Student Scholar Symposium Abstracts and Posters

Document Type

Poster

Publication Date

Spring 5-2021

Faculty Advisor(s)

Desiree Crevecoeur-MacPhail

Abstract

This study examined cultural influences on exercise habits and body confidence in women, specifically between ethnic minority and white women. Past research has indicated that Asian women often feel more cultural pressure than their White counterparts. This study wanted to examine further and see if an individual’s parent being an immigrant differs in amount of cultural pressure. Another aspect that this survey examined is motivation for exercise. Past research found that women who felt greater dissatisfaction with their physical appearance were more likely to list factors such as appearance or weight as their reasoning for exercise rather than for health reasons. The theory driving this study is social identity theory, which explains how individuals identify with certain social groups in relation to other social groups available. Participants in this study were recruited through SONA and social media platforms and surveyed using the Multigroup Ethnic Identity Measure-Revised (MEIM-R) (Phinney & Ong, 2007), the Social Attitudes Towards Appearance Questionnaire-4 (SATAQ-4) (Schaeffer et al., 2015), and the Reasons for Exercise Inventory (Silberstein, Striegel-Moore, Timko, & Rodin, 1988). The data results were analyzed using ANOVA, chi square, and t test analyses. The expected results were that female participants who identify as ethnic minorities would report more cultural influences on their exercise habits and body confidence. Specifically, ethnic minority women would report experiencing more family pressures and commentary on their appearance than White women.

Comments

Presented at the virtual Spring 2021 Student Scholar Symposium at Chapman University.

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