Social Learning Theory And AN

Question 1

Maternal influence is more complex than social learning:

Pike and Rodin (1991)

Answer 1

P&K: found that there was no evidence for daughters imitating the weight concern of their parents

O&S: found that although mothers and daughters were similar in weight&BMI, there were no associations for their retrained eating or body dissatisfaction

thus the transaction of eating disorders from mother to daughter isn’t supported

it’s suggested that the development of AN is due to more than just role modelling and instead is based on the NATURE of their relationship

Question 2

Research support for peer influences:

Costa-Font and Joffre Bonet (2013)

Answer 2

investigated the effect of peer weight on the likelihood of an individual developing AN

they found that individuals who had peers with a larger BMI had a lower likelihood of developing an eating disorder

this association between BMT and becoming anorexic was greater in younger women

thus a high BMI amongst friends prevents eating disorders whilst a low BMI makes AN more likely

Question 3

Research support for media influences:

Becker et. al (2002)

Answer 3

eating attitudes/behaviours were studied amongst adolescent Fijian girls following the introduction of television in Fiji in 1995

after exposure to TV, the girls stated a desire to lose weight in order to become more like western television characters

however, when given instructional information prior to media exposure of idealised female images, this prevented these effects

media can be a powerful influence in the development of eating disorders but this can be prevented through education

Question 4

Not all forms of media have the same effects:
Harrison and Cantor (1997)
Turner et. al (1997)

Answer 4

some studies show that reading magazines is a more consistent predictor of the development eating disorders than tv

H&C: found no association between tv exposure and eating disorders but did find a relationship between reading fitness magazines an attitudes to food and dieting

T: found a relationship between reading fashion magazines and having preference for lower weight and having lower confidence