An investigation of the relationship of locus of control and self-monitoring to body image in athletic populations

Forty-three college athletes participated (male basketball players, n=13; female basketball players, n=11; male swimmers, n=9; female swimmers, n=10). Two administrations of four self-report questionnaires were completed. Psychological traits of locus of control and self-monitoring were compared to perceptions of body image and predisposition to eating disorders. Measurements used were Rotter Internal-External Locus of Control Scale, Self-Monitoring Scale, Multidimensional Body-Self Relations Questionnaire, and the Eating Disorder Inventory-2. Males tended to have lower drive for thinness linked with lower fat anxiety as compared to females. Females associated body dissatisfaction with perception of weight. In females, self-monitoring was correlated with feelings of physical attractiveness. Findings support previous literature proposing that women attach negative feelings to the body in relation to an cultural thin ideal. Reliability estimates lacked significance in general. This suggests that the measurements used are not predictive for these subgroups.

Name thesis:degree_name

Master of Science

Level thesis:degree_level

masters

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Health and Physical Education

Department dc:contributor.department

Health and Physical Education

Grantor dc:publisher

Virginia Tech

Year dc:date.issued

1996

Author dc:creator

• Wyke, Vicki L.

Chair dc:contributor.committeechair

• Stratton, Richard

Committee members dc:contributor.committeemember

• Lepcezyk, Billie
• Patsel, Mary

• locus of control
• body image
• self-monitoring
• eating disorders
• athletes

Statement dc:rights

• In Copyright

Licence dc:rights.uri

• http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

Language dc:language.iso

en

Dc Identifier Other

etd-08222008-063247

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/44335