Becker (2002)

Question 1

Aim

Answer 1

To investigate the effect of prolonged exposure of television on attitude to eating and eating behaviours in Fijian adolescent girls

Question 2

What kind of experiment was it

Answer 2

Naturalistic
Prospective = looking forward to after TV introduced
multi-wave = multiple measurements
Cross-sectional design = different girls used

Question 3

Sample of experiment

Answer 3

Females from Fiji
63 girls in 1995
Tested 65 different girls in 1998
Aged 17

Question 4

Dependent variable

Answer 4

Quantitative = eating behaviours (EAT-26 questionnaire)
Qualitative = impact of culture and media on general attitudes to eating and body image (semi structured interview)

Question 5

Procedure

Answer 5

Introduced western tv to ethnic fijian girls
Would it have an effect on traditional values (strong robust curvy women)
Quantitative:
-Given EAT-26 survey = investigate bingeing and purging behaviours, separate questions asked about subjects such as household ownership and TV viewing
Those scored over 20 = asked for semi structured interview

Qualitative:
-Second sample asked about body image, dieting to determine difference between themselves and parents concern over diet and weight.
-Varied subset of 30 girls from original given interview including probing, open ended questions to investigate practices concerning diet and weight

Question 6

Results Quantitative

Answer 6

Quantitative:
-Weight did not differ
-TV viewing = 41% -> 71%
- Purgin & vomiting = 0% -> 11.3%
- Too large or fat = 74%
-Dieting = 69%
-Scoring >20 on EAT-26 = 12.7% -> 29.2%
83%

Question 7

Conclusion

Answer 7

Women in western tv became role models, desire to have thinner bodies
The introduction of TV influences dominated their traditional attitudes towards eating
(Introduction of TV influences changes to eating attitudes in women, which ran counter to the traditional attitudes towards eating and body images that had previously dominated within that culture)

Question 8

Strength

Answer 8

+Reliability = previous results from Lee, 1998 and Furnham & Husan 1999 were consistent with findings of Becker
+ Practical application = Becker was the first to examine eating attitudes in media naive culture
+ecological validity, naturally occurring event

Question 9

What does traditional fijian culture know about eaitng and weight dictate

Answer 9

Dieting and exercise discouraged

Question 9

Weakness

Answer 9

-Validity of diagnosis = EAT-26 is an indication of eating disorders but is not a formal diagnosis. Observed behaviours cannot be equated with western phenomenon. Does not take Fiji history and culture into body dissatisfaction into account
-Sample = matched but could have cohort effects. Comparison between groups are problematic. Only 65 in each sample, cannot represent whole Fiji population (85000)
-Peers opinion affected body image too
-8 girls at beginning of study, 12 girls scored high 3 years later. Misleading to conclude media has sig influence

Question 10

Results qualitative

Answer 10

Qualitative:
- Saw TV characters as role models for bodies = 77% influenced by models body image, 83% influenced way feel about their body
-Career = 40% believes eating less improves career prospects, 30% of TV characters served as role models
-Body dissatisfaction = increased, sig increase in pts who felt they should eat less
-Influenced way them and their friends look at their bodies
-Awareness of generalisational differences towards eating = parental generation, girls should eat more while younger girls had desire to eat less