Subscribe
The latest psychology and neuroscience discoveries.
My Account
  • Mental Health
  • Social Psychology
  • Cognitive Science
  • Psychopharmacology
  • Neuroscience
  • About
No Result
View All Result
PsyPost
PsyPost
No Result
View All Result
Home Exclusive Social Psychology

Middle school dilemma: Girls’ body image affected by older peers

by SAGE Publications
September 20, 2014
in Social Psychology
Photo credit:  Julien Haler

Photo credit: Julien Haler

Share on TwitterShare on Facebook
Stay informed on the latest psychology and neuroscience research—follow PsyPost on LinkedIn for daily updates and insights.

The media is highly criticized for contributing to body image issues in adolescents. However, a study out today in Psychology of Women Quarterly finds a different source for body dissatisfaction among young girls: older girls at school.

A research team led by Jaine Strauss, Professor of Psychology at Macalester College, surveyed 1,536 5th through 8th-grade female students attending schools with different grade groupings. Some 5th and 6th graders attended school with older students (i.e. in districts that follow the “middle school” model) and others attended school with younger students (i.e. in districts where 7th and 8th graders attend a “junior high” apart from younger grades). The students completed three questionnaires asking about their eating habits, attitudes about appearance, and feelings of body consciousness.

The researchers, which also included a high school teacher and two high school students, found that female 5th and 6th graders who were educated alongside older girls reported a greater desire to be thin as well as less satisfaction with and more self-consciousness about their bodies. For example, 5th graders who attended school with 6th through 8th graders had a mean body dissatisfaction score that was 1.7 times higher than girls in the same grade who attended a typical elementary school.

“Elevated levels of body dissatisfaction, drive for thinness, thin-ideal internalization, body surveillance, and body shame may undermine young teens’ social, emotional, and academic well-being both during the early teen years and in later life,” the researchers commented. “Although body image tends to decline as girls move through adolescence, this study suggests that school grade groupings may influence the pace and timing of this decline.”

The researchers discussed changes that can be made to the education system to delay younger students’ exposure to older grade levels.

“The ideal solution, of course, would be to eliminate the body travails of students of all ages; if older teens were more satisfied with their bodies, then exposure to older schoolmates would be benign.”

RELATED

Psilocybin helped aging mice not just live longer but also “look better” in groundbreaking new study
Political Psychology

Congressional speeches have shifted away from evidence-based rhetoric

July 31, 2025

A new study analyzing over eight million congressional speeches reveals a sharp decline in evidence-based language since the 1970s, raising concerns about rising political polarization, legislative gridlock, and growing income inequality in the United States.

Read moreDetails
Psilocybin helped aging mice not just live longer but also “look better” in groundbreaking new study
Social Psychology

Landmark study sheds light on the psychological roots of incel beliefs and behaviors

July 31, 2025

The most comprehensive study of incels to date finds that loneliness, depression, and belief in misogynistic ideologies play a stronger role in fostering harmful attitudes than online activity or far-right politics, challenging popular assumptions about this controversial subculture.

Read moreDetails
How psychopathy connects alexithymia to decisions that sacrifice others
Psychopathy

How psychopathy connects alexithymia to decisions that sacrifice others

July 29, 2025

A new study finds that people with low emotional awareness tend to make more utilitarian moral decisions—but only when psychopathic traits are also present. The findings reveal how emotional detachment and empathy deficits interact in shaping difficult moral choices.

Read moreDetails
Narcissism is associated with higher aggression in combat athletes, study finds
Narcissism

Narcissism is associated with higher aggression in combat athletes, study finds

July 29, 2025

A new study of combat sports athletes in Turkey has found that narcissistic personality traits are linked to higher levels of aggression, regardless of gender, age, or experience—suggesting a stable psychological influence that may shape behavior in competitive fighting environments.

Read moreDetails
Systematic review finds causal association between childhood maltreatment and mental health problems
Evolutionary Psychology

New psychology research challenges influential theory linking childhood poverty to risk-taking

July 28, 2025

Growing up poor might slightly influence how adults respond to threats, but a large replication study found much weaker effects than past research suggested. The results call into question earlier claims about poverty, risk-taking, and decision-making.

Read moreDetails
Cross-party friendships are shockingly rare in the United States, study suggests
Political Psychology

Cross-party friendships are shockingly rare in the United States, study suggests

July 27, 2025

Most American friendships happen between people who share similar political beliefs, according to new research. But when political disagreement does exist between friends, it’s associated with less negative views of political opponents—even if the friendships themselves are a little less satisfying.

Read moreDetails
Fascinating new neuroscience study shows the brain emits light through the skull
Social Psychology

Cortisol and testosterone may influence how teens navigate trust in social situations

July 26, 2025

Adolescents were more likely to trust friends than strangers, and this trust was linked to differences in cortisol, testosterone, impulsivity, and theory of mind, suggesting that both hormones and cognitive traits may shape social decision-making during early adolescence.

Read moreDetails
Fascinating new neuroscience study shows the brain emits light through the skull
Social Media

Bored individuals are more likely to develop social media addiction

July 26, 2025

Researchers exploring social media addiction in Türkiye found that boredom and manipulative personality traits were key contributors. While loneliness was not a significant factor, individuals high in Machiavellianism and sadism reported more addiction symptoms, especially when boredom in life was also present.

Read moreDetails

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Only premium subscribers can comment — log in or join now.

STAY CONNECTED

LATEST

Are “zombie cells” in your blood vessels driving long-COVID and chronic fatigue?

Prenatal BPA exposure linked to schizophrenia-like brain changes

New study links low self-efficacy to bedtime procrastination

Congressional speeches have shifted away from evidence-based rhetoric

Landmark study sheds light on the psychological roots of incel beliefs and behaviors

Psilocybin helped aging mice not just live longer but also “look better” in groundbreaking new study

Study of 292,000 children finds screen use both predicts and follows emotional struggles

Psychologists simulate ghosting—and reveal why it’s so damaging

         
       
  • Contact us
  • Privacy policy
  • Terms and Conditions
[Do not sell my information]

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In

Add New Playlist

Subscribe
  • My Account
  • Cognitive Science Research
  • Mental Health Research
  • Social Psychology Research
  • Drug Research
  • Relationship Research
  • About PsyPost
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy