Appearance-Related Factors in Relation to Body Dissatisfaction, Dieting, and Excessive Exercise: Competitiveness as a Moderator
Public Deposited- Last Modified
- February 26, 2019
- Creator
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Schleien, Jenna L.
- Affiliation: College of Arts and Sciences, Department of Psychology and Neuroscience
- Abstract
- Previous research has established relationships between appearance-related factors and disordered eating attitudes and behaviors, but it is not clear which appearance-focused individuals are most at risk for engaging in maladaptive eating-related attitudes and behaviors. Thus, this study examines competitiveness as a moderator of the relationships between appearance-related factors (i.e., thin-ideal internalization and appearance contingent self-worth) and disordered eating attitudes and behaviors (i.e., body dissatisfaction, dieting, and excessive exercise) both cross-sectionally and longitudinally. The sample consisted of 441 undergraduate women at Time 1 and a subsample of 237 undergraduate women at Time 2 approximately one year later. Survey data were analyzed with hierarchical multiple regression analyses. Results showed that thin-ideal internalization and appearance contingent self-worth both interact with competitiveness to identify concurrent levels of dieting and excessive exercise. Additionally, individuals who were high in thin-ideal internalization and high in competitiveness exhibited the most elevated levels of body dissatisfaction, dieting, and excessive exercise one year later. Lastly, after controlling for baseline levels of the dependent variables, results showed that individuals who were high in thin-ideal internalization and high in competitiveness exhibited increased levels of body dissatisfaction and excessive exercise one year later. The current study brings the field of eating disorders one step closer to identifying which individuals are most at risk for developing disordered eating attitudes and behaviors, allowing psychologists to improve prevention and intervention efforts.
- Date of publication
- spring 2014
- Keyword
- DOI
- Resource type
- Rights statement
- In Copyright
- Note
- Funding: None
- Advisor
- Bardone-Cone, Anna
- Degree
- Bachelor of Arts
- Honors level
- Highest Honors
- Degree granting institution
- University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
- Extent
- 53 p.
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