Becker (2002)

• Aim: 


  To investigate the role of media (specifically television) in influencing disordered eating and attitudes towards body image among girls in Fiji.
• Research Method: 

  Natural experiment
• Procedure:

  1. Participants: Young girls in Fiji
  2. Design: Pre-test post-test design
  3. Independent Variable (IV): Introduction of television (not manipulated by researchers)
  4. Dependent Variables (DV): Body image, dieting practices, weight
  5. Data collection:

  • Semi-structured interviews
  • Eating Attitudes Test (EAT-26), a standardized test for measuring disordered eating

  1. Timeframe: Data collected before TV introduction and three years after
• Results:

  1. Increased dieting and purging behaviors
  2. Rise in anorexia cases (from zero before TV introduction)
  3. More girls describing themselves as "too fat/big"
  4. Increased self-induced vomiting
  5. Discrepancy between parental expectations of eating and girls' own desires
  6. Admiration for TV personalities and desire to emulate them
  7. Lack of awareness that TV images might be edited
• Conclusion: 

  The introduction of global media culture (via television) into Fijian society led to significant changes in attitudes towards eating and body image, potentially contributing to the development of disordered eating behaviors.
• Strengths:

  1. High ecological validity: Observed real-world effects of media introduction
  2. Longitudinal design: Captured changes over time (3 years)
  3. Used both qualitative (interviews) and quantitative (EAT-26) measures
  4. Studied a unique cultural context, adding to the diversity of globalization research
  5. Clear before-and-after comparison, demonstrating the impact of TV introduction
• What is one limitation related to extraneous variables in research?


  Lack of control over extraneous variables
• Why does the inability to replicate research reduce its reliability?


  Because replication is essential for confirming findings
• What ethical consideration is mentioned regarding the introduction of TV in research?


  Researchers couldn't control potential negative impacts of TV introduction
• What is a challenge in isolating the effect of TV from other influences?


  Difficulty isolating TV's effect from other potential influences
• What is a limitation of self-reported data in research?


  It is subject to biases and demand characteristics
• How does the use of Western standardized tests in a non-Western context affect research?


  It potentially introduces cultural bias
• What does limited generalizability imply about the findings of the research?


  Findings may be specific to Fijian culture
• What assumption was made regarding individual TV viewing habits in the research?


  Did not track individual TV viewing habits, assuming uniform exposure