Media Exposure and Disordered Eating: Introduction to the Special Section

Abstract

This issue of the Journal of Social & Clinical Psychology features a special section on the relationship between media exposure and disordered eating. The interface of social and clinical psychology is well-suited to research on this topic: social psychology provides theory-driven explanations for how social influences (e.g., media, peers, family) and individual difference characteristics (e.g., self-discrepancies, self-esteem) lead to certain behavioral outcomes (e.g., dieting, disordered eating) (Snyder, 1997; Snyder & Forsyth, 1991). Conversely, clinical psychology attempts to apply theory and research to understand how behavior problems (e.g., disordered eating) are best conceptualized, treated, and prevented. The three studies in this special section exemplify how researchers can use theory and method in social psychology to study problems related to weight and shape preoccupation and disordered eating. These studies—strongly influenced by research that was previously published in JSCP (Heinberg & Thompson, 1995; Irving, 1990; Stice & Shaw, 1994)—highlight advances in how we understand the connection between media and disordered eating and suggest promising directions for future research in this area.