Charlotte N Markey

Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey | Rutgers · Department of Psychology (New Brunswick)

Background Although many people have concerns about their body image, weight, and eating behaviors these issues are not usually discussed in a productive manner with medical providers. Thus, we examined nursing and medical students’ willingness to discuss patients’ weight, body image, and eating disorders and reasons why they may do so. Method One...

Past work has revealed benefits for both persons with diabetes (PWD) and their partners (e.g., spouses) when engaging in collaborative coping to manage a chronic illness, yet little is known about predictors of this type of dyadic coping. Based on conceptual frameworks on communal and dyadic coping, we sought to examine how illness factors, relatio...

Research has suggested that social media use may present a risk to body image, but limited research explores newer social media platforms and how they are used. This study examined 275 youths’ (Mage = 20.71) social media use in association with both positive and negative aspects of body image. Participants completed an online survey that included b...

Objectives The focus on physical appearance among gay men has potential implications for anti-fat attitudes, including those directed toward romantic partners. Partners often influence each other’s behaviors including those linked to weight, but most research has examined the consequences of these influence strategies versus their antecedents. To a...

Background Sexual minority individuals are at disproportionately greater risk for eating disorders, yet little is known about the ways in which factors in the social environment relate to eating disorder symptoms in this population. Utilizing an ecological systems theory framework, we investigated the relative relationships of macro level (i.e., in...

Using data from 148 middle-aged and older adult spouses whose partners had type 2 diabetes, we sought to examine spouses’ motives for involvement in their partners’ diabetes management and whether these motives were related to common types of diabetes-related spousal involvement; we also sought to understand gender differences in these dynamics. Sp...

Research continues to accumulate suggesting that social media use presents a risk to youths’ body image, yet the majority of this research has examined late adolescents and emerging adults. This study examined 151 preadolescent girls’ (M age = 12.06, SD = 1.22) social media use and associations with both positive and negative body image at two time...

Introduction: Restrained, emotional and intuitive eating were examined in relation to each other and as correlates of participants' weight status, body image and self-esteem. In some past research, restrained and emotional eating have been associated with higher weight status and poorer mental health, while intuitive eating is more frequently link...

Using cross-sectional data from two samples of adult patients with type 2 diabetes ( n = 123 and n = 111), we used an embodiment perspective to examine whether health experiences were related to the extent of individuals’ dissatisfaction with their bodies. The nature and strength of associations differed across the two unique samples examined, but...

Romantic relationship experiences have been found to be relevant to body image and weight in adulthood. In this study, we investigated predictors of heterosexual, lesbian, and gay romantic partners' (N = 500, Mage = 29.3) perceptions of their own and their partners' weight at the beginning of their relationship and 4.8 years later, on average. Perc...

Across the world, health spending increased 6.3% a year between 2000 and 2017 – a pace exceeding general economic growth. Many patients seek help or referrals from their primary doctors and oftentimes, mental health concerns emerge during medical management of physical health conditions. To that end, there has been an increased presence of psycholo...

Although a range of risk factors have been identified for disordered eating and weight status, the breadth of risk factors have been rarely considered within a single, comprehensive model. The robustness of these findings across countries also remains an open question. The present study sampled 6272 participants aged 18-30 years from eight countrie...

Cultural ideals of attractiveness have shifted to become more out of reach for the average person, making body image a significant issue for many people in industrialized, western cultures. Body image concerns affect people of all ages, genders, sexual orientations, and races/ethnicities. These concerns originate from a complex interaction of socio...

Dieting typically refers to individuals' attempts to lose weight by restricting the amount or types of foods that are consumed. The majority of men and women engage in dieting behavior at some point in their lives, typically pursuing different dieting strategies across multiple attempts at weight loss. The weight loss industry is a multi-billion-do...

Background Breastfeeding duration has been linked with the health of both women and their children, but research that considers women's weight change postpartum and practical factors that may impact their quality of life (i.e., sleep quantity, number of children) is limited. Method A survey was administered to 568 women (M age = 31.32 years; SD =...

The goal of this study was to examine breastfeeding behavior and attitudes as predictors of women’s body image and weight control behavior. This study extends past research by focusing on positive body image variables including body appreciation and perceived body functionality. Women (N = 597) from the United States who had recently birthed biolog...

This study assessed the measurement invariance of selected self-report measures of perfectionism, impulsivity, self-esteem and social anxiety in samples of emerging adults from eight different countries. Participants (N = 6272) completed the Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale (MPS), the UPPS-P Impulsive Behavior Scale, the 5-item Rosenberg Self-E...

This study examined the measurement invariance of three scales that assessed emotional eating, restrained eating, and intuitive eating across eight countries (Australia, and the United States) in order to determine their suitability for cross-country body image research. A total of 6272 young adults took part in this study. Participants completed a...

Although the majority of adults will attempt to lose weight at some point in their lives, most weight loss behaviors are ineffective and potentially harmful. Further, weight loss behaviors often closely resemble disordered eating, and include behaviors such as fasting and purging. The current study examined potential predictors of disordered approa...

Spouses are commonly involved in the dietary aspect of their partners’ diabetes management. Older spouses also may be managing their own condition, however, that requires changes to their diet. Given established gender differences in diet-related spousal involvement, gender therefore may be a more important factor than patient status in understandi...

In the current study, we examined body image and weight management behavior as potential factors associated with young women’s interest in obtaining cosmetic surgery. Research focusing on objectification theory, problem behavior syndrome, and positive body image provide support for considering these factors as predictors of interest in cosmetic sur...

Background Public health efforts to promote breastfeeding have resulted in many women expecting to exclusively breastfeed their infants. Women who plan to exclusively breastfeed but are not able to do so may experience psychological distress, including poor body image and symptoms of depression. Aim We sought to investigate discrepancies between d...

Healthcare in the United States has increasingly benefited from the adoption of multidisciplinary providers. Many multidisciplinary teams include psychologists who often conduct psychological and personality assessments in their practice. This special section highlights areas of personality and psychological assessment in applied healthcare context...

Although body image research has recently begun to examine positive body image and ways to improve body image, it remains unclear the extent to which these findings generalize to individuals who experience chronic pain. With this in mind, this study examined individuals with chronic pain conditions (N = 278, Mage = 36.75, SD = 11.56), including the...

Spouses are commonly involved in supporting and regulating their partners’ diabetic diet. Older spouses also may be managing their own condition that requires changes to their diet. Little is known about the extent to which this spousal involvement is reciprocal and if there are individual differences in the provision of diet-related support and co...

The link between body image and sexual well-being is intuitive and increasingly supported by psychological research: individuals, particularly women, with greater body satisfaction and body appreciation tend to report more positive sexual experiences. Although both perceptions of one's body and one's sexual life are central to most adults’ experien...

This study sought to extend previous research by examining rates of three different types of diabetes distress and whether stress from life events amplified the association between diabetes distress and overall psychological distress in a community-based sample of 119 middle-aged and older adults with type 2 diabetes. Consistent with past research,...

Although our bodies change as we age, there is limited research exploring body image among middle-aged and older adults. This study considered 70 adults with diabetes’ (Mage = 60.01 years) body image and revealed relatively high levels of body dissatisfaction in this sample. Furthermore, participants’ own and perceptions of their partners’ dissatis...

Objective: Higher body-weight people are highly stigmatized and face prejudice and discrimination across a number of domains. Further, experiences of weight stigmatization are associated with a host of negative physical, psychological, and social consequences. However, less is known about effective means for reducing weight bias. One strategy that...

Tanning is often prompted by appearance concerns, yet little is known about associations between tanning and other appearance-altering behaviors. In the current study, we examined potential correlates of indoor and outdoor tanning that, like tanning, may enhance appearance but present health risks. College students (N = 284; Mage = 20.14, SD = 3.39...

Dieting typically refers to individuals’ short-term attempts to lose weight by restricting the amount or types of foods that are consumed. The majority of women and a growing portion of men engage in dieting behaviors, typically pursuing different dieting strategies across multiple attempts at weight loss. The weight loss industry is a multibillion...

Romantic relationships, particularly marriage, have beneficial, and at times, detrimental effects on health. Current research on the topic has focused on the physiological, psychological, and social factors that account for how and why romantic relationships are related to health. Research in this area also has focused on the role that relationship...

Cultural ideals of attractiveness have shifted to become more out of reach for the average person, making body image a significant issue for many people in industrialized, western cultures. Body image concerns affect people of all ages, genders, sexual orientations, and ethnicities. These concerns originate from a complex interaction of sociocultur...

Research suggests that romantic partners may benefit each other's health, but factors contributing to partners' involvement in eating regulation have been relatively unexplored. In this study, 104 heterosexual couples, 72 female same-sex and 72 male same-sex couples were examined in order to understand how partners' weight statuses were related to...

Members of 63 lesbian and 72 gay couples reported how frequently their partners engaged in diet-related social support and control (persuasion and pressure) and how they responded behaviorally and emotionally to such attempts. Although lesbian women received more frequent diet-related social support than gay men, there were no gender differences in...

Previous research has examined factors thought to influence individuals' interest in cosmetic surgery, yet few studies have examined these issues among midlife women. This study examines predictors of cosmetic surgery attitudes among midlife women (N = 114; age = 45-65 years; Mage = 53.7) and considers a previously unexplored variable: fear of nega...

The target article offers a comprehensive approach to conceptualizing psychological factors contributing to obesity. Strengths of Marks’ theory include giving body image a central focus, discussing the importance of emotional states on food reliance, and conveying avenues for interventions and treatment. Marks’ approach carefully delineates the int...

A host of psychological pitfalls prevent most diets from succeeding long term, but there is a proved and sustainable way to lose weight

This study examined weight status and dietary restraint among same-sex couples using Actor-Partner Interdependence Models. Body mass indices and restrained eating behaviors (i.e., cognitive dietary restraint, uncontrolled eating, and emotional eating) were assessed for members of 144 same-sex couples (72 lesbian and 72 gay couples; mean age = 33.74...

This article presents a response to the comment by B. J. Bushman, D. Romer, and P. E. Jamieson (2015). This reply addresses 2 issues raised by the commenters. First, they claim they and others have not made sensationalistic statements linking violent media to horrific acts of real-world violence. In response, we supply numerous examples of sensatio...

This groundbreaking book challenges the medicalized approach to women's experiences including menstruation, pregnancy, and menopause and suggests that there are better ways for women to cope with real issues they may face. Before any woman diets, douches, botoxes, reduces, reconstructs, or fills a prescription for antidepressants, statins, hormones...

Objectives: To focus on the role of sex, race/ethnicity, and body image in HIV-protective behaviors. Methods: Undergraduates (N = 277; 53% women; M = 19.27 years old) from the United States completed a survey on HIV-related behaviors and body image (appearance orientation and appearance evaluation). Results: Women and African Americans/ Blacks were...

Violent media has often been blamed for severe violent acts. Following recent findings that violence in movies has increased substantially over the last few decades, this research examined whether such increases were related to trends in severe acts of violence. Annual rates of movie violence and gun violence in movies were compared to homicide and...

Laboratory and correlational studies often find a link between violent video games and minor or benign forms of aggressive behaviors (e.g., exposing an opponent to an unpleasant noise). Based on these studies, the media, lawmakers, and researchers often imply a link between violent video games and violent criminal behavior. Using a similar methodol...

This study explores the interplay between men and women's interpersonal problems, the interpersonal problems of their romantic partners, and the quality of relationships among same-sex couples. Participants and their partners (72 gay couples and 72 lesbian couples) completed assessments of their inter-personal problems and the overall quality of th...

A classical twin study was used to estimate the magnitude of genetic and environmental influences on four measurements of within-person variability: dominance flux, warmth flux, spin and pulse. Flux refers to the variability of an individual's interpersonal dominance and warmth. Spin measures changes in the tone of interpersonal styles and pulse me...

Although social influences are implicated in the development of body image, research has yet to address the roles of women's sexual orientation and romantic partners' weight statuses in predicting women's body image. This study examines both heterosexual (n=104) and lesbian (n=144) women and their partners' body mass indexes and body image using ac...

This special issue of the Journal of Personality focuses on the importance of considering both personality and relationship forces when examining physical and psychological health. The nine articles presented in this issue employed a variety of research designs, theoretical rationales, health outcomes, and advanced statistical methodologies in orde...

In the current study, we investigated the relevance of women's own and their romantic partners' weight status to the development of weight concerns. Seventy-two female same-sex couples (n = 144 women) completed the Weight Concerns Scale and a researcher measured their height and weight to compute body mass index as a measure of weight status. Using...

This study extended previous research on the importance of sociosexual orientation in romantic relationships through the examination of lesbian dyads. One-hundred and forty-four women (72 couples) completed an assessment of sociosexuality and relationship commitment. Using actor–partner interdependence models, it was found that high levels of relat...

This study extended previous research on complementarity through the examination of female same‐gender romantic dyads. One‐hundred and forty‐four women (72 couples) completed interpersonal circumplex ratings of their romantic partner and a relationship measure of love and harmony. Results indicated that high levels of relationship quality were repo...

In the present study we examined associations between young women's romantic relationships and their body image. Ninety-five heterosexual couples (women's mean age=22.46 and men's mean age=24.38) participated in this study. We examined young women's satisfaction with their own bodies, their perceptions of their significant others’ satisfaction with...

This study investigated the annual variation in Internet searches regarding dieting. Time-series analysis was first used to examine the annual trends of Google keyword searches during the past 7 years for topics related to dieting within the United States. The results indicated that keyword searches for dieting fit a consistent 12-month linear mode...

The current study investigated seasonal variation in internet searches regarding sex and mating behaviors. Harmonic analyses were used to examine the seasonal trends of Google keyword searches during the past 5 years for topics related to pornography, prostitution, and mate-seeking. Results indicated a consistent 6-month harmonic cycle with the pea...

In the current study, we examined correlates of tanning behaviors and attitudes. Undergraduates (N = 277; 53% female; average age = 19.27 years) completed measures of appearance orientation and appearance evaluation from the Multidimensional Body-Self Relations Questionnaire, the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale, and questions ad...

Objectives To examine quantity of exercise and motives for exercise as predictors of men in the military’s health and fitness level.DesignParticipants completed a survey to address research questions of interest.Methods One-hundred and fourteen men who were active duty Air Force members, with a mean age of 31.43 years (SD = 7.43) and an average mil...

This study examined men's body image in the context of their romantic relationships. One hundred and four heterosexual romantic couples (N = 208 participants) completed measures assessing men's body image, perceptions of men's weight change, relationship length, and sexual intimacy. Men's height and weight were also measured. Results indicate that...

This study examined emerging adults’ qualitative responses to a TV depiction of idealized female beauty. Ninety-one participants (M age � 19.5) viewed a reality TV show featuring a woman’s cosmetic surgery transformation and were asked to write a response to what they viewed; researchers coded these responses for emotional tone and thematic content...

In the current study, we examined predictors of healthy and unhealthy dieting behaviors with the aim of examining whether or not weight control strategies are associated with depression. Men and women (N=198; M=24.80 years; 51% women) were recruited from a university campus and its surrounding community in the northeastern US. Participants' height...

Primary objective: This research examined children’s birth weight and maternal weight concerns as predictors of mothers’ concerns about their infants’ eating behaviours. Research design: This study employed a survey design. Methods and procedures: Seventy-one mothers (M age = 29.98 years, SD = 6.10) of infants 2 years and younger (M age = 1.05 year...

Behavioral mapping, a method designed to relate behaviors to circumplex models, was used to examine the predictive validity of the International Personality Item Pool-Interpersonal Circumplex (IPIP-IPC). In this study, 96 participants first completed the IPIP-IPC and then were videotaped in a social interaction with a confederate. At the conclusion...

Given the prevalence of online pornography and the ease with which this content can be accessed using Internet search engines, it is important to understand different ways to measure online pornography seeking behaviors. Research that has used self-report data to analyze online pornography searches and behavior is discussed, and the limitations of...

Past research suggests that women alter their behaviors during periods of high fertility to attract mates. Consistent with this notion, the current research examined the interpersonal style, as defined by the interpersonal circumplex, men tend to find most attractive in potential mates and the change in women’s interpersonal styles across the menst...

Wanic and Kulik (2011) discuss research addressing links between romantic relationships and health, with a focus on gender differences in response to relationship conflict among couples residing in the U.S. Their subordination-reactivity hypothesis proposes that women’s subordinate role in relationships renders them more vulnerable to relationship...

The current study examined a prediction derived from the challenge hypothesis; individuals who viciously win a competition of rank order will seek out pornography relatively more often than individuals who viciously lose a competition. By examining Google keyword searches during the 2006 and 2010 midterm elections in the United States, the relative...

In this study, romantic partners' weight status and weight concerns were examined using the Actor-Partner Interdependence Model. One hundred and four heterosexual couples' (N = 208 participants) weight and height were assessed by researchers to compute body mass index and participants' weight concerns were assessed. As expected, results indicated t...

The current study examined whether or not individuals who vicariously win a competition seek out pornography relatively more often than individuals who vicariously lose a competition. By examining a portion of Google keyword searches during the 2004, 2006 and 2008 US election cycles, the relative popularity of online pornography keywords searches w...

In this report, past research is reviewed, which suggests that the personality traits of psychoticism and aggressiveness likely moderate the negative effects of violent video games (VVGs). The Five-Factor Model (FFM) of personality is then used as a taxonomy to integrate these findings and examine why these traits are important moderator variables....

Two studies are presented that examine the influence of media messages about cosmetic surgery on youths' interest in altering their own physical appearance. In Study 1, 170 participants (59% female; M age=19.77 years) completed surveys assessing their impression of reality television shows featuring cosmetic surgery, appearance satisfaction, self-e...

Although the majority of adolescents report body dissatisfaction and the consequences of body image concerns are developmentally significant, most research addressing body image has been conducted by clinicians. Developmental scientists are in a unique position to contribute to body image research given their understanding of the intrapersonal (e.g...

Three studies are presented that demonstrate the psychometric properties and initial validation of the International Personality Item Pool-Interpersonal Circumplex (IPIP-IPC). The IPIP-IPC is a brief 32-item assessment of the interpersonal cirucmplex designed to be used when time is limited or when participants have difficulty understanding the adj...

This study examined predictors of young women’s interest in obtaining cosmetic surgery. The sample investigated was comprised of 101 college undergraduates residing in the northeastern U.S. (M age = 19.99, SD = 4.79). Participants’ weight status (M BMI = 24.52, SD = 5.69), body dissatisfaction, internalization of media messages, reports of physical...

Migraine headaches and depression often co-occur within individuals, and both syndromes run in families. However, knowledge about how these disorders relate across generations, as well as how migraine relates to other forms of psychopathology, is sparse. This study examined risk for migraine among female adolescent offspring of parents with differe...

The current study examines eating regulation in the context of romantic relationships. One hundred and four heterosexual couples provided information about their weight, satisfaction with their partners' bodies, weight concerns, healthy dieting behaviors, and attempts to regulate their partners' eating behaviors. Results indicated that women were m...

In order to investigate the interpersonal meaning of sexual promiscuity, the relations between various sexual activities and the Interpersonal Circumplex (IPC) were examined. Two hundred and ten participants (105 women and 105 men; mean age = 24.88 years) indicated the number of people they had engaged in various sexual activates with (e.g., oral m...

The present study examined heterosexual romantic partners' number of intercourse partners prior to the initiation of their relationship to determine if a significant positive correlation (matching) occurred between partners, and if this matching was associated with their level of love, satisfaction with, and commitment to the relationship. One hund...

This study examines individuals’ perceptions of the impact their significant others have on their health and the extent to which these perceptions are associated with relationship quality and actual health. Two-hundred and ten participants (105 U.S. couples; mean age = 24.93) completed measures of their relationship quality and health along with an...

We examined sex differences in the prevalence, incidence, reasons for, and consequences of infidelity. Participants (Study 1, 543 undergraduates in the Northwestern US; Study 2, 313 undergraduates and 233 community members in the Mid-Atlantic US), reported on infidelity by questionnaire. Using a broad definition of cheating, women reported being as...

This research applied three different models of complemen- tarity to romantic ideals, romantic obtainment, and the quality of romantic relationships: (i) Carson's (1969) model of inter- personal complementarity (i.e., individuals similar to each other on warmth, but opposite on dominance, are most compatible); (ii) Wiggins's (1979) model of complem...

Although relations between children’s personality and health behaviors have been identified, previous research has relied primarily on survey assessments. The present study used behavioral observations to examine children’s (n = 94, mean age = 10.07 years) behavioral patterns in relation to their participation in risk behaviors 1 year later. Result...