Modelling Peer Group Dieting Behaviour

Authors: M. J. Cunha

Abstract:

The aim of this paper is to understand how peers can influence adolescent girls- dieting behaviour and their body image. Departing from imitation and social learning theories, we study whether adolescent girls tend to model their peer group dieting behaviours, thus influencing their body image construction. Our study was conducted through an enquiry applied to a cluster sample of 466 adolescent high school girls in Lisbon city public schools. Our main findings point to an association between girls- and peers- dieting behaviours, thus reinforcing the modelling hypothesis.

Keywords: Modelling, Diet, Body image, Adolescent girls, Peer group.

Digital Object Identifier (DOI): doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.1079762

References:

[1] Tarde, cit. in Barata, O.S. (1974) Introdução às Ciências Sociais, 2ª ed.,1., Livraria Bertrand, Amadora
[2] Leyens, J.P. (1981) Psicologia Social, Ed. 70, Lisboa, p: 47
[3] Bandura, A. (1996) "Teoría Social Cognitiva de la comunicación de masas", in Bryant, J. & Zillmann, D. (eds.) Los efectos de los medios de comunicación - Investigaciones y teorias, Paidós Comunicación, Barcelona
[4] Descamps, M.A. (1984) Psychosociologie de la mode, 2ª ed., PUF, Paris
[5] Cuesta, U. (2006) Psicología Social de la comunicación, 2ª ed., Ed. Cátedra, Madrid
[6] Carmo, H. (2000) Intervenção Social com Grupos, Universidade Aberta, Lisboa, p: 103
[7] Eichorn, D.H. (1972) "Adolescence", International Encyclopaedia of the Social Sciences, 1, Collier-Macmillan Pub., London, p: 84).
[8] Mead, G.H. (1972) Mind, Self and Society: from a stand point of a social behaviourist, University of Chicago, Chicago
[9] Norton K. I., Olds, T. S., Olive, S. & Dank, S. (1996) "Ken and Barbie at Life Size", Sex Roles, Vol.34, n. 3/4: 287-294
[10] Myers P.N. & Biocca, F. (1992) "The elastic body image: the effect of television advertising and programming on body image distortions in young women", Journal of Communication, 42
[11] Bringué, X., Navas, A. & Arando, J.J. (2005) "La Imagen de la Juventud en la Publicidad Televisiva", Col. Publicaciones del Consejo Audiovisual de Navarra, Navarra
[12] Bloustien, G. (2003) Girl Making - A Cross-Cultural Ethnography on the Processes of Growing up Female, Berghahn Books,New York
[13] McCabe, M. P., Ricciardelli, L., Mellor, D. & Ball, K. (2005) "Media influences on body image and disordered eating among indigenous adolescent Australians", Adolescence, 40, 157: 115
[14] Page, A. & Fox, K. R. (1997) "Adolescent weight management and the physical self", in Fox, K.H. (ed.) The Physical Self, Human Kinetics, Champaign
[15] Scott, S. & Morgan, D. (eds.) (1993) Body Matters: Essays on the Sociology of the Body, The Falmer Press, London
[16] Williams, S.J. & Bendelow, G. (1998) The Lived Body: Sociological Themes, Embodied Issues, Routledge, London
[17] Turner, B.S. (1996) The Body and Society, Sage Pub., London Cogan, 1996
[18] Emmons, L. (1996) "The relationship of dieting to weight in adolescents", Adolescence, Vol. 31, n. 121: 167-178
[19] Hsu, G. L.K. & Lee, S. (1993) "Is weight phobia always necessary for a diagnosis of Anorexia Nervosa?", American Journal of Psychiatry, 150, 10: 1466-1471
[20] Paxton et al. (1991) "Body Image Satisfaction, dieting beliefs and weight loss behaviours in adolescent girls and boys", Journal of Youth and Adolescence, June
[21] Cogan et al.(1996) "A Comparison Study of United States and African students on perceptions of obesity and thinness", Journal of Cross Cultural Psychology, 27, p:98-113
[22] Craik, J. (1994) The face of fashion: cultural studies in fashion, Routledge, London.