Normative Beliefs as a Mediator Between Body Dissatisfaction and Disordered Eating
Submission Type
Event
Expected Graduation Date
2014
Location
Center for Natural Sciences, Illinois Wesleyan University
Start Date
4-12-2014 9:00 AM
End Date
4-12-2014 10:00 AM
Disciplines
Psychology
Abstract
Mintz and Betz (1988) found that a majority of college women were classified as having an eating disturbance (61%), showing that being concerned with one’s body and practicing maladaptive weight control techniques has become normative in this population. One risk factor that is well-researched is body dissatisfaction (Klemchuk, Hutchinson, & Frank, 1990). Although studies have shown that disordered eating has become normative, research is lacking in the measurement of actual individual normative beliefs. How appropriate or acceptable an individual believes maladaptive weight loss strategies are may predict which individuals are at a higher risk.
Female students recruited from IWU will complete a demographic measure, as well as the Photographic Figure Rating Scale in order to measure body image, (Swami et al, 2008), the EAT-26 as a measure of eating disorder symptomatology (Garfinkel & Garner, 1979), and the Disordered Eating Normative Scale, which we created. We will test for mediation using a four-step regression procedure as explained by Baron & Kenny (1986). We predict that normative beliefs will at least partially mediate the relationship between body dissatisfaction and maladaptive eating behaviors.
Normative Beliefs as a Mediator Between Body Dissatisfaction and Disordered Eating
Center for Natural Sciences, Illinois Wesleyan University
Mintz and Betz (1988) found that a majority of college women were classified as having an eating disturbance (61%), showing that being concerned with one’s body and practicing maladaptive weight control techniques has become normative in this population. One risk factor that is well-researched is body dissatisfaction (Klemchuk, Hutchinson, & Frank, 1990). Although studies have shown that disordered eating has become normative, research is lacking in the measurement of actual individual normative beliefs. How appropriate or acceptable an individual believes maladaptive weight loss strategies are may predict which individuals are at a higher risk.
Female students recruited from IWU will complete a demographic measure, as well as the Photographic Figure Rating Scale in order to measure body image, (Swami et al, 2008), the EAT-26 as a measure of eating disorder symptomatology (Garfinkel & Garner, 1979), and the Disordered Eating Normative Scale, which we created. We will test for mediation using a four-step regression procedure as explained by Baron & Kenny (1986). We predict that normative beliefs will at least partially mediate the relationship between body dissatisfaction and maladaptive eating behaviors.