Although the psychological effects of appearance schemas have been studied in the general population, we know little about the relation of these schemas to appearance-based rejection sensitivity. This study examined the relations among predictive variables of appearance-invested self-schemas (self-evaluative salience [SES] and motivational salience [MS]), appearance-based rejection sensitivity, and depressive affect. Self-discrepancy theory was used to theorize that when individuals experience discrepancies with self, conflict arises in self-schemas, and that this conflict relates to an increase in depressive affect and appearance-based rejection sensitivity. The sample consisted of 131 adult female college students participating in a continuing education program. Multiple regression was used to evaluate the relation between appearance-invested self-schema and depressive affect. A second multiple regression equation was conducted to evaluate the relation between appearance-invested self-schema and appearance-based rejection sensitivity. Participants with higher SES scores had significantly higher depressive affect scores and appearance-based rejection sensitivity scores. Participants with higher MS scores had significantly lower depressive affect and appearance-based rejection sensitivity scores. High SES significantly predicted more depression and sensitivity to rejection based on appearance, and high MS appeared to be a protective factor against depression and appearance based rejection. The results of the study promote positive social change by helping professionals improve treatments for individuals suffering from negative appearance-invested self-schemas, rejection sensitivity, and depression.

A disproportionate number of African American women are at risk for illness and mortality due to obesity. The aim of this study was to explore perceived behavioral control (PBC), stress, body image, and exercise intentions (EI) using the theory of planned behavior (TPB) as the primary theoretical framework. The TPB is a leading model in health research to predict behavioral intentions, yet its application to the general female African American population is lacking. Seventy-nine African American women were sampled utilizing a cross-sectional, online survey method. A series of bivariate correlations tested the relationships among PBC, stress, body image, age, and physical activity with EI as the dependent variable. Findings showed that PBC and EI were significantly correlated (r = .62, p<.001). There was also a significant correlation between physical activity level and EI (r = .34, p=.003). Stress, body image, and age were not significantly correlated with EI. A standard multiple regression analysis was used to test if PBC, stress, and body image significantly predicted EI. PBC and stress explained 42% of the variance (R-² = .42, F(3,75)=18.49, p<.001). These findings highlight the importance of strengthening PBC beliefs and reducing stress to enhance successful weight loss. Social change implications include a culturally-sensitive approach to weight loss that could help decrease obesity rates and related health problems.

This study examined some of the procedures used in eating disorder research. Body size estimation procedures, in light of their similarity to procedures in social psychology, were used to create self-focus and selfconsciousness conditions. If the procedures in the present study create self-consciousness effects, it is possible that the results of those studies have been affected by a heightened state of self-awareness. The present research also explored the relationships between self-consciousness, self-esteem, body esteem, body perception, and eating disorder proneness. The research was conducted with a nonclinical sample from a university population, controlling for age and body development factors. Baseline and experimental measures of objective self-awareness and body size perception were taken. The experimental conditions consisted of the presence of a) a VCR and mirror and b) an observer who was rating the subject. The third condition was a control setting that replicated the baseline setting. The sample was also tested at the posttest for self-esteem, body esteem, and eating disorder proneness. The results indicate that the subjects reported no significant changes in self-consciousness or body size estimates, suggesting that something besides the presence of equipment influences whether or not one feels selfconscious. This idea has been borne out in other research that implicates self-esteem as a major consideration in whether or not an individual feels self-conscious in certain situations (that is, that low self-esteem appears to increase one's amenability to induce self-consciousness). Another primary factor is that self-consciousness cannot be induced when the individual is interested in the task. Subjects in the present study indicated that they found the tasks inherently interesting and forgot about the presence of equipment and observers once they began thinking about the questions posed to them. In the present research, selfesteem and body esteem were both found to be negatively related to self-consciousness, while eating disorder proneness was found to be positively related to selfconsciousness. The results are discussed in light of these connections, and suggestions for future research are provided.

This present study examined the session-by-session content of group therapy for eating-disordered clients. The main objective of this study was to identify how therapist-client gender match affects group therapy process , regarding the disclosure of important issues relevant to eating-disordered clients. It was hypothesized that the group therapy process for eating-disordered clients would be qualitatively different if therapy was facilitated by a female as opposed to a male therapist. The evaluation of the research question required using an alternating treatments single-subject research design, in which the presentation of treatment conditions was counterbalanced across two therapy groups. The treatments consisted of three therapist conditions (i.e., male therapist only, female therapist-only, or both therapists) that were systematically presented during the study. All group-therapy sessions were videotaped and coded for verbal content. The results suggested that when a female therapist alone was leading group therapy sessions, eating-disordered clients were more inclined to discuss general emotional issues and specific issues involving negative affect. Furthermore, during the male therapist-only conditions, there was a tendency for female group members to talk more about the physical symptoms of eating disorders (i.e., food-related behaviors, body image issues). The relationship of these results regarding their practical implications on therapist knowledge, training, in-session behavior was discussed.

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