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Here’s Looking at You: Self-Objectification, Body Image Disturbance, and Sorority Rush

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Abstract

This study investigated the impact of sorority rush on self-objectification and body image disturbance. First-year undergraduate women either participating (n = 68) or not participating (n = 59) in sorority rush at a U.S. Midwestern university completed online surveys at four time points. It was predicted that rush participation would lead to increases in self-objectification, which in turn would lead to increases in body shame and eating disordered behavior and attitudes. Results supported predictions based on objectification theory at a single time point, but not longitudinally. Rush participants evidenced higher levels of self-objectification and eating disordered behavior at all time points. Body mass index predicted dropping out of the rush process and was negatively correlated with satisfaction with the rush process.

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Acknowledgments

This paper is based on the first author’s senior honors thesis completed at Northwestern University. This research was supported by a Northwestern University Undergraduate Research Grant and a Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences Undergraduate Research Grant.

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  1. Ashley Marie Rolnik

    Present address: Department of Psychology, Loyola University Chicago, 6525 N. Sheridan Road, Chicago, IL, 60626, USA

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA

    Ashley Marie Rolnik & Renee Engeln-Maddox

  2. Department of Clinical Psychology, Argosy University, Chicago, IL, USA

    Steven A. Miller

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  1. Ashley Marie Rolnik
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  2. Renee Engeln-Maddox
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  3. Steven A. Miller
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Correspondence to Ashley Marie Rolnik.

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Rolnik, A.M., Engeln-Maddox, R. & Miller, S.A. Here’s Looking at You: Self-Objectification, Body Image Disturbance, and Sorority Rush. Sex Roles 63, 6–17 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11199-010-9745-y

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