Maureen MacGillivray

Clothing and Appearance among Early, Middle and Late Adolescents

The purpose of this study was to investigate clothing use, satisfaction with clothing and satisfaction with the body among early, middle and late adolescents. Data were collected from 478 sixth, ninth and twelfth grade males and females in two school districts, one urban, one rural and separated by 45 miles. Dramatic physical, psychological and social changes are expected to take place during this transitional period of development; however, most research on adolescents and appearance has focused on them as if they were a homogeneous group. Significant differences were found between stages of adolescence on clothing use, satisfaction with clothing and satisfaction with appearance of the body. Older adolescents were less satisfied with their clothing and their bodies than were younger adolescents. Gender differences found between clothing and appearance variables seem to be largely reflective of society in terms of how males and females are socialized (e.g. physical effectiveness for males, physical attractiveness for females). Large differences found between rural and urban adolescents indicate the importance of identifying adolescents by place of residence when examining clothing and appearance and perhaps other lifestyle variables.

Self‐Perceived Influences of Family, Friends, and Media on Adolescent Clothing Choice

The self-perceived influence of parents, siblings, friends, and media on adolescent clothing choice was examined in a survey of 478 adolescents in the 6th, 9th, and 12th grades from two Midwestern school districts. Differences in self-perception ofwho orwhat has the most influence on the clothes adolescents choose to wear were examined by chi-square analysis andfound to be significant for grade, ethnicity, and residence. Friend influence increased with grade, whereas parental influence decreased. Blacks were influenced most by media, whereas Whites were influenced most byfriends. Rural adolescents were influenced more byfriends than were urban adolescents. Of those indicating media as most influential in their clothing choices, significant differences werefoundfor gender, grade, ethnicity, and residence. Findings reveal that media is the most important self-perceived influence on Black adolescents, is less influential withfemales, gains influence as adolescents age, and has almost twice as much influence on urban adolescents as rural.

Examination of body image issues and willingness to be body scanned.

ABSTRACT This project examined body image issues using 3D body scanning technology. Twenty years of research on body image indicates that though thinness is culturally desirable, possessing an ideal body does not guarantee that women will be satisfied with their bodies. Furthermore, the disconnect continues to widen between the reality of a heavier American woman and the thinner western feminine ideal necessitating the continued need for body image research. This study included 240 female college students enrolled in a mid-sized university. Phase I included a questionnaire of several different measures of body image satisfaction/dissatisfaction, a description of the body scanner including a 3D image, as well as standard demographic questions and estimates of height and weight. Of the initial 240 participants, 85 women agreed to participate in the body scanning portion (Phase II) of the research project. A majority of the women chose an ideal figure thinner than their current figure. Self-esteem scores were significantly correlated with Eating Attitudes Test (EAT) scores. Neither level of body dissatisfaction nor self-esteem scores were significantly associated with willingness to be body scanned, despite the fact that body scanning involves significant body exposure and that the resulting 3D image is highly realistic. Due to the novelty of body scanning technology and its application to body image research, these findings represent an innovative contribution to the field.

Knit-in 3D mapping's effect on thermoregulation: preliminary results

This study explored knit-in 3D mappings influence on thermal comfort under different environmental conditions when in next-to-skin (NTS) garments. It was hypothesised that the knit-in raised geometric shapes would modify the microclimate in the torso region, allowing for better thermal management and keeping the wearer more comfortable than an identical NTS shirt without mapping. Thermal images were taken of the front and back torso regions of the NTS garments worn in wearer trials while exercising under hot and cold conditions. The data suggested that an NTS shirt with no mapping tended to regulate skin temperatures better under hot conditions, while an NTS shirt with knit-in mapping regulated skin temperatures better in cold environments. Skin and exterior garment temperature changes indicated that an NTS shirt with knit-in mapping retained more heat inside the garment, providing better insulative performance under cold conditions.

Use of 3-dimensional body scans for body-image research.

This preliminary study explored the use of highly realistic 3-dimensional body-scan images as a potential tool, taking advantage of a much more specific and expanded representation of the entire body. Traditionally, body-image research makes use of various contour drawing scales whose 2-dimensional figures increase proportionately and do not match the shape of many women. The study tested whether body-scanned images (N = 85) could be consistently “matched” to individual figures on a contour drawing scale. Internal consistency and interrater reliability were calculated and high coefficients were observed (α =.97, κ =.80). The potential of utilizing 3-dimensional images either as more realistic somatotypes in contour-rating scales or as a measurement of body-image satisfaction using computer manipulation of a digital image is discussed.

Older Women's Comfort with 3-D Body Scanning Technology as Compared with Younger Women

This study examined older womens comfort with 3-D body scanning and explored its use for enhancing quality of life. Women (66 old; 66 young) were scanned and surveyed pre- and post-imaging. Comfort with the process and viewing the images were ascertained. Few differences between the groups emerged. Higher Body Mass Indices were related to greater body dissatisfaction, but age was not a factor. Implications for body scanning having the potential to improve quality of life for older women are presented.

Designing headwear for women with chemotherapy-induced hair loss

ABSTRACT Hair loss is one of the most feared side effects for women experiencing cancer and chemotherapy. The purpose of this study was to examine the headwear-related needs of women experiencing chemotherapy-induced hair loss and to develop headwear to help improve their quality of life. The needs identified served as design criteria for developing the headwear. A mixed methods research strategy was used including personal interviews, user comments on a blog created for the purposes of this study and an on-line survey. The five-step design process outlined by Watkins and Dunne served as a framework for the study. Based on the 14 design criteria identified in the study, 3 headwear prototypes were developed. The headwear was evaluated by women in a cancer support group to determine how well the headwear addressed the design criteria and met user needs.

Collaborative Teamwork Exploring the Development of Mass-customizable Next-to-skin Apparel

This paper describes the collaborative workflow and the advantages of an asset team structure in developing multidisciplinary solutions to solve design problems. In particular, a multidisciplinary asset team comprised of Central Michigan University faculty members joined forces in an effort to explore technological solutions to improve the development of mass-customizable next-to-skin (NTS) apparel, using a 3D body scanner, an infrared imaging system, a walk-in environmental chamber and supporting software to create a database consisting of thermal distributions of the human torso. This paper describes the workflow used to accomplish this result, primarily the engineering and computer science workflow.