GENDER DIFFERENCE AND DIETING

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GENDER DIFFERENCE AND DIETING
KEIKO MATSUDA
DEPARTMENT OF PSYCHOLOGY
SOUTHWEST MISSOURI STATE UNIVERSITY
Sponsored by: DAVID STOCKBURGER (dws148f@mail.smsu.edu)

ABSTRACTI was interested in knowing whether there are double standards regarding appearance and weight applied to the members of the different sex, and whether males and females internalize these different set of standards. I assumed that these differences are reflected by their different views of themselves, others, and the world. The variables are chosen to find out the relationships between gender and their views toward their bodies, their dieting habit, and self concept.

INTRODUCTION

What we believe others think of ourselves greatly affect

how we evaluate ourselves. If we believe that others think hiighly of ourselves,

we feed good about ourselves. We are aware that people judge others not solely

on the basis of who they are inside, but people also use their appearance

including the clothes they wear, sizes of different parts of the bodies, color

of the skin or hair, height, or weight as a cue to pas judgement on them. In

order to be accepted by other members of the society and therefore to maintain

our self-esteem, we are very sensitive to what is appropriate or desirable in

the society and peer groups we belong to.

In today’s American society, thinness seems to be

considered as a synonym to attractiveness. How much we weigh does not have

anything to do with our values as a human, however, it seems like the weight

becomes a moral issue to judge people’s worth, attractiveness, or

likelihood of success. There are different rules affecting different groups of

people. It seems that thiness is more closely associated with attractiveness and

beauty among women, on the contract to that the masculinity is viewed as

desirable characteristics among men.

I was interested in knowing whether there are double

standards regarding appearance and weight applied to the members of the

different sex, and whether males and females internalize these different set of

standards. I assumed that these differences are reflected by their different

views of themselves, others, and the world. The variables are chosen to find out

the relationships between gender and their views toward their bodies, their

dieting habit, and self concept.

METHODS

Subjects. The participants were students from

introductory psychology class (PSY 121), who volunteered to participate in the

project for students in introductory statistic class (PSY 200). A total of 24

students answered the questionnaire for my project.

Apparatus. Besides questions to collect general

information about gender and age of the participants, the questionnaire was

composed mainly of two parts. The first part was made up of items to ask the

amount of weight they would like to lose or gain, their self-evaluation of body

weight, and methods of diet they have tried. The second part was composed of

questions to evaluate their general views toward themselves as well as their

general thinking processes. The question six, seven, eight, and twelve are from

the eating disorder inventory II (Garner, Olmsted, and Polivy, 1984).

Procedure. Participant were asked to fill in several

questionnaires for different projects planned by different students. As soon as

they finished answering the questionnaires they had been given, they were free

to leave. In about thirty minutes, every participant left the classroom. They

were asked to write down their names on sign-up sheets for extra credit, but

they were not to leave their names on any questionnaires they filled in.

Questionnaire

This questionnaire about eating habit and dieting. This

information will be used for PSY 200 statistics project. Please circle the

answer that corresponds to your rating.

1. Male Female

2. How old are you? _________ years old.

3. What do you think about your body weight?

Very underweight Underweight Average Overweight Very

overweight

4. How many pounds to you want to change (lose or

gain)?

Lose ______________lb. OR Gain _________________lb.

5. What type of methods have you tried? Please mark X on

the corresponding item.

NEVER RARELY SOMETIMES OFTEN ALWAYS
Low fat diet ______ _______ _______ ______ _______

Low calorie diet ______ _______ _______ ______ _______

Low carbohydrate diet ______ _______ _______ ______ _______

Diuretics ______ _______ _______ ______ _______

Diet pills ______ _______ _______ ______ _______

Laxatives ______ _______ _______ ______ _______

Vomiting ______ _______ _______ ______ _______

6. I feel inadequate.