Mary Pritchard

Using Emotional and Social Factors to Predict Student Success

College academic success and retention have traditionally been predicted using demographic and academic variables. This study moved beyond traditional predictors. A survey of 218 undergraduate students from a private Midwestern university revealed that emotional and social factors (e.g., stress, frequency of alcohol consumption) related to GPA and emotional factors (e.g., self-esteem, fatigue) related to attrition.

Relationships between self-esteem, media influence and drive for thinness.

The media is a powerful societal tool for expressing expectations about how men and women should look. As a result, over the past several years, women have shown an increase in body dissatisfaction (Cash, Morrow, Hrabosky, & Perry, 2004). The present study examined the relationships between drive for thinness, self-esteem, and media influence among men and women. Two hundred ninety-four college students completed the Texas Social Behavior Inventory (Helmreich & Stapp, 1974), Sociocultural Attitudes towards Appearance Scale-3 (Thompson, van den Berg, Roehrig, Guarda, & Hienberg, 2004), self-constructed questionnaire influence of media models, and the drive for Thinness Subscale (DT) from the Eating Disorder Inventory-3 (EDI-3; (Garner, 2004)). We expected to find an association between drive for thinness and media influence and between drive for thinness and self-esteem for both men and women. Finally, we expected that the use of media, social pressures and media internalization would be predictors of drive for thinness. We found a relationship between media influence and drive for thinness. There was also a relationship between self-esteem and drive for thinness. For both men and women, media models were the primary predictor for drive for thinness. However, for women the secondary predictor was social pressures; whereas for men the secondary predictor was internalization. Such findings show the importance of examining the impact of media sources on men and women in order to entangle gender differences.

Gender differences in disordered eating and its correlates

The goal of this study was to examine gender differences in the prevalence of disordered eating and body dissatisfaction as well as examine gender differences in several risk factors: mass media, self-esteem and perfectionism. Three hundred fifty-three undergraduates completed surveys about their body dissatisfaction, disordered eating habits, exposure to and influence of mass media, self-esteem and perfectionistic tendencies. As expected, women experienced more symptoms of disordered eating as well as body dissatisfaction than did their male counterparts. There were also gender differences in the risk factors. For women, mass media, self-esteem, and perfectionism related to disordered eating behaviors, whereas for men, only perfectionism and mass media related to disordered eating behaviors. For women, mass media and self-esteem related to body image dissatisfaction, whereas for men, mass media and perfectionism related to body image dissatisfaction. The results of the present study indicate that risk factors for disordered eating and body dissatisfaction for men and women may be different, which has implications for understanding the etiology of body dissatisfaction and disordered eating and for possible treatment interventions.

Adult Attachment and Disordered Eating in Undergraduate Men and Women

Abstract Previous research on gender differences between males and females on the risk factors leading to disordered eating is sparse, especially on males and eating disorders using attachment theory. This study examined the relationship between adult attachment style and disordered eating in men and women. Secure attachment scores were significantly negatively correlated with body dissatisfaction, and fearful attachment scores were positively correlated with bulimia in women. For men, secure attachment was significantly negatively correlated to drive for thinness, bulimia, and body dissatisfaction. Clinical implications discussed.

Peer influence: use of alcohol, tobacco, and prescription medications.

Abstract Objective: Risk-taking behavior (eg, alcohol abuse, tobacco usage, misuse of prescription medications) among college students is a widespread problem. This study focused not only on the frequency of risky health behaviors in college students, but also the companions with whom they engaged in such behaviors. Methods: Three hundred and twelve college students completed a survey examining the frequency with which they engaged in alcohol, tobacco, and improper prescription medication use, as well as with whom they were most likely to engage in these behaviors. Results: Results indicated that participants were most likely to take health risks when accompanied by someone they consider a friend. Results also indicated gender differences in risk-taking behaviors, as well as an interaction effect between companion and gender. Conclusions: This information would be useful when developing preventive interventions for college students. Implementing interventions that are specific to certain populations might generate greater success in reducing risk-taking behavior.

Drive for Muscularity and Drive for Thinness: The Impact of Pro-Anorexia Websites

In recent years, websites that stress the message of thinness as the ideal and only choice have surfaced on the internet. The possibility that pro-anorexia websites may reinforce restrictive eating and exercise behaviors is an area of concern. In addition, friends may be influencing one another to view these websites, further contributing to drive for thinness in women and drive for muscularity in men. Three hundred male and female undergraduate psychology students responded to questionnaires assessing: internalization of pro-anorexia website content, internalization of general media content, influence of friends to view pro-anorexia websites, peer influence, drive for muscularity, and drive for thinness. Results showed internalization of pro-anorexia website content was positively correlated with drive for thinness in women, and negatively correlated with drive for muscularity in men. Internalization of pro-anorexia website content was found to be related to both drive for thinness in women and drive for muscularity in men.

Media's influence on the drive for muscularity in undergraduates

Although research has found that body ideals presented by the media influence womens body dissatisfaction, less is known about medias influence on mens body satisfaction. An online survey examining media use, the drive for muscularity, and internalization of appearance and body shape ideals was given to a sample of 311 participants comprised of both men and women. Results indicated (a) the more time men and women reported watching television, the higher their reported drive for muscularity (b) total hours of viewing sports-related, image-focused, and entertainment television related to increased drive for muscularity in women (c) drive for muscularity in men related to watching image-focused television and reading mens health magazines, and (d) internalization of athletic attitudes towards appearance mediated the relationship between total television watched and drive for muscularity in both genders. Clinicians may wish to utilize these findings when treating men and women suffering from drive for muscularity and body dysmorphia.

An examination of the relation of gender, mass media influence, and loneliness to disordered eating among college students.

Previous research has found that mass media influence and loneliness relate to disordered eating behaviors in women, but little is known about this relation in men. The present study examined the relations among disordered eating patterns, gender, mass media influence, and loneliness in male and female college students. Results of a stepwise regression revealed that disordered eating attitudes and behaviors (as measured by the Eating Attitudes Test-26) were predicted by mass media influence, gender, and loneliness, respectively. In the present study both male and female college students appear susceptible to developing disordered eating patterns. Clinicians may wish to address unrealistic comparisons to media and client interpersonal skills when designing treatment plans.

What Predicts Drive for Muscularity in College Students

While research has established that men tend to exhibit greater levels of DFM than women, little research has examined the relation between DFM and other forms of disordered eating and exercise behaviors. Study 1 examined the influence of disordered eating and obligatory exercise on DFM in male and female college students. In women, DFM was related to eating concern and obligatory exercise; whereas in men, DFM was related to obligatory exercise and shape concern. Study 2 examined the influence of exercise motivations and body dissatisfaction on DFM in male and female college students. In women, DFM was predicted by personal goal achievement exercise motives, exercising to cope, and dissatisfaction with specific body areas. In men, DFM was predicted by appearance orientation, personal goal achievement, affiliation, and recognition exercise motives.

Body Dissatisfaction: Commitment, Support and Trust in Romantic Relationships

Research investigating dimensions of relationship quality has suggested that aspects of relationship quality (e.g., commitment, support, trust) are related to lower levels of body dissatisfaction in women. However no studies have examined the effect of all three measures of relationship quality on body dissatisfaction simultaneously. Trust and support correlated with body dissatisfaction in men and women. Additionally, the results showed that lack of support is a predictor of body dissatisfaction in men and lack of trust is a predictor in women; relationship commitment did not appear to relate to body dissatisfaction.