Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Bowling Green State University, 2024, Psychology/Clinical

Body dissatisfaction and maladaptive eating behaviors are common and associated with poor outcomes in young women, whereas the reverse is true for positive body image. Women in sports report better body image and less disordered eating than their non- athletic peers (Chapa et al., 2022; Varnes et al., 2013), but the literature has noteworthy deficits regarding positive body image and adaptive outcomes. Furthermore, the current literature is marked by significant heterogeneity (Chapa et al., 2022; Smolak et al., 2000; Rice et al., 2016) indicating collegiate female athletes may be better understood as a collection of distinct groups rather than a homogenous population. Thus, the present study employed a person-centered approach to identify subpopulations of female athletes based on body image and eating behavior variables using cluster analysis. Undergraduate women (N = 175) on college and university athletic teams completed an online survey. A k-means clustering algorithm examined solutions ranging from two to five clusters. The selected and replicated solution revealed four groups: 1) low disordered eating and positive body image (n = 71), 2) low disordered eating and negative body image (n = 59), 3) restricting (n = 32), and 4) binge eating and purging (n = 11). One-way ANOVAs found that cluster 1 reported lower self-objectification, greater embodiment, and more intuitive eating compared to clusters 2, 3, and 4. Cluster 4 exhibited poorer outcomes than other clusters, including greater negative body talk, muscularity talk, and cognitive restraint. Engaging in, but not hearing, positive body talk was associated with positive outcomes.

Committee: Dara Musher-Eizenman Ph.D. (Committee Chair); Jessica Kiss Ph.D. (Other); Joshua Grubbs Ph.D. (Committee Member); Abby Braden Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Clinical Psychology

Master of Science (MS), Ohio University, 2016, Child and Family Studies (Health Sciences and Professions)

Statement of the problem: The developmental task for adolescents to accept their body may be hindered by the diagnosis of a chronic illness. There is a lack of adequate support or resources to assist adolescents with a chronic illness in building a positive body image and self-esteem. Methodology: A retrospective interview was conducted with three adults who were diagnosed with a chronic illness during or prior to adolescence. The interview consisted of body assessment questions and questions about their process of building self-esteem and a positive body image. There was also a Rosenberg's Self-Esteem Scale for both their current self and adolescent self, completed prior to the interview. Conclusion: Adolescents with a chronic illness benefit from parents, peers without a chronic illness, and other adolescents with a chronic illness, as long as those groups are supportive. The primary source of self-esteem and positive body image comes from body acceptance, which is facilitated through positive, supportive interactions with the aforementioned groups.

Committee: Jennifer Chabot Ph.D. (Committee Chair); Joan Jurich Ph.D. (Committee Member); Julie Brown Ph.D. (Committee Member); Dana Lange CCLS (Other) Subjects: Developmental Psychology; Families and Family Life; Health Care; Individual and Family Studies; Personal Relationships; Psychology

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2006, Psychology

Quantitative methods were used to identify women with positive body image and qualitative methods, with a focus on grounded theory, were used to analyze these women's data. Fifteen undergraduate females and five clinical/research experts offered information related to body image via interviews. Assertions emerged regarding women who espouse positive body image: (a) they embraced unique characteristics such as gratitude and self-love, (b) they relied on an encouraging social support network, (c) they identified and critiqued society's obsession with the female body, (d) they accepted a range of beauty ideals across racial/ethnic heritages, (e) they acknowledged the role of spirituality/religion in relation to body image, (f) they endorsed realistic self-appraisals, and (g) they adhered to healthy lifestyle choices that include intuitive eating/drinking and exercise. A fluid model of body image, including both positive and negative components, was created that emphasizes trait and state levels of this construct. This study adds incremental knowledge associated with positive body image and serves as foundation for future research on this topic.

Committee: Pamela Highlen (Advisor) Subjects: Psychology, Clinical

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2014, Human Ecology

Americans do not engage in sufficient physical activity and exercise (PA/Ex). PA/Ex declines with age and women are less active than men. Research suggests a focus on immediate benefits of PA/Ex may increase PA/Ex motivation. Self-compassion, a psychological construct comprised of self-kindness, mindfulness and common humanity, is correlated with several indicators of acute positive affect. In the last four years, 10 published studies have explored the relationship between self-compassion, body image and exercise in youth or young-adult populations. This study's purpose was to contribute to such research by investigating self-compassion's influence on body image, exercise motivation and PA/Ex in middle-aged women. Women were eligible for this study if they were 35-60 years of age, not pregnant (or within one year postpartum), and able to be physically active. Participants were recruited from the ResearchMatch database and completed a survey developed using Qualtrics Research Suite. In September 2013, 1,303 participants accessed the on-line survey. After allowing for individuals who did not consent to take the survey, data errors, and treatment for missing values and outliers, 1,213 complete cases were available for data analysis. Of these, 1,122 non-African American participants were initially analyzed as the literature indicated African American women may differ significantly from other ethnic groups in perceptions of body image. Average age and BMI of the1,122 women participants were 48, and 28 kg/m2, respectively. Seventy-one percent of the participants met or exceeded the 150-minute recommended level of moderate aerobic activity per week, as compared to 50% of women aged 35-64 in the 2011 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System. A confirmatory factor analysis conducted within structural equation modeling (SEM) using LISREL indicated appearance evaluation, health/fitness evaluation, health/fitness orientation, and body appreciation were signif (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Janet Buckworth (Advisor); Diane Habash (Committee Member); Maryanna Klatt (Committee Member) Subjects: Behavioral Psychology; Behavioral Sciences; Health Sciences; Psychology

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2007, Psychology

This study examined the relationship between body dissatisfaction and psychological health. Several scholars have suggested that body image is an increasingly relevant issue for men. However, limitations in current measurement make it unclear how meaningful such findings are. Furthermore, few extant studies in the general body image literature have examined the role of positive psychological coping variables. Therefore, this study sought to examine the relationship between body dissatisfaction and psychological health. It was hypothesized that body dissatisfaction would be positively correlated with symptoms of psychological distress, and negatively correlated with indices of positive psychological adjustment. Furthermore, it was hypothesized that the indices of positive psychological adjustment (satisfaction with life, proactive coping, hardiness, and optimism) would moderate, or buffer, the relationship between body dissatisfaction and the indicators of psychological distress (depression, symptom reports, self esteem). It was also hypothesized that the Male Body Attitudes Scale, a new measure of body dissatisfaction in men, would demonstrate adequate reliability and validity. In this study, 368 male participants recruited from an introductory psychology class took ten measures, including the General Health Questionairre-28 and the Psychological Hardiness Scale. Participants also completed a demographics questionnaire. Correlational analysis was used to examine the hypothesis regarding the relationship between body dissatisfaction and the psychological health indices, and hierarchical moderated regression analysis was used to examine the buffering hypothesis. Furthermore, MANOVA was used to assess the demographic variables, and ANOVA was utilized to test for order effects. Maximum likelihood analysis was utilized to impute missing data values. The first main hypothesis of this study, that body image dissatisfaction would be positively related to indices of psycholo (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Don Dell (Advisor) Subjects: Psychology, General