| Recent studies have identified the Social Norms prevention model as being successful in the reduction of alcohol abuse on college campuses by way of correcting student misperception/exaggeration of peer drinking norms. As a result, it is of interest to determine if the Social Norms model can be adapted for the prevention of eating disorders on college campuses.;In an initial study, we replicated Cohn & Adler (1992) and found that women do, in fact, misperceive/exaggerate the degree of thinness they think their female and male peers identify as ideal or most attractive. Moreover, women's misperception of ideal thinness positively related to body dissatisfaction and disturbed eating.;In this second phase study, we implemented a pretest, post-test, and six week follow-up to determine how a Social Norms prevention would perform in contrast to a conventional Critical Media Skills prevention. The preventions were conducted at two different, but well matched, campus residence halls. Results identified the Social Norms prevention as significantly reducing women's misperception of peer thinness ideals, improving their body satisfaction, and reducing their disturbed eating behavior. Significantly higher participant evaluations identified the Social Norms prevention as improving the way women felt about their body and being worthy of recommendation to friends. Social Norms appears to offer a promising novel approach for the prevention of eating disorders. |
