Browsing by Subject "Body image"
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Item An exploration of the effects of breast cancer on survivors' and partners' female body image and sexuality(Texas Tech University, 2003-12) Bryan, Laura AnnBreast cancer strikes thousands of women in the United States every year, and previous research has shown that it has an impact on sexuality and female body image. This phenomenological study explored the experience of breast cancer diagnosis, treatment, and aftercare from the point of view of both members of a couple, the survivor and her partner. Six heterosexual couples agreed to be interviewed regarding their experience of breast cancer and their perceptions of its effect on their relationship. Several significant categories emerged from the data, which were analyzed intergender. Survivors' categories included a description of the discovery of her breast cancer and how others reacted, her experience of the medical treatment, the strength-based coping strategies she used, the support she received from others, her relationship with her partner, and her quality of life after breast cancer. Partners' categories included his previous experience with illness, his experience of breast cancer as an observer, and his quality of life after the breast cancer. The data revealed that the partner played a significant role in the survivor's positive outcome, especially her positive view of her sexuality and body image. The final chapter includes a discussion about the theoretical, clinical, and research implications, as well as possible directions for future research.Item An analysis of the literature on self-compassion, self-esteem, and body image as predictors of adolescent reckless behavior(2009-12) Holder, Christen Marie; Schallert, Diane L.; Tharinger, DeborahAdolescent reckless behavior is a major concern for society because it leads to the three most common causes of mortality for this age group. Body image and self-esteem have been proposed as constructs that have an effect on adolescents’ participation in reckless behavior. Self-esteem, however, has been garnering criticism in recent years for promoting narcissism and downward social comparison with others. Self-compassion is an alternative to self-esteem that focuses on accepting oneself and having feelings of common humanity. This report proposes a study that would measure reckless behavior in adolescents, and look at the effect self-compassion, self-esteem, and body image has on it. In addition, self-compassion will be examined to see if it moderates the effect body image has on self-esteem.Item Body esteem predicts sexual functioning and satisfaction for women reporting childhood sexual abuse(2010-12) Khouri, Yasisca; Meston, Cindy M.; Telch, Michael JosephResearch supports a link between poor body esteem, depression, and sexual dysfunction among childhood sexual abuse (CSA) survivors. Though the interplay of these factors also impacts nonabused women, it is possible that the impact is differentially affects these populations. The present study examined the degree to which body esteem may act as psychological mechanism through which CSA impacts adult sexuality, while controlling for the effects of depression – a problem that affects many abuse survivors. Data were collected from 108 women, 73 of who reported CSA. Women with CSA reported poorer body esteem, lower sexual functioning, less sexual satisfaction, and higher depression than women without CSA. Multivariate regression analysis revealed that body esteem significantly predicted sexual functioning and sexual satisfaction and there were significant interactions between body esteem and abuse history, and among body esteem and marital status. Depressive symptom severity was not a moderator in the relationship between body esteem and sexual functioning-satisfaction. These findings suggest that treatments for CSA survivors with sexual difficulties might benefit from addressing body esteem concerns.Item Body image, self-concept, and the aging process(Texas Tech University, 1995-08) Eade, Ronda LynA review of the physical attractiveness and aging literature suggested that double standards exist with respect to both age and gender. Physical attractiveness and physical attractiveness with respect to age have each been implicated in the literature as cause for differential treatment in both young and old alike. Implicit in the literature is the notion that physical characteristics attributed to aging (e.g., balding, wrinkling) are judged harshly by today's standards. This is found to be especially true for women and suggested to their affect self-concepts. The present study investigated the relationship between body image and self-concept in the aging process. Results from this study revealed that body image and self-concept were related but did not, as predicted, decrease as age increased. Further, physical and mental symptoms of aging were also related to self-concept but did not increase, as predicted, as individuals aged. Surprisingly, discrepancy between current body image and a retrospective account of body image at age twenty-one was not related to either selfconcept or age. Similar results were found with respect to discrepancy between real and ideal weight.Item Elements of a sensibility : fitness blogs and postfeminist media culture(2014-05) Stover, Cassandra Marie; Frick, CarolineThis thesis applies a feminist theoretical perspective to interrogate discourses of postfeminism, as well as the position of the female body, fitness, and resistance within contemporary American culture. I argue that women’s fitness blogs are a vehicle for the production of Rosalind Gill’s “postfeminist sensibility,” focusing specifically on fitness bloggers’ use of self-surveillance and monitoring, personal transformation or “makeovers”, and intensified consumerism. Using ideological textual analysis of several fitness blogs as case studies, I examine the ways in which women publicly negotiate their relationships with their body through the documentation and disclosure of their food and exercise lifestyles. This thesis also acknowledges the feminist potential of fitness blogs as spaces in which women may strive towards body positivity and recovery from eating disorders, as well as challenge cultural expectations regarding female body and appetite.Item An experimental investigation of the impact of body image on subjective sexual arousal among sexually dysfunctional women(2009-08) Seal, Brooke Nicole; Meston, Cindy M.The impact of self awareness during sexual activity has been widely discussed. However, research has been largely focused on the effects of performance anxiety in male erectile functioning. Based on research linking sexual difficulties to lower levels of body image, it has been suggested that physical appearance concerns may have a similar influence on sexual functioning in women as does men's self-awareness about erectile functioning. On the other hand, research has also shown that in some cases self awareness can improve sexual functioning among women. The role that physical appearance or awareness of one's body specifically may play in female sexual response has received little empirical attention. The aim of the current study was to examine the impact of body image on sexual arousal response to erotica among 48 women with Female Sexual Arousal Disorder (FSAD). Women were randomized to one of two Body Image conditions: Positive Body Image or Negative Body Image. Each woman participated in two sessions: Experimental and Control. In the experimental sessions, participants were asked to adopt and attend to their positive or negative body parts, and a full-length mirror was placed in front of them. Self-reported mental arousal, perceptions of physical arousal, body awareness, body image, anxiety, and cognitive distraction were assessed. Results showed that in the negative and positive experimental sessions, women experienced increased mental and perceptions of physical sexual arousal compared to the control session. Findings were mainly accounted for by levels of body image and body awareness. There were no differences in anxiety or cognitive distraction. Findings suggest that body image and body awareness, whether positive or negative, can result in increased subjective sexual arousal response.Item Image output impacts of DEXA on affect, mood and self-efficacy(2007-12) Boroff, Cathrine Susan; Bartholomew, John B.Body image can be a cause of mental barriers to behavior change for individuals. When one discovers that he/she is over fat a slew of thoughts and emotions may stream through mind, motivating or deterring him/her from making the changes that will better his/her health outcomes. Duel Energy Xray Absorptiometry (DEXA) is a device used to retrieve accurate information on an individual’s total body composition. Consequently it also produces a twodimensional image of that person’s full body soft tissue. This image may have an impact on a person’s emotional response to the information and thus that delicate time period of self evaluation. To test this, a repeated measures quasiexperimental study was conducted on college age participants (N=82). Subjects were either shown the image DEXA output (treatment group) or not shown this image (control). The Profile of Moods States, Positive Affect Negative Affect Scale and a selfefficacy of body composition change questionnaire were used prior to and just after each DEXA to show a change in mood. Although no main effects based on treatment condition were discovered, a main effect was discovered between change in negative affect and body fat percentage, F(2, 76) = 6.285, p < .01, showing that those who had a higher percentage of body fat had an increase in negative affect after learning what that body fat percentage was regardless of treatment condition. The strong null effects based on treatment conditions suggests that one does not have a change in mood or affect responses to seeing his/her image than those associated with learning his/her body fat composition.Item Intergenerational influences in body image among Mexican American obese adolescent females and their maternal caregivers(2015-08) Marroquin, Yesenia Amarylis; Tharinger, Deborah J.; Emmer, Edmund T; Awad, Germine; Keith, Timothy; Pasch, Keryn; Gray, Jane SGrounded Theory and thematic analysis were utilized to examine interview responses from Mexican and Mexican American adolescent females with obesity, their mothers, and when possible, their grandmothers, regarding the messages the adolescents have received about their physical appearance and body size. The adolescents were receiving services at a weight management program at the time of their involvement in the study. Semi-structured individual interviews were conducted with nine Spanish/English-speaking adolescents and their maternal caregivers (comprised of nine mothers and three grandmothers), transcribed verbatim, and translated from Spanish to English, where applicable. Data of nine mother-adolescent dyads analyzed using Grounded Theory was a model illustrating the process by which these adolescents receive messages about their physical appearance and body size, the manner in which adolescents navigate these messages, and their mother’s role in the process. Results suggest that the adolescents receive dialectical messages of “being overweight is undesirable” and “accept yourself” and that they originate from various sources (e.g., their mother, other family members, peers and friends, and medical professionals). In addition, the messages are reflective of the contexts of media, culture, and their status as an adolescent receiving treatment for obesity. Further, the data revealed that the mothers utilize a behavior of constant vigilance around their daughters and also use themselves as models to provide these messages to their daughters, both in direct and indirect ways. And finally the data indicated that the dialectical messages the adolescents receive elicit emotional, cognitive, and behavioral reactions, as well as influence their body image self-schema. Thematic analysis of the three mother-adolescent-grandmother triads included the themes of “messages provided/received” regarding physical appearance and body size, and “maternal caregiver relationship dynamics” within the mother-grandmother dyad data. Implications for future research and clinical practice are discussed.Item Minority stress, gender role strain, and visibility management : causes and concerns of body dissatisfaction among gay men(2011-12) Rainey, Josh Craig; Tharinger, Deborah J.; Sherry, Alissa R.Body dissatisfaction is a growing problem in the gay male population, with serious implications for psychological and social well-being. Gay men tend to be at higher risk of body dissatisfaction than their heterosexual counterparts. They report lower levels of body satisfaction and have higher rates of risky behaviors such as anabolic steroid use, eating disorders, and over-exercising (Gil, 2007; Willoughby et al., 2008; Kaminski et al., 2004). It is difficult to determine the cause of this issue in the gay community; however, two theories have been proposed to help explain this phenomenon. Minority stress theory posits that it relates to added stress involved with being part of a minority group. Gender role strain theory identifies these concerns with the strain to conform to masculine gender roles. A common link to bridge the two theories together may be visibility management, which is the way gay men carefully disclose behaviors that would identify their sexual orientation (Lasser & Tharinger, 2003). The proposed method will include participants that will be approximately 130 gay men 18-23 years of age. Participants will be sought through online collection from universities in the United States. Participants will respond to empirically validated measures in regards to Minority Stress, Gender Role Strain, Visibility Management, and Body Dissatisfaction to help determine if what links there are between these variables.Item Parental confirmation and emerging adult children’s body image : self-concept and social competence as mediators(2016-08) Taniguchi, Emiko; Dailey, René M.; Vangelisti , Anita L; Donovan, Erin; Neff, Lisa A; Whittaker, TiffanyAlthough the role of family factors in the development of body image is well documented, the mechanism of how family interactions are related to body image remains inadequately understood. Moreover, extant body image literature examining the role of family factors has largely focused on mother-daughter relationships, limiting our understanding on fathers’ roles and sons’ experiences. The purpose of this project was to address limitations in extant literature from a communicative perspective. Based on confirmation theory (Dailey, 2010), this project examined (a) how each component of parental confirmation (acceptance and challenge) was individually and interactively related to emerging adults’ body image, (b) how these associations were mediated by social competence and self-concept, and (c) how hypothesized links differed by parental and child sex. Male and female college students (N = 447; 319 females) responded to a series of online surveys. Collectively, the results provided general support for the proposed mediation model. There were minimal child sex differences, whereas there were some differences in hypothesized associations depending on the parental sex. For mothers’ communication behaviors, the positive association between mother acceptance and body image was fully mediated by social competence and self-concept together, and mother challenge enhanced the positive effect of mother acceptance on body image through self-concept (but not through social competence). In terms of fathers’ communication behaviors, the positive association between father acceptance and body image was partially mediated by self-concept. Further, father acceptance and father challenge interacted to predict body image directly, without being mediated by the proposed mediators, such that father challenge enhanced the positive effect of father acceptance on body image. Altogether, the findings of this study suggest that acceptance and challenge are associated with emerging adults’ body image through a somewhat different mechanism depending on parent sex (but not child sex). This research underscores the utility of employing a confirmation perspective in understanding the mechanisms of how family interactions are related to body image.Item Physical activity in early adolescent girls : an examination of biological, affective, interpersonal and sociocultural influences(2013-08) Standiford, Anne Elizabeth; García, Alexandra Anne, 1964-; Rew, LynnPediatric overweight is defined as a body mass index (BMI) for age of 85th-95th percentile, and occurs in approximately 33.6% of adolescents 12-19 years of age. Hispanic adolescents are disproportionately at risk for overweight. Excess weight can predispose adolescents to develop diabetes mellitus type 2, coronary artery disease, hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, sleep apnea, osteoporosis, asthma, and certain types of cancer, whereas physical activity can help prevent and treat these diseases. Little is known about the factors that contribute to physical activity in Hispanic adolescent girls. The purpose of this study was to examine and compare the influence of personal characteristics, perceptual influences, interpersonal influences and sociocultural influences on physical activity in White and Hispanic adolescent girls. The theoretical framework for this study was self-designed--the Physical Activity Lifestyle Model. Data for this cross-sectional study was collected from girls age 11-14 who presented to the Children's Wellness Center in Del Valle, TX (N = 121) in the summers of 2011 and 2012. Most participants self-identified as Hispanic (n = 106). Participants completed a survey consisting of a 1-day physical activity recall, a demographic questionnaire, and several validated (primarily Likert-type) questionnaires. Height and weight were measured in the clinic. Data analysis began with descriptive analysis (mean, standard deviation and percentage) of demographic characteristics, dependent and independent variables, then Pearson correlations, and finally multiple linear regression to determine the influence of the independent variables on physical activity. No significant differences were found between ethnic groups on age, grade or school (p > .05). Physical activity was significantly related to body image (r = .189, p < .05), friend social support (r = .279, p < .01), and family social support (r = .401, p < .01). In addition, physical activity significantly predicted BMI percentile (B = -.043, SE = .019, t = -2.249, p = .027), appearance-related media messages (B = .259, SE = .127, t = 2.038, p = .044), pressures to be thin (B = .311, SE = .149, t = 2.082, p = .040), family social support for physical activity (B = .089, SE = .042, t = 2.139, p = .035), body image (B = .367, SE = .123, t = 2.987, p = .004), and physical activity enjoyment (B = .083, SE = .040, t = 2.089, p = .040). When designing an intervention to promote physical activity, health care providers and educators should consider that multiple external factors influence physical activity participation in Hispanic adolescent girls. Healthcare providers should involve parents and siblings in physical activity interventions for overweight adolescent girls. Interventions should be tailored to work with the adolescent girls' physical and social environment. Public health nurses should work with schools and communities to increase physical activity opportunities for adolescent girls in physical education classes, girls' sports, and after-school programs.Item Projective, objective, and task-oriented indices of the permeability-impermeability dimension of ego boundaries(Texas Tech University, 1972-08) Bolland, Herbert RNot availableItem Relationships among body image dissatisfaction, racial identity, and racial socialization in African American women college students(2013-08) Taylor, Desire Shenay; Awad, Germine H.The discussion of race within body image research has for many years been a topic of empirical focus. However, remaining still is a lack of knowledge regarding the unique sociocultural factors that are involved in African American women’s experience of body and the development of body dissatisfaction. Racial identity and family background may impact Black women’s body attitudes. The proposed study is an exploratory investigation of body dissatisfaction in a sample of African American women college students. Specifically, the role of racial identity and the endorsement of racial socialization messages received from family will be examined. Findings will serve to increase understanding of the sociocultural underpinnings of body image among Black women. Racial identity and racial socialization will be tested as potential predictors of body dissatisfaction through hierarchical multiple regression analyses. Racial identity status will be examined as a potential mediator of racial socialization and body dissatisfaction.Item Social comparison, ethnicity, body image, and media exposure to thin-ideal models: an experimental study(2009-06-02) Warren, Cortney SoderlindSocial comparison theory offers a useful conceptual framework to understand how mainstream American sociocultural values of appearance may shape the development of body image disturbance and eating disorders. Some experimental research demonstrates that women report significantly greater increases in negative affect and body image disturbance and decreases in self-esteem after viewing thin models than after viewing inanimate objects, normal-weight models, and overweight women. The main goal of this study was to investigate whether the effects of viewing thin models are influenced by the ethnicity of the observer and/or the ethnic and racial similarity of the model to the observer. In addition, the study tested the extent to which social comparison tendency, trait appearance evaluation, ethnic identity, and racial identity may moderate these effects. In study 1, women rated the race, attractiveness, and thinness of a group of ethnically diverse models. Study 2 assessed affect, self-esteem, and body image in Euro-American (n = 105), African-American (n = 91), and Latina (n = 111) women before and after viewing ethnically self-similar models, self-different models, or control images. Results indicated that ethnic similarity between model and participants influenced affect such that increased social comparison tendency in Latina participants predicted increased negative affect after viewing Latina models. Additionally, the type of media images viewed and proposed moderators influenced affect and body image. As predicted, positive appearance evaluation was more strongly associated with positive feelings about one?s weight after viewing models and, in African-American and Latina women, increased idealization of Whiteness was associated with decreased positive feelings regarding one?s weight after viewing White models. Unexpectedly, increased social comparison tendency was associated with increased positive affect after viewing African-American models whereas increased social comparison tendency was associated with less positive affect after viewing Latina models. Finally, independent of media exposure, African-American women reported higher appearance-based self-esteem and body image than Euro-American and Latina women and increased social comparison tendency, decreased positive appearance evaluation, decreased ethnic identity, and increased racial identity idealizing Whiteness were each associated with undesirable levels of self-esteem and body image. Clinical implications and directions for future research are provided.Item Social ties and physical activity patterns over the life course : gender, race, and age variations(2014-05) Lodge, Amy Caroline; Umberson, Debra; Angel, Jacqueline; Crosnoe, Robert; Gonzalez-Lopez, Gloria; Hayward, MarkIn this dissertation I explore the lived experiences and meanings underlying population patterns linking social ties and exercise. To do so, I frame an analysis of qualitative data from 60 in-depth interviews with 15 white women, 15 black women, 15 white men, and 15 black men with life course theory and critical perspectives on gender, race, and age. In Article 1, I examine how parental influence matters for individuals’ exercise trajectories (i.e., lived experiences of change or stability in exercise patterns) from childhood into adulthood, how adult life course transitions (e.g., parenthood) and turning points (e.g., injury) matter in relation to this influence for exercise trajectories, and how they matter differently at the intersection of race and gender. I develop the concepts of disrupted advantage and disadvantage to refer to my key finding that adult life experiences can disrupt processes of cumulative (dis)advantage around exercise in ways that differ at the intersection of race and gender. In Article 2, I examine the gendered processes through which intimate relationship formation and dissolution result in shifts in exercise habits and find that relationship formation shapes men’s and women’s exercise habits in distinctive ways. Further, these gendered processes are shaped by men’s and women’s relational gendered performances, which reveal the importance of a gender-as-relational perspective for understanding the links between relationship formation and gendered changes in exercise habits. Finally, in Article 3 I examine how body image, as socially constituted, shapes individuals’ motivation to exercise in ways that differ by gender, age, and race. I further examine how, through exercise intentions and practices, individuals craft meanings about the body, gender, race, and age.Item Television's relationship to body dissatisfaction in college women(Texas Tech University, 2005-12) Schrick, Brittney H.; Fischer, Judith L.; Reifman, Alan; Sharp, Elizabeth A.Problems related to women’s body image have been extensively studied over the past two decades. Disordered eating, characterized by a drive for thinness, a preoccupation with food and eating, and fear of gaining weight, is assumed to be much more prevalent than clinical eating disorders. Those who experience symptoms of disordered eating may or may not show internalization of thin ideals as portrayed in the media. Internalization of the thin ideal is indicated by how much one wishes to obtain the ideal of thinness portrayed by the media (Heinberg, Thompson, & Stormer, 1995). The present study focuses on the relationship between television viewing and body dissatisfaction in “normal,” young adult women during college. Female participants were selected from Psychology classes at a small Southwestern university. Participants completed a demographic survey including age, classification, height, and weight. Participants also assessed how many hours of television, what TV shows, and what TV stations they watched. The participants then completed the Sociocultural Attitudes Towards Appearance Questionnaire (Heinberg et al., 1995), a media attitudes questionnaire (adapted from Austin & Meili, 1994), and the Figure Rating Scale (Stunkard, Sorenson, & Schulsinger, 1983). Their BMI was calculated based on self-reported height and weight. In a second wave of data collection, female participants from enrolled in Human Development and Family studies classes at a large Southwestern university were asked to complete an assessment of thin-ideal media based upon the shows listed by participants from the small university. This assessment provided average thinness ratings for each of the programs viewed. Results indicated that participants who viewed programs with a higher average thinness rating showed significantly greater internalization of the thin ideal as measured by the SATAQ. In addition, greater internalization of the thin ideal was related to the choice of a smaller ideal body size. Because body dissatisfaction was not significantly related to any measures of media consumption or internalization, the above findings indicate the possibility that media consumption and internalization of the thin ideal may not be related to long-term body dissatisfaction as is often assumed.Item Television's relationship to body dissatisfaction in college women(2005-12) Schrick, Brittney H.; Fischer, Judith L.; Reifman, Alan; Sharp, Elizabeth A.Problems related to women’s body image have been extensively studied over the past two decades. Disordered eating, characterized by a drive for thinness, a preoccupation with food and eating, and fear of gaining weight, is assumed to be much more prevalent than clinical eating disorders. Those who experience symptoms of disordered eating may or may not show internalization of thin ideals as portrayed in the media. Internalization of the thin ideal is indicated by how much one wishes to obtain the ideal of thinness portrayed by the media (Heinberg, Thompson, & Stormer, 1995). The present study focuses on the relationship between television viewing and body dissatisfaction in "normal," young adult women during college. Female participants were selected from Psychology classes at a small Southwestern university. Participants completed a demographic survey including age, classification, height, and weight. Participants also assessed how many hours of television, what TV shows, and what TV stations they watched. The participants then completed the Sociocultural Attitudes Towards Appearance Questionnaire (Heinberg et al., 1995), a media attitudes questionnaire (adapted from Austin & Meili, 1994), and the Figure Rating Scale (Stunkard, Sorenson, & Schulsinger, 1983). Their BMI was calculated based on self-reported height and weight. In a second wave of data collection, female participants from enrolled in Human Development and Family studies classes at a large Southwestern university were asked to complete an assessment of thin-ideal media based upon the shows listed by participants from the small university. This assessment provided average thinness ratings for each of the programs viewed. Results indicated that participants who viewed programs with a higher average thinness rating showed significantly greater internalization of the thin ideal as measured by the SATAQ. In addition, greater internalization of the thin ideal was related to the choice of a smaller ideal body size. Because body dissatisfaction was not significantly related to any measures of media consumption or internalization, the above findings indicate the possibility that media consumption and internalization of the thin ideal may not be related to long-term body dissatisfaction as is often assumed.Item The effect of sex and type of relaxation training on level of body awareness(Texas Tech University, 1974-06) Pinkston, Michael RayNot availableItem The relationship between body image and group interaction(Texas Tech University, 1972-08) Hall, Helen Kay LudemanNot availableItem The relationship of age, self-concept, locus of control, and self-monitoring to physical attractiveness in females(Texas Tech University, 1993-12) Treland, Julia E.A review of the physical attractiveness literature reveals that variations in attractiveness elicit different expectations and responses in social interactions. Implicit in the literature is the notion that as a result of differential treatment, attractive, and unattractive persons should vary on several aspects of personality. The premise is that physical appearance and personality development become related through reciprocally interacting mechanisms: variations in attractiveness elicit different expectations from others; the expectations prompt people to behave differently toward individuals who vary in appearance; thus, individuals develop self-concepts and personality attributes that stem from the way they are perceived and treated. The present study investigated the relationship between personality variables and physical attractiveness in college- and high school-age beauty pageant contestants and non-contestant females of varying attractiveness. Results from this study revealed distinctive differences between pageant contestants and non-contestants on personality and self-rated attractiveness variables. The non-contestant females did not differ on the personality variables; however, the way in which these females perceived their own attractiveness did appear related to these personality attributes. In particular, perception of weight appears to influence the female's self-concept and satisfaction with her body.