Publication Date

2014

Document Type

Dissertation/Thesis

First Advisor

Ozier, Amy D.

Degree Name

M.S. (Master of Science)

Legacy Department

School of Family, Consumer and Nutrition Sciences

LCSH

Eating disorders in women--Risk factors; Body image in women; Women college students--Health and hygiene; Women college students--Psychology; Greek letter societies--United States; Nutrition; Social psychology

Abstract

Body objectification and social pressure are risk factors for developing eating disorders. Currently there is limited research on specific populations like sorority women who are at an increased risk for developing these disorders. This study used Dr. Nita McKinley's Objectified Body Consciousness Scale and the Social Pressure subscale from the Sociocultural Attitudes Towards Appearance Questionnaire-4 to better understand the relationship of sorority membership with body objectification and social pressure. It was found that the longer women were members of a sorority the less body shame they experienced and the longer they lived in a sorority house the less body surveillance, body shame, and social pressure they experienced. Alternatively, higher levels of social pressure were positively correlated with increased levels of body surveillance and body shame. This research identifies a need to focus on primary prevention of eating disorders and to further understand risk factors in the sorority population.

Comments

Advisors: Amy Ozier.||Committee members: Kara Britzman; Sarah Cosbey; Flora Surjadi.

Extent

88 pages

Language

eng

Publisher

Northern Illinois University

Rights Statement

In Copyright

Rights Statement 2

NIU theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from Huskie Commons for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without the written permission of the authors.

Media Type

Text

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