When ideology hurts: effects of belief in the protestant ethic and feeling overweight on the psychological well-being of women.
Two studies addressed the relationship between Protestant ethic (PE) ideology and psychological well-being for self-perceived overweight and normal weight women. In Study 1, PE beliefs interacted with self-perceived weight status: For very overweight women, higher PE beliefs were related to lower psychological well-being, whereas the opposite pattern emerged for normal weight women. The relationship of PE to well-being was not mediated by beliefs about controllability of weight or dislike of the overweight. In Study 2, either a PE ideology or an inclusive ideology was primed within the context of the stigma of overweight. For overweight participants, priming PE ideology led to decreased psychological well-being, whereas priming an inclusive ideology led to increased psychological well-being. Normal weight participants were unaffected. PE ideology as a vulnerability factor for the psychological well-being of the overweight is discussed.
Quinn
D M
DM
Department of Social Psychology, University of Michigan, USA.
Crocker
J
J
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002835:Christianity; D004989:Ethics; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D009765:Obesity / Q000523:psychology*; D012069:Religion and Psychology; D012649:Self Concept; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires