Lynn Rossini

This study examined physical and psychological health benefits from exercising. Participants included 101 current and former fitness club members. The members completed measures assessing perceptions of their own physical health, mental health, and appearance. Demographic information, including preferred club resources and body measurements, was also provided. Results indicated that long-term members, over five years, had greater satisfaction with their bodies and fewer health problems. In addition, members with lower Body Mass Index (BMI) scores showed more concern with their appearance and health, less concern with weight preoccupation, and had smaller discrepancies between actual and ideal body images. It was also found that club resources were a factor in maintaining long-term memberships. Other factors, such as, potentially interfering with continuation of regular fitness routines, are discussed

Andrea Bianchi

This study was designed to examine the impact of interpersonal interaction style, introversion and social anxiety, on individuals’ motivation to socialize and initiate interpersonal relationships on the internet. Participants included 120 adults, ages 18 to 69 (mean age 24), 68% of whom were women and 90% Caucasian. To assess perceptions of the internet as a preferred social environment, participants were randomly assigned to reading one of four scenarios. Within the four scenarios, characters’ levels of introversion and social anxiety were manipulated. Results showed a perceived internet social environment preference for introverts with and without social anxiety as well as socially anxious extroverts. A perceived face-to-face social environment preference for non-socially anxious extroverts was also indicated. Use of the internet social environment as a tool to facilitate subsequent face-to-face interpersonal relationships is discussed.

Rebecca Morrissey and Michele McKinnon

This study was designed to examine college students’ perceptions of scenario characters’ parental attachment style and sex on homesickness, contentment, and college adjustment. Participants were 180 undergraduate students, 80% of whom were female, who were randomly presented with one of six scenarios, then asked to answer a series of questions about the scenario. Each scenario presented a college student, described as a freshman, either male or female, living at college for his or her first semester. Each scenario also described the student as having a different attachment style to his or her parents, either secure attachment, anxious attachment, or avoidant attachment. Participants then completed surveys measuring their perceptions of the scenario character’s feelings of homesickness, contentment, and adjustment since moving to college. Results indicated that securely attached male students were perceived to have more homesickness than securely attached female students and students with insecure attachment styles and that securely attached students were perceived to be more content than students with avoidant parental attachment were. Finally, this study indicated that neither the scenario character’s parental attachment style nor sex influenced students’ perceptions of the scenario character’s college adjustment.

David C. Gorman and Jennifer DeManche

This study examines late adolescents’ and young adults’ relationships with their parents, based on self-reports of past and current interactions and evaluations of hypothetical adult parent-child interactions. Parental style qualities and their bearing on the parent-child relationship once the adult-child has become independent were also examined. Volunteers aged 18-23 read one of four randomly assigned scenarios portraying different parental styles. The 94 participants rated the depicted relationship on contact, supportiveness, closeness, and similarity to their own family style. Participants also completed a questionnaire which determined their parents’ style and their current relationship. Results indicated that authoritative households were perceived as having higher parental support and contact, provided more actual support and had more direct contact than other households. Results show that the parent-child relationship evolves and thrives during the transition from late adolescence into early adulthood and also demonstrates the lasting impact of a child’s experience on adult-child parent relationships.

Erin M. Stevenson

This study was designed to provide a better understanding about perceptions of rape victims based on their gender and coping behavior. One hundred and twenty-five college participants were assigned to read one of four scenarios depicting a sexual assault involving a male or female victim whose coping style was either self-blame or chance. Participants were asked to rate how responsible the character was for the assault, answer questions regarding their attitudes toward rape victims, and provide demographic information such as personal experience with sexual assault. Differences in perceived responsibility based on gender and coping style did not emerge. However, personal sexual assault experience did negatively correlate with perceived responsibility, while negative attitudes toward rape victims correlated positively.

Claudia Araujo and Carol Casey

Catherine M. Burke and Eileen A. Velasquez

The goal of this study was to investigate whether viewing pet images reduced anxiety. One hundred and two undergraduate students participated in the study. Phase 1 of the study consisted of gathering the baseline anxiety measure. In Phase 2, participants were exposed to a live tarantula. They then completed the second anxiety measure. In phase 3, participants were introduced to one of three experimental conditions (pet, nature, or no imagery) after which they completed the final anxiety measure and the demographics questionnaire. While anxiety changes over time (anxiety increased between Time 1 and 2 and decreased between Time 2 and 3), anxiety did not change as a result of the experimental manipulation (type of imagery).

The purpose of this study was to investigate the anticipated effects of body-related comments on women’s body images. Participants included 94 young women who were randomly assigned to read one of four scenarios that asked them to imagine overhearing a conversation where either, male or female, peers commented positively or negatively about their bodies. Pre-scenario questions assessed participants’ self-consciousness and body size and post-scenario questions assessed self-esteem and body-esteem as well as demographics. Results indicated that when women heard negative body-related comments by peers their body image was negatively affected, especially when the comments were made by men. Further, women who were more self-consciousness and had larger body-ideal discrepancy scores, had lower self-esteem, body appearance esteem and body weight esteem in regard to negative comments than less self-conscious women. Lastly, participants with higher body mass indexes reported greater body dissatisfaction and that their family members encouraged them to diet. The impact of pressures to conform to female body ideals is discussed.