Stacey Tantleff-Dunn

Exacting beauty: Theory, assessment and treatment of body image disturbance

The Scope of Body Image Disturbance - the Big Picture An Overview of Assessment and Treatment Strategies Sociocultural Theory - the Media and Society Social Comparison Processes Appearance-Related Feedback Interpersonal Factors Peers, Parents and Perfect Strangers Feminist Perspectives Sexual Abuse and Sexual Harassment Behavioural Aspects of Disturbance - Conditioning, Context and Avoidance Cognitive Processing Models Future Directions - Integrative Theories, Multidimensional Assessment and Multicomponent Interventions.

Moderators of Stress in Parents of Children with Autism

Parents of children with autism experience more stress and are more susceptible to negative outcomes than parents of children with other disabilities. The present work examines the relationship between stressors, social support, locus of control, coping styles, and negative outcomes (depression, social isolation, and spousal relationship problems) among parents of children with autism. Fifty-eight parents completed surveys. Results indicated that several coping styles corresponded to negative outcomes. Furthermore, the relationship between stressors and negative outcomes was moderated by social support and coping style. Results are discussed in relation to applications for clinical practice.

Beauty and Thinness Messages in Children's Media: A Content Analysis

Research suggests that young children have body image concerns, such as a desire for thinness and an avoidance of obesity. Surprisingly, few studies have investigated how childrens body preferences and stereotypes are influenced by media aimed at children. In order to gain a better understanding of the content of such media, a content analysis was used to examine body image-related messages in popular childrens videos and books. Results indicated that messages emphasizing the importance of physical appearance and portraying body stereotypes are present in many childrens videos but relatively few books. Of the videos examined, the ones that exhibited the most body image-related messages were Cinderella and The Little Mermaid. Indian in the Cupboard and ET were the videos with the least number of body image-related messages. Of the books studied, the one with the highest number of body image-related messages was Rapunzel. Ginger and The Stinky Cheese Man were the only books studied that did not exhibit body image-related messages. Implications of an association of beauty and thinness in childrens media are explored.

Romantic partners and body image disturbance: Further evidence for the role of perceived—actual disparities

In this study, female and male college dyads (primarily Caucasian) involved in a “romantic relationship” used schematic figures to rate their conceptions of body size on a variety of rating protocols, including actual self, ideal self, ideal opposite gender, perceived partners ideal opposite gender, perceived partners rating of self, and rating of partners body size. Based on the reflected-appraisal literature and previous body image research on perceived—actual disparities in body size ratings, five discrepancy indices were created and related to dispositional levels of body image disturbance, eating dysfunction, and general psychological function (self-esteem, depression). The results clearly indicated gender differences in the particular predictor associated with all measures of disturbance. For females, the discrepancy between the Self rating and the Perceived Partners Ideal Other Gender rating accounted for almost all of the variance associated with clinical indices of disturbance. For males, the discrepancy between the Self rating and the Actual Partners Ideal Other Gender rating was the only important predictor to emerge in regression analyses. The findings are interpreted in light of recent research on actual/perceived differences in body size ratings.

Relations among media influence, body image, eating concerns, and sexual orientation in men: A preliminary investigation.

The current study explored the relation between sexual orientation, media persuasion, and eating and body image concerns among 78 college men (39 gay; 39 straight). Participants completed measures of sexual orientation, eating disorder symptoms, appearance-related anxiety, perceived importance of physical attractiveness, perceptions of media influence, and media exposure. Gay men scored significantly higher on drive for thinness, body dissatisfaction, and body image-related anxiety than their straight counterparts. Additionally, perceptions of media influence were higher for gay men, and significantly mediated the relation between sexual orientation and eating and body image concerns. Sexual orientation also moderated the relation between perceived media influence and beliefs regarding the importance of physical attractiveness, as this relation was significant for gay men, but not straight men. The current findings suggest that gay mens increased vulnerability to media influence partially accounts for the relatively high rate of eating pathology observed in this population.

Food for thought: Examining the relationship between food thought suppression and weight-related outcomes

The current study sought to extend previous eating behaviors and thought suppression literature by assessing the relationship between food thought suppression and weight-related outcomes. Three hundred and twelve overweight/obese community men and women completed self-report measures of thought suppression, weight history, and eating behaviors. Women were more likely than men to endorse food thought suppression, as were individuals who currently were dieting, when compared with those nondieters. Food thought suppression also predicted binge eating, food cravings, and other eating disordered symptoms. Results have implications for obesity and support further exploration of third wave interventions, such as Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Mindfulness, in the treatment of obesity.

Relationships between electronic game play, obesity, and psychosocial functioning in young men.

Most estimates suggest that American youth are spending a large amount of time playing video and computer games, spurring researchers to examine the impact this media has on various aspects of health and psychosocial functioning. The current study investigated relationships between frequency of electronic game play and obesity, the social/emotional context of electronic game play, and academic performance among 219 college-aged males. Current game players reported a weekly average of 9.73 hours of game play, with almost 10% of current players reporting an average of 35 hours of play per week. Results indicated that frequency of play was not significantly related to body mass index or grade point average. However, there was a significant positive correlation between frequency of play and self-reported frequency of playing when bored, lonely, or stressed. As opposed to the general conception of electronic gaming as detrimental to functioning, the results suggest that gaming among college-aged men may provide a healthy source of socialization, relaxation, and coping.

Breast and Chest Size Satisfaction: Relation to Overall Body Image and Self-Esteem

Abstract Multiple ratings of breast and chest size preferences were assessed in 68 male and 120 female undergraduates and related to overall levels of appearance satisfaction, body image anxiety, and general self-esteem. Discrepancies between personal ideals, perceived ideals of the opposite sex, and current size ratings were differentially related, by gender, to other disturbance measures. For all analyses, the direction of associations was clear, indicating that among men chest discrepancies (indicative of dissatisfaction) were positively associated with body image disturbance and low self-esteem: among women, breast discrepancies were not related to these measures. The findings strongly support emerging research suggesting that the chest area is a site of dissatisfaction for men. The results are discussed in relation to possible cultural reasons for the gender differences found in this investigation as well as potential links between dissatisfaction with upper torso and unhealthy eating behaviors.

The feedback on physical appearance scale (FOPAS): Questionnaire development and psychometric evaluation

Abstract The development and initial validation of a measure designed to assess physical appearance-related verbal and nonverbal external feedback are described. The factor structure of the Feedback on Physical Appearance Scale (FOPAS) was replicable across two samples that completed the measure based on different instructional protocols. Reliability and convergence with measures of body image, eating disturbance, and global psychological functioning were acceptable. The results are discussed with regard to the potential importance of appearance-related feedback as a factor in the development and maintenance of body image and eating disturbance.

Validation of the food thought suppression inventory.

The Food Thought Suppression Inventory (FTSI) was designed as a domain-specific measure of food-related thought suppression, and the FTSI has been found to be associated with eating pathology, including binge eating. Although initial research in this area is promising, as it may provide understanding of the cognitive processes related to the development of eating pathology and obesity, little is known about the psychometric properties of the FTSI. In the current study, the validity of the FTSI was examined, and the FTSI was found to be a valid, reliable, single factor measure of food thought suppression.