xii, 98 p. : ill. A print copy of this thesis is available through the UO Libraries. Search the library catalog for the location and call number. / The purpose of this study was to examine how conversations about appearance between adolescents and their best friends predicted eating pathology during adolescence and early adulthood. Participants were 711 adolescents and their best friends who were observed using a videotaped observation protocol and completing a number of conversational tasks. The tapes of these friend dyads were coded for content relating to attitudes and behaviors regarding appearance, weight, and dieting. There were four types of appearance talk related to comments about other people's appearance, their best friend's appearance, their own weight and dieting, and other people's weight and dieting. Appearance talk was frequent in conversations between adolescents, especially comments about other people's appearance.
Eating pathology was measured using the Eating Attitudes Test-26 during adolescence and as a symptom count during early adulthood. Eating pathology during adolescence predicted eating pathology during early adulthood. Adolescents who met clinical criteria for an eating disorder had higher rates of appearance talk than those who did not meet criteria.
Multiple regression was used to examine the relationship between eating pathology and the four types of appearance talk. For females, talking about their best friend's appearance predicted adolescent and early adult eating pathology. For males, talking about their own weight and dieting predicted adolescent eating pathology. Talking about other people's weight and dieting also predicted early adult eating pathology for both males and females, even when controlling for adolescent eating pathology.
Although appearance talk was common among adolescents, specific types of appearance talk predicted eating pathology differently for males and females. Furthermore, the most frequent types of appearance talk for males and females were not those that predicted eating pathology. This study supports the importance of the influence of friendship on eating pathology. Treatment implications are informed by these findings. This study informs future research and suggests the importance of observational methods in examining conversations about appearance. / Committee in charge: Elizabeth Stormshak, Chairperson, Counseling Psychology and Human Services;
Krista Chronister, Member, Counseling Psychology and Human Services;
Paul Yovanoff, Member, Educational Methodology, Policy, and Leadership;
Thomas Dishion, Outside Member, Psychology
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:uoregon.edu/oai:scholarsbank.uoregon.edu:1794/10350 |
| Date | 09 1900 |
| Creators | Arndorfer, Cara Lee, 1977- |
| Publisher | University of Oregon |
| Source Sets | University of Oregon |
| Language | en_US |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
| Relation | University of Oregon theses, Dept. of Counseling Psychology and Human Services, Ph. D., 2009; |
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