Gender Differences in Weight Bias Attitudes in Preschool Children
Presentation Type
Oral Presentation
Keywords
weight bias, children, attitudes, body image
Department
Psychology
Major
Psychology
Abstract
Gender Differences in Weight Bias Attitudes in Preschool Children
Luedke Madeline, HS diploma1, Madeline Wick, BS2, Jennifer Harriger, PhD1
1Pepperdine University, Malibu, CA, USA; 2Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, USA
While research consistently demonstrates that weight bias is present in children as young as 3-years-old, the literature examining gender differences is inconsistent and inconclusive. The purpose of the current study was to further explore gender differences in weight bias attitudes in a sample of children between the ages of three and five. Participants included 222 children (127 males and 95 females; Mage = 3.82) recruited from preschools in Southern California who completed two separate measures of weight bias (an adjective attribution task and the selection of a best friend task). Collectively, participants demonstrated a preference for thin and average-sized targets and an aversion to fat targets. Significant gender differences emerged for the adjective attribution task (F(2, 219) = 3.97, p = .02). Males attributed significantly more positive adjectives towards the overweight target (M = 1.46) compared to females (M = .99), (t(215) = 6.14, p = .014), while females attributed more positive adjectives towards the thin target (M= 2.78) compared to males (M= 2.27), t(215) = 3.17, p = .07. Additionally, females were significantly more likely to select a thin target as their best friend compared to an average sized target (χ2 (1, N= 176) = 3.97, p
Learning Objectives:
- Describe common weight bias attitudes found in preschool children.
- Discuss gender differences found in weight bias attitudes in the current study.
- Explore future directions in the prevention of weight bias in young children.
Faculty Mentor
Jennifer Harriger
Funding Source or Research Program
Summer Undergraduate Research Program
Presentation Session
Session D
Location
BPC 191
Start Date
23-3-2018 4:45 PM
End Date
23-3-2018 5:00 PM
Gender Differences in Weight Bias Attitudes in Preschool Children
BPC 191
Gender Differences in Weight Bias Attitudes in Preschool Children
Luedke Madeline, HS diploma1, Madeline Wick, BS2, Jennifer Harriger, PhD1
1Pepperdine University, Malibu, CA, USA; 2Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, USA
While research consistently demonstrates that weight bias is present in children as young as 3-years-old, the literature examining gender differences is inconsistent and inconclusive. The purpose of the current study was to further explore gender differences in weight bias attitudes in a sample of children between the ages of three and five. Participants included 222 children (127 males and 95 females; Mage = 3.82) recruited from preschools in Southern California who completed two separate measures of weight bias (an adjective attribution task and the selection of a best friend task). Collectively, participants demonstrated a preference for thin and average-sized targets and an aversion to fat targets. Significant gender differences emerged for the adjective attribution task (F(2, 219) = 3.97, p = .02). Males attributed significantly more positive adjectives towards the overweight target (M = 1.46) compared to females (M = .99), (t(215) = 6.14, p = .014), while females attributed more positive adjectives towards the thin target (M= 2.78) compared to males (M= 2.27), t(215) = 3.17, p = .07. Additionally, females were significantly more likely to select a thin target as their best friend compared to an average sized target (χ2 (1, N= 176) = 3.97, p
Learning Objectives:
- Describe common weight bias attitudes found in preschool children.
- Discuss gender differences found in weight bias attitudes in the current study.
- Explore future directions in the prevention of weight bias in young children.