Research Proposal Plan AnushkaJoshi 1202724

University of Guelph
Plan for Research Proposal
Professor- Dr Harvey H. C Marmurek

TA- Ethan Huff
Due- October 23rd, 2022
Anushka Joshi
1202724
Introduction:
I am very intrigued by social media's impact on today's youth. I feel Like this topic
will always be very close to my heart since there was a time when I used to starve myself to
get good pictures for Instagram. I was once anorexic, and I wondered if it could impact me in
such a way, then how it would affect other women who are the same as my age.
My research question is, "How does social media raises unrealistically high beauty
standards that impact the perception of body image and lead to the development of eating
disorders in women?" My hypothesis is, "The unrealistically high beauty standards portrayed
by social media lead to eating disorders in women. The independent variable in my research
is time spent on social media, and the dependent variable is body satisfaction and self-esteem.
It is hypothesized that a more significant amount of time spent on social media,
measured in the number of hours, will be associated with higher body dissatisfaction as
measured by troubled eating behaviour amongst young women.
Methodology:
My study follows a correlational design, including fifty female participants aged 18-
22 who are active on social media. After asking participants to self-report how much time
they spend on social media, they were invited to take the Eating Attitudes Test (EAT- 26),
followed Body Attitude Test. (BAT)
The Eating Attitudes Test (EAT-26 ) determines the presence of "eating disorder
risk." This test is based on attitudes, emotional feelings, and behaviours connected to eating.
This test comprises 26 self-report questions that assess general eating behaviour and five
extra items that examine dangerous behaviours that indicate eating disorders. (Garner,
Olmstead, Bohr, & Garfinkel, 1982) The EAT-26 score is calculated by adding the points
from the three subscales: Oral Control, Bulimia and Food Preoccupation, and Dieting. For
example, "I am worried about becoming overweight." is scored on the Bulimia and Food
Preoccupation subscale. The first 26 questions comprise of six options- "always," "usually",
"often", "sometimes", "rarely" and "never." The next four questions comprise six options
each- "never, "once a month or less," "2-3 times a month," "once a week, 2-6 times a week,"
and "once a day or more." The last question is a yes or no question. A person may be deemed
to have an eating disorder if their overall EAT-26 score is higher than 20, with a maximum
score of 78. (Garner, Olmstead, Bohr, & Garfinkel, 1982) This test would help me understand
the eating disorder behaviour among women who spend more time on social media.
The Body Attitude Test (BAT; Probst et al., 1995) was created as a self-report tool to
assess one's attitude and subjective body experience. The BAT, intended for female
individuals, comprises 20 items and is evaluated on a 6-point scale (0–5). The highest
possible score is 100. Higher scorings in this test reflect a more disturbing physical
experience. This would allow me to comprehend the connection between eating disorders and
body dissatisfaction.
Participants will be recruited from the University of Guelph. The study will take
approximately 45 minutes, during which participants will complete the measures used in the
study. The study can be completed online from the comfort of their homes. Participants will
complete an informed consent form at the start of the tests. They will complete the
questionnaire regarding the time spent on social media, followed by the Eating Attitudes Test
(EAT-26) and Body Attitude Test (BAT). They will finish with a feedback form comprising
five questions regarding their experience. One of the participants will get a $20 gift card from
the University of Guelph Bookstore.
Article 1
Prevalence and correlates of eating disordered behaviours among undergraduate women.
What they did- This study examined the prevalence and correlates of eating disorder
behaviours, measures of weight management practises, body image, self-esteem, and degree
of support of sociocultural norms promoting thinness among college women.
What they found-The findings showed that dieting and bingeing habits were quite common
among the women.
Relevance to Proposal: This study helped me form a hypothesis and understand the
connection between Eating Disorders and Body dissatisfaction.
Reference- Mintz, L. B., & Betz, N. E. (1988). Prevalence and Correlates of Eating
Disordered Behaviors Among Undergraduate Women. Journal of Counseling
Psychology, 35(4), 463–471. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-0167.35.4.463
Article 2
Attentional bias for negative self-words in young women The role of thin ideal priming and
body shape dissatisfaction.
What they did- The study examines that women with body dissatisfaction would have easier
access to negative self-referential information compared to women who are content with their
bodies after viewing skinny ideal photos.

What they found- Women satisfied with their bodies showed an improvement in self-esteem
after testing.
-Particularly severe negative effects of thin ideal exposure were seen in girls under the age of
19.
Relevance to Proposal: Gave insight into how seeing perfectly edited pictures on social
media can affect one's self-esteem and lead to eating disorders.
Reference- Johansson, L., Lundh, L.-G., & Andersson, G. (2005). Attentional bias for
negative self-words in young women The role of thin ideal priming and body shape
dissatisfaction. Personality and Individual Differences, 38(3), 723–733.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2004.05.026
Article 3
Perception of self‐physique and eating behaviour of high school students in Japan.
What they did- Japanese high school students were studied for their eating habits and self-
perceptions of their bodies and the link between these two variables.
What they found- The EAT score and factor I score were greater for everyone who favoured
the slim body but was more common in girls.
Relevance to Proposal: The study used the Eating Attitudes Test-26 (EAT-26) for this study.
I chose this as one of my study measures too.
Reference- Nishizawa, Y., Kida, K., Nishizawa, K., Hashiba, S., Saito, K., & Mita, R. (2003).
Perception of self‐physique and eating behaviour of high school students in Japan. Psychiatry
and Clinical Neurosciences, 57(2), 189–196. https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1440-
1819.2003.01100.x
References and Citations
MacLaren, V. V., & Best, L. A. (2009). Female students' disordered eating and the
big five personality facets. Eating Behaviors : an International Journal, 10(3), 192–195.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eatbeh.2009.04.001
Geerdens, C., Vanderlinden, J., Pieters, G., De Herdt, A., & Probst, M. (2013).
Missing Data in Long-term Follow-up of Patients with Eating Disorders Using the Body
Attitude Test. European Eating Disorders Review, 21(3), 224–229.
https://doi.org/10.1002/erv.2205
Garner, D. M., Olmsted, M. P., Bohr, Y., & Garfinkel, P. E. (1982). The eating
attitudes test: psychometric features and clinical correlates. Psychological medicine, 12(4),
871–878. https://doi.org/10.1017/s0033291700049163
Probst, M., Vandereycken, W., Van Coppenolle, H., & Vanderlinden, J. (1995). Body
Attitude Test (BAT)[Database record]. APA PsycTests.
https://doi.org/10.1037/t06446-000

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University of Guelph

Plan for Research Proposal

Professor- Dr Harvey H. C Marmurek

It is hypothesized that a more significant amount of time spent on social media,

measured by troubled eating behaviour amongst young women.

followed Body Attitude Test. (BAT)

the University of Guelph Bookstore.

Prevalence and correlates of eating disordered behaviours among undergraduate women.

of support of sociocultural norms promoting thinness among college women.

among the women.

connection between Eating Disorders and Body dissatisfaction.

Disordered Behaviors Among Undergraduate Women. Journal of Counseling

Psychology, 35(4), 463–471. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-0167.35.4.463

body shape dissatisfaction.

bodies after viewing skinny ideal photos.

media can affect one's self-esteem and lead to eating disorders.

dissatisfaction. Personality and Individual Differences, 38(3), 723–733.

Perception of self‐physique and eating behaviour of high school students in Japan.

the slim body but was more common in girls.

I chose this as one of my study measures too.

and Clinical Neurosciences, 57(2), 189–196. https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1440-

Attitude Test. European Eating Disorders Review, 21(3), 224–229.

Attitude Test (BAT)[Database record]. APA PsycTests.

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