Publication Date
Spring 2024
Abstract
Expand Your Horizon (Alleva et al., 2015) is a writing intervention that asks participants to reflect on the functional capabilities of their bodies, and it has been shown to be effective at improving body image and reducing self-objectification in groups of women. However, this intervention has never been applied to men. The current study sought to investigate the efficacy of the Expand Your Horizon (EYH) intervention at improving body image in a sample of college men and to examine correlations between functionality appreciation, body appreciation, self-objectification, and endorsement of traditional male role norms. Male-identifying students were recruited from Illinois Wesleyan University’s campus to complete a pre-screener survey (n = 31), and participants who expressed some level of body dissatisfaction were randomized to the EYH intervention group or an active control group. A total of 7 participants completed the EYH intervention and 5 completed the active control intervention. At posttest, participants in the EYH group did not experience significant improvements in functionality appreciation or body appreciation and did not experience a significant reduction in self-objectification compared to the control group, contrary to study hypotheses. The only significant correlation between the tested-variables was a medium negative association between body appreciation and self-objectification. Results provide further evidence that self-objectification is related to lower levels of body appreciation in men, but they are inconclusive when it comes to the application of EYH to men as an intervention for enhancing their positive body image.
Disciplines
Psychology
Recommended Citation
Erie, Jayden, "Functionality Appreciation and Male Body Image: An Exploration of Expand Your Horizon, Self-Objectification, and Male Role Norms in College Men" (2024). Research Honors. 4.
https://digitalcommons.iwu.edu/all_honors/4