An experimental examination of peers' influence on adolescent girls' intent to engage in maladaptive weight‐related behaviors. Issue 5 (30th January 2014)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Rancourt, Diana; Choukas‐Bradley, Sophia; Cohen, Geoffrey L.; Prinstein, Mitchell J.
• Is Part Of: International journal of eating disorders. Volume 47:Issue 5(2014:Jul.)
• Page Start: 437
• Page End: 447
• Publication Date: 2014-01-30
• Subjects: Appetite disorders -- Periodicals; Ingestion disorders -- Periodicals; Eating disorders -- Periodicals; 616.8526
• DOI: 10.1002/eat.22258
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0276-3478

Abstract

<abstract abstract-type="main"> <title>ABSTRACT</title> <sec id="eat22258-sec-0001" sec-type="section"> <title>Objective</title> <p>Social psychological theories provide bases for understanding how social comparison processes may impact peer influence. This study examined two peer characteristics that may impact peer influence on adolescent girls' weight‐related behavior intentions: body size and popularity.</p> </sec> <sec id="eat22258-sec-0002" sec-type="section"> <title>Method</title> <p>A school‐based sample of 66 9th grade girls (12–15 years old) completed an experimental paradigm in which they believed they were interacting with other students (i.e., "e‐confederates"). The body size and popularity of the e‐confederates were experimentally manipulated. Participants were randomly assigned to one of the three experimental conditions in which they were exposed to identical maladaptive weight‐related behavior norms communicated by ostensible female peers who were either: (1) Thin and Popular; (2) Thin and Average Popularity; or (3) Heavy and Average Popularity. Participants' intent to engage in weight‐related behaviors was measured pre‐experiment and during public and private segments of the experiment.</p> </sec> <sec id="eat22258-sec-0003" sec-type="section"> <title>Results</title> <p>A significant effect of condition on public conformity was observed. Participants exposed to peers' maladaptive weight‐related behavior norms in the Heavy and Average condition reported significantly less intent to engage in weight‐related behaviors than participants in either of the thin‐peer conditions (<italic>F</italic>(2) = 3.93, <italic>p</italic> = .025). Peer influence on private acceptance of weight‐related behavior intentions was similar across conditions (<italic>F</italic>(2) = .47, <italic>p</italic> = .63).</p> </sec> <sec id="eat22258-sec-0004" sec-type="section"> <title>Discussion</title> <p>Body size comparison may be the most salient component of peer influence processes on weight‐related behaviors. Peer influence on weight‐related behavior intention also appears to impact private beliefs. Considering peer norms in preventive interventions combined with dissonance‐based approaches may be useful. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. (Int J Eat Disord 2014; 47:437–447)</p> </sec> </abstract>