Victoria Bryan presents at Eastern Psychological Association annual conference

Psychology major Victoria Bryan (’15) presented on research she is currently conducting with Nicole Baker ('14) and Julie Longua Peterson, Ph.D., assistant professor in the Department of Psychology, at the annual conference for the Eastern Psychological Association in Boston..

The presentation, titled "Thin Is In:  Social Rejection Increases Internalization of a Thin Societal Ideal," examined whether rejection from close others (e.g., friends, family, romantic partners) influences participants' perceptions of their body, including what they desire to look like and what they believe society wants them to look like.

Results revealed that participants in the rejection (vs. control) condition reported that society wanted them to look significantly thinner. Such findings suggest that rejection heightens awareness of a thin societal ideal, which could lead to the development of eating disorders.

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