Social contagion of eating attitudes and behaviors among first year college women living in residence hall communities

Abstract

The present investigation was designed to examine the development of disturbed eating patterns among college women. More specifically, this researcher investigated the social contagion of eating attitudes and behaviors among first year college women living in residence hall communities. The results demonstrated that college women developed eating attitudes and behaviors similar to those of other women in their small friendship clusters. Similarities in eating attitudes and behaviors were not found among participants in the study when residence hall floor membership was used as the independent variable. This study also found significant relationships between student adjustment to college and disturbed eating attitudes and behaviors. Finally, a significant relationship between socio-cultural awareness and internalization of the thinness ideal, and disturbed eating attitudes and behaviors. Future research in this area may be conducted to differentiate between the process of social contagion and the process of natural assortment. Longitudinal studies with similar designs to this study are recommended.