I express my deepest gratitude to my dissertation committee for their significant time, guidance, and support throughout this process. Jana Atlas, my chair and advisor, for her careful editing, timely feedback, constructive criticism, and excellent skills in guiding this process. Throughout this process, I was continually amazed at everyone's willingness to welcome this project into their existing responsibilities and their willingness to facilitate this process.
My sincere thanks go to my friends and family for their belief in my abilities, as well as their love and support. My thanks to Patrick for his patience regarding my constant need to work on weekends, my reluctance to schedule vacation plans, and for enduring the crazy emotions that accompanied this project. This study analyzed the relationships of watching reality television and pro-anorexia websites with the prevalence of disordered eating behavior in adolescent females, while taking into account internalization of the thin ideal and eating-related expectations.
These findings encourage further study of newer forms of media as well as multifaceted prevention efforts that address these relationships.
INTRODUCTION
One aspect of cognition that is repeatedly examined in eating disorder research is the acquisition of the thin ideal. Finally, one of the strongest messengers of these sociocultural pressures may be the mass media (Groesz, Levine, & Murnen, 2002; Hargreaves & Tiggemann, 2003b; Stice & Shaw, 1994). The popularity of television and magazines makes the media considered one of the most influential communicators of falsely created detailed images.
The majority of research considering these new forms of media examines the effect a single experimental exposure has on body image or eating-related behavior rather than the overall effects of repeated exposure. This study contributed to the current body of research by specifically examining newer forms of media, such as the Internet and reality television, among an adolescent population in relation to eating-related expectations, internalization of the thin ideal, and maladaptive eating behaviors. It was hypothesized that newer forms of media (ie, reality TV and pro-anorexia websites) significantly relate to the internalization of the thin ideal in young women.
A combination of the variables of media exposure (i.e., reality television and pro-anorexia websites), eating-related expectations, and internalization of the thin ideal were hypothesized to be significantly related to eating disordered behavior in adolescent females.
LITERATURE REVIEW
These measures assessed media exposure, internalization of ideal thinness, eating-related expectations, and eating disorder symptoms. In the model, media exposure (ie, viewing pro-anorexia websites and watching reality television), eating expectations, internalization of the thinness ideal, and eating disorders. The path value from reality TV to thin ideal internalization was significant (β = 0.33, p < 0.001).
However, viewing pro-anorexia websites did not have a significant direct effect on the internalization of the thin ideal (β = .04). Reality TV significantly influences a greater internalization of the thin ideal, which in turn influences eating-related expectations. This indicates that watching reality TV influences a greater internalization of the thin ideal and eating-related expectations, which in turn influenced greater bulimic symptoms.
The model hypothesized that internalizing the thin ideal would influence eating-related expectations and eating disorder symptoms. The path from internalizing the thin ideal to eating-related expectations was β = .67, and this path was significant (p < .001). This indicates that the participants who endorsed a greater internalization of the thin ideal also endorsed a significantly higher level of eating-related expectations.
However, internalization of the thin ideal indirectly influences bulimia symptoms through eating-related expectations (β = .58, p < .001). However, the indirect effect (see Table 7 for the indirect and total effects) of reality television on eating-related expectations through internalization of thinning. This indicates that watching more reality television indirectly influences the development of eating-related expectations through greater internalization of the thin ideal.
This suggests that reality television influences a greater internalization of the thin ideal and eating-related expectations, which in turn influence anorexia symptoms. The path from internalization of the thin ideal to eating-related expectations is β = .67 and was significant (p < .001). This suggests that internalizing the thin ideal has an effect on eating-related expectations that then influence anorexia symptoms.
This study examined the relationship between reality television and pro-anorexia websites, the internalization of the thin ideal, the development of eating-related expectations, and disordered eating behaviors. Through thin-ideal internalization .03 Indirect effects of thin-deal internalization on bulimic symptoms. Indirect Effects of Pro-anorexia Websites on Anorexia Symptoms Through the Interior of the Thin Ideal .00.
METHODOLOGY
RESULTS
The first hypothesis maintained that there would be a significant effect of new media exposure on the internalization of the thin ideal (see Table 4 for direct effects). This indicates that exposure to reality TV had a moderate and significant influence on the internalization of the thin ideal, but viewing pro-anorexia websites did not. However, the indirect effect (see Table 5 for indirect and total effects) of reality TV on eating-related expectations through internalizing the thin ideal as a mediating variable was 0.22, which was significant (p < 0.001).
However, reality television indirectly affects bulimia symptoms through the adoption of the thin ideal as a mediating variable (β = −.07, p < .05). This relationship indicates that viewing reality television influences a greater adoption of the thin ideal, which in turn influences fewer bulimic symptoms. The path from ideal thin symptom acquisition to bulimia (β = −.20, p < .05) was also significant, in the opposite direction than expected.
Furthermore, the total effect of internalizing the thin ideal on bulimic symptoms was moderated by the direct effect of internalizing the thin ideal on bulimic symptoms (β = −.20, p < .05). The direct path from reality television to thin ideal adoption was significant (β = .33, p < .001), but the path from pro-anorexia websites was not significant (β = .04). This indicates that exposure to reality television had a moderate and significant effect on the acquisition of the thin ideal, but viewing pro-anorexia websites did not.
That is, watching more reality television is related to greater internalization of the thin ideal, which in turn influences greater eating-related expectations. However, the effect of reality television on anorexia symptoms through internalization of the thin ideal and eating-related expectations as mediating variables was .15 and was significant (p < .001). The path from internalizing the thin ideal to anorexia symptoms is β = .06, which was not significant.
The indirect effect of internalizing the thin ideal on anorexia symptom through eating-related expectations as a mediating variable is .47 and is significant (p < .001). The total effect of internalizing the thin ideal on anorexia symptoms was .54 and this was mainly through indirect effects through eating-related expectations as a mediating variable.
DISCUSSION
In both models, reality TV viewing was related to disordered eating symptoms through the development of the slim ideal and eating-related expectations, rather than having a direct influence. That is, the process by which reality television viewing becomes associated with symptoms appears to proceed through greater internalization of the thin images seen in the media and the development of unrealistic images. expectations created by exposure to reality shows. Because this contradicts previous research, this finding may have been influenced by the unique characteristics of the participants.
In addition, some of the TV shows included in the reality TV measure were not on the air at the time the data was collected (e.g., Real World, America's Next Top Model, Biggest Loser were on seasonal breaks) . Similarly, we are unable to determine whether individuals who watched reality TV had already developed a greater internalization of the thin-ideal and eating-related expectations or whether they developed them as a result of watching reality TV -shows. Given that this correlational study found that viewing reality television and pro-anorexia websites related to eating disorder symptoms, more research is needed to clarify the contributions of these newer media to the internalization of the thin ideal, eating-related expectations, and development of maladaptive eating behavior in teenagers.
For the same reason, it may be useful to develop and implement programs aimed at undermining the specific dangers of the cognitions associated with watching reality television and viewing pro-anorexia websites. Discussions about the unrealistic content of many of the shows, such as cast members' access to makeup artists, professional stylists, and personal trainers, can be helpful. It was found that exposure to reality TV shows influenced disordered eating behavior, although the development of greater internalization of the slim ideal and eating-related expectations, which then influenced eating disorder symptoms.
Media images: Effects of beauty standards on the self and the body-esteem of women exhibiting varying degrees of bulimic symptoms. Risk factors for the development of eating disorders in adolescent girls: Results from the McKnight Longitudinal Study of Risk Factors. The use of sociocultural. a questionnaire on attitudes towards external appearance in high school students and girls.
Review of the evidence for a sociocultural model of bulimia nervosa and an exploration of mechanisms of action. The adverse effects of the media are ideally portrayed in. women and associations with bulimic symptomatology. EEI4 = Eating enhances cognitive competence; EEI5 = Eating relieves boredom; BULIT = Bulimia Test-Revised; DFT = Drive for Thinness subscale of the Eating Disorders Inventory.
Through internalization of the thin-ideal .03 Indirect effects of internalization of the thin-deal on anorexia symptoms.
