17th Annual Student Research Conference
Social Science
Assessing the Correlations Between the Timing of Puberty and Self-Esteem and Body Image
Kim A. Winton*, Sara E. Little, and Stefanie W. Drew
Dr. David Conner, Faculty Mentor
Past psychological research has strongly supported the idea that the objective timing of the onset of puberty and a woman’s subjective reaction to it has an impact on a number of traits, including self-esteem and body image. In the current study, we addressed these issues by measuring the attitudes and general self-esteem of college-aged to determine whether or not pubertal effects continue into early adulthood. Contrary to what was predicted, participant ratings of self-esteem and body-image were not found to correlate with either subjective or objective ratings of the timing of puberty. Ratings of self-esteem and body image were, however, found to correlate with age. Surprisingly, self-esteem and body image ratings were generally higher at the onset of puberty than during early-adulthood.
Keywords: self-esteem, body image, puberty
Topic(s):Psychology
Presentation Type: Poster
Session: 26-49
Location: OP Lobby & Atrium
Time: 1:15
