Flashcards
Becker et al (2002) - learning theories contemporary
Cards in this deck (15)
- 1AimTo investigate the effect of prolonged exposure of TV on attitudes to eating and eating behaviours in Fijian adolescent girls
- 2Experimental designNaturalistic = IV is naturally occurring.
Cross-sectional = looks at a group of individuals within a set period of time.
Multi-wave = several different measurements being made.
Prospective = a study that begins at the starting point of a change and tracks development over time. - 3Ppts2 separate groups of adolescent females from Nadroga Fiji.
1995 = 63 girls (several weeks before intro of TV to Fiji)
1998 = 65 girls (different sample 3 years later) - 4Key QuestionWould exposure to TV, which introduced images from the developed world (mainly USA) have an effect on the traditional values and eating habits associated with Fijian culture?
- 5What are the traditional values and eating habits of Fijian culture?Namely a preference for a robust body, the encouragement of robust appetites and a widespread vigilance for and social response to weight loss.
- 6Procedure - quantitativeBoth groups completed a modified version of the EAT-26 Survey (likert) that investigates binging & purging behaviours. A score of 20 on this scale was deemed high - indicates a disordered attitude towards food.
- 7Procedure - qualitative (both samples)Those who scored above 20 were asked to take part in a semi-structured interview.
- 8Procedure - qualitative (2nd sample in 1998)Further questions asked on body image and dieting as well as questions to determine any disparities between themselves and their parents concerning weight and diet.
A varied subset of 30 girls from the 65 with a range of disordered eating habits and behaviours were followed up with an interview that included probing open-ended questions aimed at investigating practises concerning weight and diet. - 9Results - quantitative2 SDs found between 1995 & 1998 girls.
Number of girls with EAT-26 score above 20 doubled (from 12.7% to 29.2%).
Proportion of sample that used self-induced vomiting as a means of weight control increased from 0% to 11.3%.
Body dissatisfaction also increased, with significantly more reporting that they thought they should eat less. - 10Results - qualitative - first theme foundAn admiration for characters seen on TV - imitating role models, changing hair style, choice of clothes etc.
83% felt that TV had changed the way they and their friends looked at their bodies, with 77% saying that TV had influenced their body image. - 11Results - qualitative - second theme foundA belief that eating less might improve their career prospects.
40% justified their desire to eat less and lose weight as a means of improving career prospects.
30% indicated that TV characters served as role models concerning work/ career issues. - 12Results - qualitative - third theme foundAn awareness of generation differences in attitude towards eating, with parents feeling that girls should eat more and the girls feeling they should eat less.
- 13ConclusionBecker concluded that, in Fiji, the introduction of TV influenced changes to eating attitudes in women, which ran counter to traditional attitudes towards eating and body image that had previously dominated within that culture.
- 14StrengthsEAT-26 is an established survey - inter-rater reliability.
Triangulation - increased validity.
Useful application - influence of media on eating disorders and treatments.
Fairly ethical. - 15WeaknessesSelf-report - social desirability/ DC.
Low levels of control - low internal validity/ not scientific
Low mundane realism.
IV is naturally occurring - low replicability and reliability.
Low generalisability - gender bias, culture bias, age bias, small sample.
Ethics - embarrasment & socially sensitive