1. Body Image Differences in FemaleBody Image Differences in Female
Collegiate AthletesCollegiate Athletes
Jackie Rodabaugh & Jamie RuddyJackie Rodabaugh & Jamie Ruddy
Faculty Sponsor: Miranda KayeFaculty Sponsor: Miranda Kaye

2. The “Ideal” BodyThe “Ideal” Body
What is the “ideal” body?
Body image encompasses nine variables:
– Overall Appearance Evaluation
– Fatness Evaluation
– Attention to Grooming
– Health/Fitness Evaluation
– Health/Fitness Influence
– Social Dependence
– Height Dissatisfaction
– Negative Affect
– Investment in Ideals

3. Our HypothesisOur Hypothesis
Previous research has found individual sport athletes :
– Feel more pressure to maintain a certain appearance
– Have a more negative health status
– Suffer from lower self-esteem
– Experience negative body image perception
Female varsity athletes at Ithaca College that
participate in individual sports experience lower body
image satisfaction than those participating in team
sports.

4. Participants & ProceduresParticipants & Procedures
Females participating
on varsity athletic
teams at Ithaca
College (n = 358)
Sample: n = 130
Completed an
electronic and
anonymous survey
Sport Percentage
Basketball 2
Crew 25
Cross Country 5
Field Hockey 8
Golf 2
Gymnastics 4
Lacrosse 4
Soccer 15
Softball 8
Swimming & Diving 12
Tennis 2
Track & Field 13
Volleyball 2

5. MeasuresMeasures
39-item Body Self-Image Questionnaire (BSIQ)
(Baumgartner et al., 1991)
– I look good in clothes. (OAE)
– Parts of my body are fat. (FE)
– I spend time making my appearance more attractive. (AG)
– My body is healthy. (HFE)
– I compare my body to people I’m close to. (SD)
– If I were a different height, I’d like my body better. (HD)
– Body size matters to me. (II)
5-item Fear of Failure (FF) (Conroy et al., 2002)
– When I am not succeeding, people are less interested in me.
– When I am failing, I worry about what other people think about me.

6. ResultsResults
N Mean Std. Deviation Sig.
Overall
Appearance
Evaluation
Individual 80 3.45 .89
.14
Team 50 3.40 .75
Fatness
Evaluation
Individual 80 2.45 .91
.33
Team 50 2.60 .99
Attention to
Grooming
Individual 80 2.92 .98
.32
Team 50 2.84 .87
Health/Fitness
Evaluation
Individual 80 4.16 .73
.85
Team 50 4.08 .71
Health/Fitness
Influence
Individual 80 3.82 .88
.19
Team 50 3.86 .73
Social
Dependence
Individual 80 3.21 1.07
.83
Team 50 3.14 1.04
Height
Dissatisfaction
Individual 80 2.35 1.26
.76
Team 50 2.37 1.25
Negative Affect
Individual 80 1.98 1.10
.06
Team 50 1.82 .92
Investment in
Ideals
Individual 80 3.76 .83
.52
Team 50 3.76 .88

7. But…But…
Fear of failure was significantly correlated to each
of the nine variables:
– Overall Appearance Evaluation r = -.28**
– Fatness Evaluation r = .37**
– Attention to Grooming r = .24**
– Health/Fitness Evaluation r = -.25**
– Health/Fitness Influence r = .26**
– Social Dependence r = .46**
– Height Dissatisfaction r = .27**
– Negative Affect r = .48**
– Investment in Ideals r = .38**
**. Correlation is significant at the
.01 level.

8. DiscussionDiscussion
Generally Ithaca College female
varsity athletes experience
similar body image satisfaction,
contrasting with previous
research.
– the NCAA Division III atmosphere
– the survey was voluntary
The more an athlete fears failure,
the more she experiences
negative body image satisfaction,
regardless of type of sport.

9. ConclusionsConclusions
Ithaca College female varsity athletes tend to have
greater body image satisfaction than samples in other
studies.
Teaching athletes to focus on success instead of
failure may improve body image satisfaction.
– By developing interpersonal relationships between athletes
and teammates, coaches, and health care professionals,
failure-focused lifestyle patterns may be more easily
recognized.
– This recognition may lead to a shift of mind set and improved
body image perception.

10. ReferencesReferences
Bass, M., Hunt, S., & Turner, L. (2001). Counseling female athletes: application of the stages of change
model to avoid disordered eating, amenorrhea, and osteoporosis. Psychological Reports.
Baumgartner, T., Benson, J., & Rowe, D. (1999). Development of the body self-image questionnaire.
Murfreesboro: Measurement in Physical Education and Exercise Science.
Haase, A. (2009). Physique anxiety and disordered eating correlates in female athletes: differences in team
and individual sports. Journal of Clinical Sport Psychology, 218-231.
Conroy, D.E. & Metzler, J.N. (2002). Patterns of self-talk associated with different forms of competitive
anxiety. The Performance Failure Appraisal Inventory.