May 2010 Archives

I was looking online for information about adolescent girls and self-esteem, when I stumbled across some information about depression in adolescent girls.  Although I have looked into this information, I still find the statistics shocking.  A statistic I cannot get over is that almost 1 in 6 adolescents are diagnosed with major depression, girls being diagnosed twice as much as boys.  Not only is that depressing, but also almost 1-4% of teenage girls have been diagnosed with an eating disorder.  Adolescent boys and girls are at the greatest vulnerability for the onset of eating disorders and depression.  I found these statistics from a journal article by Boes, McCormick, Coryell, & Nopoulos, 2008.

Adolescent kids are struggling with their changing body and raging hormones and are trying to discover themselves.  They want to be accepted by their peers and want to fit into society.  Adolescents have a high need for relatedness and autonomy in their lives.  According to Reeve, "behaviors, emotions, and ways of thinking originate not only within the self but also within the social context and society" (Reeve, pg. 283, 2009).  Teenagers want to have some control within their lives but also seek approval from their peers and society.  When adolescents do not feel good about themselves, they may withdrawal from their surroundings and suffer in silence. 

Especially in American society, where we are surrounded by beautiful, thin people.  It is sad to admit that we are engrained to think only tall and thin people can be considered beautiful.  We need to continue to emphasize in schools and at home that we must embrace our differences.  However, this view will not be accepted until our society changes the requirements for models, actors/actresses, and so on. 

Do you think classes talking about the negative side effects of eating disorders in classes and/or the importance for accepting yourself would improve these statistics or cause adolescents to hide their insecurities even more?  Would a requirement of being involved in a program outside of school help decrease insecurities?  These programs could involve art, sports, theater, whatever students are interested in.

I recently read a research article named, "Mind-Set Matters: Exercise and the Placebo Effect" by Alia J. Crum and Ellen J. Langer.  They were investigating the placebo effect and affecting your mind-set.  Crum and Langer's participants were all female room attendants or house cleaning in a hotel.  They randomly assigned the participants into two groups.  The control group was not told anything, they were told to continue their job as normal.  The experimental group was continually reminded they were getting a lot of exercise throughout their daily responsibilities at work.  However, both groups were doing the same amount of work throughout the day. 

At the end of the four week, study the control group behavior had not changed.  However, the experimental group reported feeling much healthier to Crum and Langer.  Not only did these participants report feeling healthier, when compared with the control group, they showed a decrease in weight, blood pressure, body fat, waist-to-hip ratio, and body mass index.  I found this result fascinating.  Both groups were doing exactly the same job.  However, when one group was continually reminded how much exercise they were getting in their jobs, they actually became healthier.

This study reminded me of the cognitive dissonance theory.  This theory suggests people need to justify their behavior, feel rational, and feel in control.  According to Reeve, cognitive dissonance occurs from "inconsistency between what one believes (I am competent) and what one does (I act competently)..." (Reeve, pg. 278, 2009).  Cognitive dissonance does not always refer to being psychologically uncomfortable, but also can be applied to your positive goals.  The women who were reminded of how much exercise they were getting at work might strive to reduce any dissonance.  They may believe they are working harder and therefore are healthier. 

Although they attempted to control the study, there may have been possible problems with the participants.  One issue would be exercising outside of work and the other issue may be working harder during their shift.

My question is what do people think of the placebo effect?  Can it really alter your way of thinking?

Crum, A.J. & Langer, E.J. (2007).  Mind-set matters: Exercise and the placebo effect.  Psychological Science (18)2, 165-171.