exposed to Facebook photos of plus-size models. Participants were randomly allocated to having the exposed photo paired with positive, negative, or neutral comments, and participants were asked to leave an anonymous comment on each picture.

Results: Results showed that participants had less body dissatisfaction and better mood after exposure to plus-size models regardless of the comment condition. Additionally, comment condition …

Exploration Of Height Dissatisfaction, Muscle Dissatisfaction, Body Ideals, And Eating Disorder Symptoms In Men, Daniel Talbot, Justin Mahlberg

Sciences Papers and Journal Articles

Objective: Height is a significant, yet under-studied dimension of body dissatisfaction in men. The present study examined the relationship between height dissatisfaction, height, muscle and fat dissatisfaction, body ideals, and eating disorder symptoms in men.

Participants and methods: Participants were a sample of male undergraduate Australian students (N = 224) who were administered self-report measures of height, muscle, and fat dissatisfaction, eating disorder symptoms, and muscle and body fat body-ideals, and reported their height.

Results: Results showed that height, muscle dissatisfaction, and desired muscularity were important for explaining height dissatisfaction. Additionally, although eating disorder symptoms did not uniquely predict …

Psychometric Properties Of The Contextual Body Image Questionnaire For Athletes: A Replication And Extension Study In Female Collegiate Athletes, Tiffany Stewart, Lisa S. Kilpela, Nicole Wesley, K. Baule, Carolyn Becker

Psychology Faculty Research

Background

Although the link between body dissatisfaction and eating disorder (ED) pathology is well-established in general female samples, less is known about contextual body image (CBI) among female athletes. CBI refers to female athletes’ body image concerns in two contexts: sport and daily life. The Contextual Body Image Questionnaire for Athletes (CBIQA) measures four dimensions of body image (Appearance, Thin-Fat Self-Evaluation, Thin-Fat Others’ Evaluation, and Muscularity) in both contexts. In a sample of female collegiate athletes, this study sought to A) investigate the psychometric properties of the CBIQA, B) examine the cross-sectional relation of CBI with ED pathology and negative …

The Legacy Of Hope Summit: A Consensus-Based Initiative And Report On Eating Disorders In The U.S. And Recommendations For The Path Forward, D. Blackwell, Carolyn Black Becker, O. Bermudez, M. E. Berrett, G. E. Brooks, D. W. Bunnell, D. Cabrera, C. Costin, N. Hemendinger, C. Johnson, K. L. Klump, C. A. Levinson, M. Lutter, M. Maine, C. J. Mcadams, B. H. Mcgilley, S. B. Murray, E. Myers, J. D. Ouellette, C. M. Peat, K. Saffran, S. Setliff

Psychology Faculty Research

Background: Several unsuccessful attempts have been made to reach a cross-disciplinary consensus on issues fundamental to the field of eating disorders in the United States (U.S.). In January 2020, 25 prominent clinicians, academicians, researchers, persons with lived experience, and thought leaders in the U.S. eating disorders community gathered at the Legacy of Hope Summit to try again. This paper articulates the points on which they reached a consensus. It also: (1) outlines strategies for implementing those recommendations; (2) identifies likely obstacles to their implementation; and (3) charts a course for successfully navigating and overcoming those challenges.

Methods: Iterative and consensual …

The Association Between Body Image, Sexual Satisfaction, And Relationship Satisfaction In Adults, Hannah Krisher

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The purpose of this thesis was to determine whether body image and sexual satisfaction predict romantic relationship satisfaction. The 198 participants completed measures assessing for the predictor and outcome variables. They completed the Body Assessment Scale (BAS; Lorenzen et al., 2004), Index of Sexual Satisfaction (ISS; Hudson, 1998; Hudson et al., 1981), and the Relationship Assessment Scale (RAS; Hendrick, 1988) via a Qualtrics questionnaire. Participants accessed the study online through Amazon’s Mechanical Turk (MTurk) database and completion took approximately 10 to 20 minutes. Results suggested that body image and sexual satisfaction significantly and positively predicted relationship satisfaction. The findings from …

The Frequency Of Stereotypical Media Portrayals And Their Effects On The Lesbian Community, Arienne Annati

Honors Program Theses and Projects

An abundance of research has shown that sexualized and stereotypical portrayals of women in the media have a negative impact on women’s body image overall. However, previous research has not primarily focused on lesbian women. There is a gap in the literature regarding the portrayal of lesbian relationships in media, specifically in the eyes of the lesbian population. Limited research has shown that lesbians portrayed in the media are sexualized and stereotyped, falling into one of the six following categories: the hot lesbian, the out lesbian, the closeted lesbian, the butch lesbian, the feminine lesbian, and the bisexual lesbian. The …

Male Figural Rating Scales: A Critical Review Of The Literature, Daniel Talbot, John Cass, Evelyn Smith

Sciences Papers and Journal Articles

Figural rating scales are tools used to measure male body dissatisfaction. The present review aimed to examine the design and psychometric properties of male figural rating scales and make recommendations based on findings. Relevant databases were systematically searched for studies that had developed and validated male figural rating scales. Twenty studies were included in this review. Figural rating scales differed in terms of the number of images represented and type of stimuli used (hand-drawn silhouettes, hand-drawn figures, computer-rendered figures, and photograph figures). Reliability and validity evidence varied greatly in strength across all scales. Four of the 20 scales included a …

An Ecological Momentary Assessment Of Self-Improved And Self-Evaluation Body Comparisons: Associations With College Women's Body Dissatisfaction And Exercise, Rachel I. Macintyre, Kristin E. Heron, Abby L. Braitman, Danielle Arigo

Psychology Faculty Publications

Upward body comparisons are prevalent among college women and associated with body dissatisfaction and disordered eating. However, less is known about distinguishing features of the comparisons themselves as they occur in daily life. The primary purpose of the present study was to examine whether two types of upward body comparisons previously studied experimentally (self-improvement and self-evaluation) are differentially associated with body- and exercise-related outcomes in real-life settings using ecological momentary assessment (EMA). Undergraduate women (N = 74) between 18-25 years (Mage = 20.4, SD = 1.63) completed five surveys on smartphones daily for seven days. EMA measures …

Spousal Influence: A Study Of Women With Eating And Body Image Concerns, Wendy C. Birmingham, Adriane Ito De Queiroz Cavallini, Jordan Sgro

Faculty Publications

Eating disorder literature often overlooks those exhibiting eating and body image concerns without an eating disorder diagnosis. Supportive spouses may ameliorate negative body image and eating behavior, but spouses who exhibit both supportive and non-supportive behaviors concurrently (ambivalent) may send mixed messages. Eating disorder behaviors and spousal interactions were assessed in 61 women who demonstrated eating disordered behavior and body dissatisfaction but were not clinically diagnosed with an eating disorder. Spouses mostly provided messages of reassurance. However, some women were unable to overcome their internalized negative body image. Feelings of social comparison were seen with ambivalent spouses. Supportive relationships may …

An Examination Of Factors That Affect Male Body Image In College Students, Jennifer Elise Van Meter

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The purpose of this study is to determine whether viewing photos of muscular men or viewing photos of toned men produces greater body dissatisfaction scores for male college students. Prior to receiving the intervention, participants completed a pretest measuring their body satisfaction. The intervention was administered in a group setting and took approximately 30 minutes to administer. After receiving the intervention, participants completed the same assessment measures as the pre-test, but in a post-test form. Results indicate that there was a significant difference between pre-test and posttest body satisfaction ratings for men who viewed muscle photos and mend who viewed …

On The Measurement Of Thin‐Ideal Internalization: Implications For Interpretation Of Risk Factors And Treatment Outcome In Eating Disorders Research, Joel K. Thompson, Lauren M. Schaefer, Robert F. Dedrick

Psychology Faculty Publications

Objective: Although the Sociocultural Attitudes Towards Appearance Questionnaire (SATAQ) and Ideal Body Stereotype Scale (IBSS) are used interchangeably to assess thin ideal internalization, limited work has examined the assumption that the two measures index the same construct.

Method: The current study utilized confirmatory factor analysis to examine whether these measures capture a single construct (one‐factor), two constructs (two‐factor), or both shared and unique constructs (bifactor). The SATAQ‐4R‐Internalization: Thin/Low Body Fat subscale and IBSS‐Revised were administered to 1,114 college females.

Results: A bifactor model provided the best fit to the data. Further, the SATAQ‐4R was more strongly related to disordered eating …

Self-Objectification, Body Shame, And Disordered Eating: Testing A Core Mediational Model Of Objectification Theory Among White, Black, And Hispanic Women, Lauren M. Schaefer, Natasha L. Burke, Rachel M. Calogero, Jessie E. Menzel, Ross Krawczyk, Joel Kevin Thompson

Psychology Faculty Publications

Objectification theory asserts that self-objectification, which manifests as self-surveillance, leads to increased body shame and subsequent eating pathology. Although evidence supports the core mediational model, the majority of this work utilizes primarily White samples, limiting generalizability to other ethnic groups. The current study examined whether the core tenets of objectification theory generalize to Black and Hispanic women. Participants were 880 college women from the United States (71.7% White, 15.1% Hispanic, 13.2% Black) who completed self-report measures of self-surveillance, body shame, and disordered eating. Multivariate analysis of variance tests indicated lower levels of self-surveillance and disordered eating among Black women. Moreover, …

Body Image And Life Satisfaction In Amish, Catholic, And Non-Religious Women, Denise Davidson, Kelly S. Hughes, Ieva Misiunaite, Elizabeth Hilvert, Alan Shuldiner

Psychology: Faculty Publications and Other Works

Dissatisfaction with one’s appearance is commonplace in Western women. Body image dissatisfaction is believed to be a consequence of societal emphases on appearance reinforced through norms and media. However, some Amish cultural values and norms differ from prevailing Western influences, which may result in a rate of body image dissatisfaction at variance within women. The following pilot study explores how religious affiliation and religiosity may relate to body image factors (body dissatisfaction, appearance investment, and body image coping strategies) and life satisfaction in Amish (n = 32), Catholic (n = 40), and nonreligious (n = 40) women. Results show that …

The Development And Validation Of The Physical Appearance Comparison Scale–3 (Pacs-3), Lauren M. Schaefer, Joel Kevin Thompson

Psychology Faculty Publications

Appearance comparison processes are implicated in the development of body-image disturbance and disordered eating. The Physical Appearance Comparison Scale—Revised (PACS−R) assesses the simple frequency of appearance comparisons; however, research has suggested that other aspects of appearance comparisons (e.g., comparison direction) may moderate the association between comparisons and their negative outcomes. In the current study, the PACS−R was revised to examine aspects of comparisons with relevance to body-image and eating outcomes. Specifically, the measure was modified to examine (a) dimensions of physical appearance relevant to men and women (i.e., weight−shape, muscularity, and overall physical appearance), (b) comparisons with proximal and distal …

Body Esteem And Appearance-Based Self-Worth: A Test Of Religious Moderators In Men And Women, Mary Inman, Charlotte Vanoyen Witvliet

Faculty Publications

Basing self-worth on appearance is inversely related to women’s body esteem, but studies have not examined whether religious factors moderate this relationship in women or men—controlling for positive and negative affect. We tested two possible moderators: basing self-worth on when one has God’s (conditional) love or having positive attitudes toward God (trusting and feeling loved and supported by an all-knowing and all-powerful God). In women (N=287) and men (N=124), correlations showed that basing self-worth on appearance was negatively related to body esteem, whereas positive attitudes toward God were positively related to body esteem. In women, basing self-worth on perceptions of …

Engaging Stakeholder Communities As Body Image Intervention Partners: The Body Project As A Case Example, Carolyn Becker, Marisol Perez, Lisa S. Kilpela, Phillippa C. Diedrichs, Eva Trujillo, Eric Stice

Psychology Faculty Research

Despite recent advances in developing evidence-based psychological interventions, substantial changes are needed in the current system of intervention delivery to impact mental health on a global scale (Kazdin & Blase, 2011). Prevention offers one avenue for reaching large populations because prevention interventions often are amenable to scaling-up strategies, such as task-shifting to lay providers, which further facilitate community stakeholder partnerships. This paper discusses the dissemination and implementation of the Body Project, an evidence-based body image prevention program, across 6 diverse stakeholder partnerships that span academic, non-profit and business sectors at national and international levels. The paper details key elements of …