Research Symposium
23rd annual Undergraduate Research Symposium, April 6, 2023
John McNamara He/Him Poster Session 4: 4:00 pm - 5:00 pm/ Poster #300
BIO
Hello, my name is John McNamara and I am a sophomore at Florida State University currently working towards an undergraduate degree in International Affairs. I am originally from Colorado, and enjoy hiking and spending time with friends. I aspire to attend law school with the goal of working for a governmental agency that specializes in foreign affairs.
The Adapted Body Project: Examining the Relationships Affecting Eating Disorders
Authors: John McNamara, Kinsey PocchioStudent Major: International Affairs
Mentor: Kinsey Pocchio
Mentor's Department: Human Development & Family Sciences Mentor's College: College of Health and Human Services Co-Presenters: Ashley Boudreaux, Kinsey E. Pocchio, LMFT, Ph.D.c, , Qiong Wu, LMFT, Ph.D., Kelsey Bishop, Aya Najjar, Aubrey Swikehardt, & Pearl Sungmin Park, LMFTi, Ph.D.c
Abstract
Guided by cognitive dissonance theory (Harmon-Jones., Mills, 2019) and family systems theory (Rothbaum et al., 2002), the current study investigates whether the quality of one’s relationships with others impacts one’s body image satisfaction levels and disordered eating symptomatology. Participants were originally intended to include college-aged individuals between the ages of 18-24, who had a history of body image issues but no history of disordered eating. A subclinical population was chosen in an effort to reduce risks in the study as well as investigate an understudied population subtype. Participants were instructed to bring a support person of their choosing with them to 4 weekly group adapted body project sessions. Due to difficulties with recruitment, this study was changed from a quantitative design to a mixed methods, feasibility study.
The suggested implications of this study were that a support person often makes the ability to access treatment for a typically hard-to-discuss subject easier. We have since determined that accessing a subclinical population for eating disorder treatment is difficult. Participants who choose to enroll in a study such as this, often have a history of disordered eating behavior and/or difficulty finding a support person to accompany them in the treatment portion of the study. As enrollment is still open for this project, we hope to find further results on how to correctly recruit a subclinical population for this type of treatment as well as how to strengthen our study design as a whole.
Keywords: Adapted Body Project, Eating Disorders