Diane Carlson Jones

Body Image and the Appearance Culture Among Adolescent Girls and Boys An Examination of Friend Conversations, Peer Criticism, Appearance Magazines, and the Internalization of Appearance Ideals

This research evaluates the contributions of three dimensions of appearance culture (appearance magazine exposure, appearance conversations with friends, and peer appearance criticism) and body mass index (BMI) to internalization of appearance ideals and body image dissatisfaction. Four hundred thirty-three girls and 347 boys in Grades 7 through 10 responded to several measures on a self-report questionnaire. The results of path analyses indicated that Internalization mediated the relationship between Appearance Conversations With Friends and Body Dissatisfaction for both boys and girls. In addition, Internalization, Peer Appearance Criticism, and BMI made direct contributions to Body Dissatisfaction for boys and girls, although the strength of the relationships varied by gender. The proposed mediated relation between Appearance Magazine Exposure and Body Dissatisfaction was confirmed only for the girls. The findings provide needed information about the contributions of the peer appearance culture to internalization and body image disturbances for adolescent boys and girls.

Body image among adolescent girls and boys: A longitudinal study

This longitudinal study of adolescent girls and boys examined the contributions of social (peer appearance context), psychological (internalized appearance ideals and appearance social comparison), and biological (body mass) factors to the development of body dissatisfaction. Students (165 girls and 139 boys) completed questionnaires when they were either in 7th grade or 10th grade and again 1 year later. The results for the boys revealed a singular pathway to body dissatisfaction through internalized commitment to muscularity ideals. The prospective analyses of change in body dissatisfaction among the girls reflected the contributions of appearance conversations with friends, appearance social comparisons, and body mass. There was no evidence of mediation among the boys and limited support for it among the girls.

Social comparison and body image ; Attractiveness comparisons to models and peers among adolescent girls and boys

Relations among body image satisfaction and social comparisons to either same-sex peers or media models were examined in 2 studies of adolescent boys and girls. In the first study, 9th and 10th graders described their conceptions of attractiveness for same- and opposite-sex adolescents. These attractiveness attributes were then used in Study 2 in which 7th- and 10th-grade boys and girls reported on social comparisons to models/celebrities and same-sex peers. Body dissatisfaction was also assessed. The results confirmed that both same-sex peers and models/celebrities were the targets of social comparisons for physical attributes, but comparisons on personal and social attributes were more likely directed toward same-sex peers. For boys and girls, weight comparisons to both peer and model targets were primary correlates of body dissatisfaction. In addition, shape comparisons reported by the girls and facial comparisons endorsed by the boys also related to body dissatisfaction. Gender differences in social comparison indicated that girls reported more social comparisons across targets and attributes. Results are discussed in terms of the role of social comparison and peer context for body image during adolescence.

Body image satisfaction among Norwegian adolescents and young adults: a longitudinal study of the influence of interpersonal relationships and BMI.

This study used a latent growth curve modeling approach to examine body image satisfaction in 1132 Norwegian adolescent and adult males and females measured at six times between ages 13 and 30. An additional model examined the long term influence of parent-child relationship, peer relationship (both relationships assessed at age 13), and BMI (measured at each interval) to the patterns of change. The results showed a linear growth in body image satisfaction through adolescence followed by a stabilizing of the latent curve in adulthood for both genders. There were gender and developmental variations in the relative contributions of parents and peers for the slope and quadratic growth and in the contribution of BMI to body image satisfaction. When controlling for BMI, initial parent-child relationships and peer relationship predicted the variance in slope growth for males. Parent-child relationship predicted quadratic growth for males. Among females, only initial peer relationships predicted linear growth. No effect was found for quadratic growth. BMI had an additional negative effect on body image satisfaction during adulthood.

Weight and muscularity concerns as longitudinal predictors of body image among early adolescent boys: a test of the dual pathways model.

The purpose of this research was to examine the longitudinal contributions of weight loss and muscularity concerns as dual pathways to body image dissatisfaction among early adolescent boys. Study 1 included 67 boys who reported on weight loss concerns, internalized muscular ideal, BMI, and body dissatisfaction during 7th grade and 1 year later. In Study 2, 87 7th and 8th grade boys were assessed in the fall and spring of a school year. The results confirmed that although both weight and muscularity concerns were related to body dissatisfaction, concern with weight loss more strongly detracted from a positive body image than did muscularity concern. The findings are discussed in terms of potential developmental variations in the relative contribution of weight and muscularity to body dissatisfaction among adolescent boys.

Persuasive Appeals and Responses to Appeals among Friends and Acquaintances.

JONES, DIANE CARLSON. Persuasive Appeals and Responses to Appeals among Friends and Acquaintances. CHILD DEVELOPMENT, 1985, 56, 757-763. This study examined persuasive appeals and responses to appeals among kindergarten, second-, and fourth-grade friends and acquaintances. It also evaluated social perspective-taking, friendship, and self-interest reasoning as predictors of appeals and responses to them. Based on sociometric ratings, children were paired with a friend or an acquaintance and participated in a task designed to examine sharing under competitive conditions. Results indicate that appeals to friends and acquaintances did not differ in kind or rate of success. Children of all ages and in all conditions tended to use simple requests most frequently. Friendship status had its most noticeable effect on responses to appeals. Grants were more likely to occur among friends and, when an appeal was rejected, refusals to friends were more extended. Multiple regression analyses revealed that different predictor variables were linked to different appeal and response measures. Further, the behavioral explanations, friendship, and self-interest reasoning, were more frequently related to the appeal and response measures than was hypothetical reasoning. These results document the need for a comprehensive approach in order to describe persuasion among friends and acquaintances.

Early Adolescent Adjustment and Critical Evaluations by Self and Other: The Prospective Impact of Body Image Dissatisfaction and Peer Appearance Teasing on Global Self-Esteem

grade and one year later. The results indicated that body dissatisfaction and peer appearance teasing were negatively related to T2 global esteem after controlling for initial esteem. Gender differences were noted. For the boys, higher levels of both body dissatisfaction and appearance teasing detracted equally from global esteem. Among the girls, the contribution of body dissatisfaction to T2 global esteem was partially mediated by appearance teasing. Findings are discussed in terms of the importance of critical evaluations by self and others for early adolescents’ selfesteem. The need to consider negative appearance teasing as a form of peer harassment with the potential to affect adjustment through self-esteem is also discussed.

The role of belonging in engagement, retention and persistence in computer science (abstract only)

Retaining students in computer science (CS) majors has been a persistent topic among CS educators for almost two decades. Discussion and research has largely focused on improving student engagement in the academic experience in order to provide a more welcoming and compelling introduction to the field. Research has identified a wide variety of factors affecting student engagement in general, which in turn affects key outcomes including academic achievement, retention and persistence. Feeling connected to a community and sense of belonging can substantially influence student engagement. Our study suggests that this sense of belonging can also help mitigate student perceptions that influence them to be discouraged, especially about their ability to succeed, and leave computer science. In particular, support from extra-curricular as well as academic communities may lead students to perceive that ability is not a binary, fixed constraint, but a malleable gradient that can be influenced by factors within the students control.