Becker - contemporary study

What was the aim of Becker’s study?

• To investigate if the introduction of Western TV into a community that has not previously experienced it would lead to an increase in unhealthy eating behaviour.

What was the sample?

• Two groups of Fijian schoolgirls in years 5-7 (y11-13 in the UK).

• All aged around 17 on average.

• 63 Pp in 1995, and 65 in 1998

• These were two completely different samples.

• Gynocentric

What was the procedure?

• All Pp complete the EAT-26 questionnaire - contained 31 closed questions where Pp are required to circle a number that represents their answer/Likert scale.

• Good external reliability due to it being an established questionnaire.

• An overall score was calculated (between 0-78)

• A score over 20 falls into clinical range and may indicate signs of disordered eating.

• Height and weight (BMI) was measured.

• 30 girls were chosen from the 1998 sample because they scored higher than 20 on the EAT-26.

• They were interviewed in detail about their eating behaviours and attitudes, their TV viewing habits and their opinions on American TV.

• The interviews were recorded and transcribed - good inter-rater reliability

What were the results?

• The girls actual weight didn’t vary much between the two cohorts

• BMI was average 24.5 in 1995 and 24.9 1998.

• TV viewing increased - 41% came from a household with a TV in 1995 compared to 71% in 1998.

• The important difference was that only 12.7% reported an EAT-26 score over 20 in 1995 compared to 29.2% in 1998.

• None of the girls reported purging to control weight in 1995

• But 11.3% reported this in 1998 - Becker regards this as a particularly important finding.

• Dieting is not a part of traditional Fijian culture but in 1998 74% reported they felt too big/fat and 69% reported they had dieted at some point.

• 83% felt that TV was an influence in terms of body weight/body image

• 40% linked losing weight to future success - no comparison can be made with the 1995 sample as the were not asked about this.

What are the conclusions of the study?

• Becker concluded that characters on western TV shows acted as role models for Fijian girls.

• The girls felt pressured to imitate the slim appearances of actors and models, even if it meant going against the Fijian culture traditions which emphasises a fuller and more muscular figure.

• Becker believed that TV brought an interest in dieting that was not present before in Fiji.

• It also brought with it the first symptoms of eating disorders into a society that previously had no incidence of anorexia or bulimia.

How can we explain the findings of Becker’s study using social learning theory?

• The Fijian schoolgirls have family members modelling healthy eating and larger body shapes.

• Normally they would observe their parents eating habits, appearances and imitate them.

• This is because they identify with their parents and their parents have status.

• However the arrival of TV brings with it a new set of Western role models who look very different from the girls’ parents.

• These role models also have status as they are celebrities and the girls identify with them too as many are young women who embody what the girls want to grow up to be.

• Because they are seeing the role models on TV with slim bodies and they have success - this causes vicarious reinforcement as they want to be rewarded in the same way and be successful so they attempt to be slim like them.

What are the key points for Generalisability - A03

• The experiment involved two groups (63 in 1995, 65 in 1998)

• This is a good sample size for a research sample - since one or two anomalous individuals who for example watched excessive TV or no TV at all should be ‘averaged out’ by the rest.

• However it can still be considered a small sample to draw conclusions about the entirety of Fiji from - which had a population of 850,000 in 1996.

• To draw conclusions about Fijian teens as a whole a larger sample would be more representative.

• The sample was all Fijian school girls aged 17 on average

• Gynocentric research - unrepresentative of the wider population.

• Unable to fully explain Western TV’s influence on unhealthy eating behaviour

• There may be problems about generalising from Fijian girls to other cultures

• Because Fiji has such a strong culture of eating and distinctive notions of beauty and body shape.

 

• The Fijian girls were incredibly naïve about television.

• In contrast British and American teens girls are very 'media savvy' and certainly don’t mistake a hospital drama or soap opera for a news report. Becker herself points this out.

• Unable to fully explain Western TV’s influence on unhealthy eating behaviour.

What are the key evaluation points for Reliability - A03

• This is a good example of a reliable study because it has standardised procedures and it was carefully documented.

• The EAT-26 questionnaire is an established questionnaire, is widely used in different culture and is very reliable.

• Good external reliability - can be replicated.

• Good internal reliability due to consistency within the results.

• The questionnaire was used with both groups and a score over 20 meant the same thing in 1995 as it did i 1998.

• This is test-retest reliability.

• There are some eating disorders that EAT-26 does not reliability detect.

• Binge eating is an unhealthy eating behaviour but a binger eater may still score low on EAT-26.

• Becker’s interviews were tape recorded and transcribed so other researchers can read over what the girls said.

• This is inter-rater reliability as results are checked over.