2009 Undergraduate Researchers
- Mackenzie Kelly
Becker Research Group
This research experience will involve working on an ongoing study investigating the prevention of eating disorders among sorority members. Collegiate women are at significant risk for eating disorders and body dissatisfaction. In this ongoing study, undergraduate sorority women participated in two 2-hour sessions of a cognitive-dissonance based eating disorders prevention program. Sessions were led by peer-leaders, who underwent 9 hours of training before running the groups. Past research supports the efficacy of this intervention both in reducing onset of eating disorders and in reducing risk factors such as body dissatisfaction, bulimic pathology, thin-ideal internalization, and negative affect for both participants and peer-leaders. The present study investigated to what degree effects are maintained when peer leaders are trained by different trainers. The summer research assistant for this project will be responsible for checking and cleaning a large database developed this year. The student will also be responsible for reviewing literature and helping to identify new directions for this ongoing program of research to be conducted in the following year. The student also will collaborate with Dr. Becker in analyzing data from a sorority-based eating disorders prevention study that will end this spring, and also a study being conducted off site in collaboration with the Tri Delta national sorority. It is expected that the student will continue to work on this project during the subsequent year and will have clinical psychology lab experience prior to this summer research experience.
Dr. James Roberts will guide the student in the analysis of cortisol levels in saliva collected from volunteer peer leaders in the Eating Disorders study. One possible outcome of a stressful feeling about an incorrect body is an alteration in the stress response, causing an increased adrenal response when coping with an ill-conceived body image. This would result in elevated basal glucocorticoid levels in circulation. Salivary samples will be taken from volunteer peer-leaders using a Salivette cotton swab before and after peer-leader training, the sample analyzed for cortisol levels and correlated with body image perception. Additional cortisol samples will be collected from sorority members who have not volunteered to participate in the program as peer-leaders so serve as a control group. Because the second half of this research will require working with salivary samples and an understanding of the neural mechanisms regulating the stress response, neuroscience experience is required. (last updated 12/16/2009)
Qualifications of successful applicants
It is expected that the student will continue to work on this project during the subsequent year, will have completed at least one semester of statistics, and will have obtained clinical psychology lab experience prior to this summer research experience. The student must also have an appropriate background in neuroscience.
