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Varkula dissertation.pdf (910.91 KB)

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Do psychologists demonstrate bias based on female client weight and ethnicity? An analogue study.

Varkula, Lindsay C.
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=csu1371143554

Abstract Details

2013, Doctor of Philosophy in Urban Education, Cleveland State University, College of Education and Human Services.
Although anti-fat bias and discrimination have been widely documented (see Puhl, Andreyeva, & Brownell, 2008), few studies have examined whether psychologists exhibit biases toward clients who are fat. Only one study (Locker, 2011) examined whether client characteristics of ethnicity and weight influenced therapists’ bias; no studies have exclusively examined psychologists. This analogue study investigated psychologists’ biases toward a hypothetical client (vignette adapted from Zadroga, 2009) when the client characteristics of weight (average/obese) and ethnicity (African American/European American) were manipulated. Participants in this study included a national sample of 194 licensed, currently practicing psychologists. A 2 (client weight) x 2 (client ethnicity) randomized experimental design was utilized. Participants’ biases were determined by Global Assessment of Functioning scores, prognosis scores, and scores from an adapted version of the Working Alliance Inventory (see Burkard, 1997) Therapist form (WAI-T-A; Horvath & Greenberg, 1989). A 2 x 2 factorial MANOVA indicated no statistically significant differences according to according to vignette client weight [F(1, 192) = 1.46, p = 0.23], vignette client ethnicity [F(1, 192) = 0.77, p = 0.51], or weight by ethnicity interaction [F(1, 192) = 0.28, p = 0.85]. Results, implications, and limitations were discussed, along with suggestions for further research.
Elizabeth Welfel, Ph.D. (Committee Chair)
Brian Harper, Ph.D. (Committee Member)
Donna Schultheiss, Ph.D. (Committee Member)
Sarah Toman, Ph.D. (Committee Member)
Connie Hollinger, Ph.D. (Committee Member)
185 p.
Psychology; Psychotherapy
therapist bias; weight bias; feminism; client characteristics; ethnicity

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Varkula, L. C. (2013). Do psychologists demonstrate bias based on female client weight and ethnicity? An analogue study. [Doctoral dissertation, Cleveland State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=csu1371143554

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Varkula, Lindsay. Do psychologists demonstrate bias based on female client weight and ethnicity? An analogue study. 2013. Cleveland State University, Doctoral dissertation. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=csu1371143554.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Varkula, Lindsay. "Do psychologists demonstrate bias based on female client weight and ethnicity? An analogue study." Doctoral dissertation, Cleveland State University, 2013. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=csu1371143554

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

csu1371143554
852
© 2013, all rights reserved.
This open access ETD is published by Cleveland State University and OhioLINK.