Becker Flashcards
What was the aim of Becker?
To investigate how the recent introduction of western television impacted disordered eating behaviours among adolescent Fijian girls
What was the sample of Becker?
Wave 1 (1995) - 63 girls
Wave 2 (1998) - 65 girls
They had similar ages and BMI scores
What was the design of Becker?
Naturalistic cross-sectional design
Describe the questionnaire used
EAT-26 questionnaire
Included questions on bingeing and purging
Score > 20 was considered to be high
What else did they answer questions on?
Household ownership of a TV
Frequency of watching TV
Weight and height was also measured
How was bingeing and purging behaviours confirmed
Asked to complete a semi structured interview
What additional questions were added in the second wave (1998)?
Body image
Dieting
Intergenerational disparities between subjects and their parents with respect to traditions concerning diet and weight
What were the EAT-26 scores > 20 in 95 and 98?
1995 - 12.7%
1998 - 29.2%
What was the percentages of subjects reporting self induced vomiting in both waves?
0% in 1995
11.3% in 1998
How much more likely were respondents with a household TV to have EAT-26 scores greater than 20
3 times more likely
How much of the 1998 study population report they felt ‘too big or too fat’
74%
What is the conclusion of Becker?
Characters on western tv act as role models for young Fijian girls. They feel pressure to conform to slim body types even if it is against Fijian traditional culture
Qualitative data suggested many girls did not understand the unreal nature of media images
How is the procedure reliable?
EAT-26 is standardised - all asked the same questions
Semi-structured interview had some set questions
How might the procedure be ecologically valid?
Took place in naturalistic setting so can be applied to real world behaviour
How was Becker ethical?
Written informed consent gathered from all subjects and their parents/guardians
Naturally occurring so no harm caused by the researchers
