Current Research Projects

BODY IMAGE AND OBJECTIFICATION RESEARCH:

Sex Object, Athletes, Sexy Athletes: Media Images of Women Athletes

Investigator: Elizabeth Daniels

Media images play a key role in shaping and reinforcing societal standards of beauty. In general, media is full of idealized images of women and a strong focus on the need to change women’s bodies. A large body of psychological research has documented the negative effects of this media on females (e.g., American Psychological Association Task Force on the Sexualization of Girls, 2007). In contrast, we know little about how positive imagery impacts female viewers. Depictions of women engaged in sport suggest that women can be powerful and strong. Their bodies are, therefore, not for display but rather they are instrumental. However, women athletes are routinely sexualized in media. In this study, I examine the impact of sexualized versus performance-focused images of women athletes on adolescent girls and young women. I also investigate boys' and men's attitudes toward women after viewing these different images.

Images of Women Athletes: Do They Exist in Magazines Adolescent Girls Read?

Investigator: Elizabeth Daniels

Media generally portrays narrow and stereotypical representations of women and femininity that transmit unrealistic standards for physical appearance. In contrast to media focused on women’s physical appearance and body shape, some media portray women as active and athletic. We know little about how common such images are in popular teen magazines. Images of women athletes that center on their athleticism may counter pervasive media portrayals of women as sexual objects. In this study, I investigate the prevalence of images of physically active women in magazines popular among adolescent girls.

Sexual Objectification in the Workplace

Investigator: David Frederick, Andrea Niles, Elizabeth Daniels, and Janet Lever

This project looks at the women's feelings of being sexually objectified in the workplace. Most of the current research on objectification looks at individuals' tendency to self-objectify, i.e., evaluating oneself from a 3^rd-party perspective. In this study, we are shifting the focus to examine individuals' perceptions that others are objectifying them. Further, we are examining this phenomenon in the workplace which is an important context in the lives of most adults.

PHYSICAL ACTIVITY RESEARCH

Girl Empowerment through Physical Activity

Investigators: Elizabeth Daniels and Lauren Rauscher

Girls on the Run is an innovative extracurricular program designed for preadolescent girls. It pairs a running program with a positive youth development curriculum. The aim is to get girls active and teach them to feel good about themselves and their bodies in the process. Research aims with this program include: (1) a program evaluation to assess how effective the program is on particular outcomes, e.g., body image, levels of physical activity, and (2) investigate the mentoring relationships that develop during the course of the program. The program is run by women who model a number of positive qualities including being physically active and demonstrating positive body esteem and general self-esteem. We are studying the impact of these adult women role models on girls in the program.

Youth Development in Sports and Physical Activities

Investigator: Elizabeth Daniels

In the present study, I examine young adults’ retrospective accounts of their important experiences in physical activities during childhood and adolescence, and investigate their current levels of physical activity. The goal is better understand how experiences in physical activities are related to subsequent activity involvement.

Looking Back: The Effects of High School Activity Involvement

Investigators: Tara Scanlan, Elizabeth Daniels, Kim Kahn, Megan Babkes Stellino, Larry Scanlan

Youth involvement in organized activities is linked with positive development. However to date, little is known about the underlying mechanisms between activity involvement and particular outcomes, such as academic achievement. For example, we do not know why youth who are involved in organized activities do better in school than their non-involved peers. The main goal of this project is to investigate potential mechanisms in the form of personal qualities, defined as characteristics, traits, skills, or abilities, that individuals reported developing, nurturing, or reinforcing in high school organized activities. A related goal is detailing with a micro-level lens the specific pathways through which individuals develop, nurture, or reinforce personal qualities in activity contexts. Lastly, the final goal is to investigate the consequences of activity involvement across the lifespan. This project involves a unique cohort adult women who played interscholastic sports pre-Title IX. These women, now in their 50s, were also highly involved in a range of other extracurricular activities. They were interviewed about the relationships between their life accomplishments, personal qualities, and high school activities.

Title IX: Support and Opposition

Investigators: Elizabeth Daniels, Kim Kahn

Title IX is Civil Rights legislation that requires institutions receiving federal funding to provide equal opportunities for males and females in educational programs. This legislation created a sea change in girls’ involvement in sports. Before Title IX, only 1 in 27 high school girls played sports: today, the ratio is 1 in 2.5. Despite the law, there continue to be inequities in sport opportunities for girls and women. Further, media and university administrators frequently blame Title IX for the elimination of men’s sport programs. In this project, we examine how the ways in which Title IX is framed in media affect whether people support or oppose it.

Publications and Works in Progress

Daniels, E.A. (in press). The invisibility of women athletes in magazines for teen girls, Women in Sport and Physical Activity Journal.

Daniels, E.A., & LaVoi, N.M. (in press). Athletics as solution and problem: Sports participation for girls and the sexualization of women athletes. In, E. Zurbriggen & T. Roberts (Eds.), The sexualization of girls and girlhood. Oxford University Press.

Daniels, E.A., Niles, A., & Frederick, D. (in press). Sport participation, body image, and sexuality. In T. Cooke (Ed.), Sex and society. London: Brown Reference Group.

Daniels, E.A. (2009). Sex objects, athletes, and sexy athletes: How media representations of women athletes can impact adolescent girls and young women. Journal of Adolescent Research, 24, 399-422.

Daniels, E. A. (2009). Sexy Anna versus strong Mia: What girls and women think of women athletes, manuscript under review.

Daniels, E.A. & Wartena, H. (2009). Athlete or sex symbol: What boys and men think of media representations of women athletes, manuscript under review.

Daniels, E.A., & Scanlan, T.K. (2007). A new collaborative interview method to test and expand psychological theory. International Society for the Study of Behavioural Development Newsletter, 2, 21-23.

Daniels, E., & Leaper, C. (2006). The relationship between sport participation and global self-esteem among adolescents. Sex Roles, 55, 875-880.

Daniels, E., Sincharoen, S., & Leaper, C. (2005). The relation between sport orientations and athletic identity among boy and girl athletes. Journal of Sport Behavior, 28, 315-332.

WORKS IN PROGRESS

Daniels, E.A. (in preparation). What girls take off the field: Late adolescent women's important memories of involvement in physical activities.

Scanlan, T.K., Daniels, E.A., Kahn, K., Stellino, M., & Scanlan, L. (in preparation). High school involvement in organized activities: Underlying mechanisms and lifespan consequences.

Daniels, E.A. & Kahn, K. (in preparation). The impact of media frames of Title IX on support or opposition for the legislation and girls’ and women’s sports.

Kahn, K. & Daniels, E.A. (in preparation). The role of femininity and race in the outcomes of WNBA games.

Daniels, E.A., & Smiler, A. (in preparation). Being a jock versus being on the roster: How does social identity impact body image?

Frederick, D., Niles, A., Daniels, E.A., Elssesser, K., & Lever, J. (in preparation). Sexual objectification in the workplace.

Teaching Interests

Adolescent Development

Psychology of Gender

Social and Emotional Development

Developmental Psychology

Sport Psychology

Teaching experience

TEACHING EXPERIENCE:

Instructor, University of Oregon

• Statistical Methods in Psychology, Fall, 2008
• Research Methods in Psychology, Winter, 2009
• Child Development, Winter, 2009
• Psychology of Gender, Spring, 2009
• Developmental Sport Psychology, Spring, 2009
  

Instructor, University of California Los Angeles

• Introduction to Developmental Psychology, Summer, 2008
  

Teaching Team, University of California Los Angeles

• Sport Psychology, Fall, 2006
• Introduction to Sport Psychology, Spring, 2007
  

Instructor, University of California Santa Cruz

• Social and Emotional Development, Spring, 2006
• Adolescent Development, Summer, 2005

Teaching Assistant, University of California Santa Cruz

• Introduction to Psychology Fall, 2005
• Abnormal Psychology, Spring, 2005
• Introduction to Developmental Psychology, Winter, 2005; Winter, 2003; Spring, 2002
• Research Methods, Fall, 2004
• Adolescent Development, Summer, 2004
• Personality Psychology, Spring, 2003; Fall, 2002
• Diversity and Human Development, Winter, 2002

Professional Presentations

Daniels, E., & Wartena, H. (2010, March). Virtual perfection versus average imperfection: How teens and college students are impacted by media images. Paper to be presented at the Biennial Society for Research on Adolescence Meeting, Philadelphia, PA. (Chair: Elizabeth Daniels)

Daniels, E., & Smiler, A. (2010, March). Being a jock versus being on the roster: How does social identity impact body image? Poster to be presented at the Biennial Society for Research on Adolescence Meeting, Philadelphia, PA.

Daniels, E., & Niles, A. (2009, April). Athlete or sex symbol: What boys and men think of media representations of women athletes. Paper presented at the Biennial Society for Research on Child Development Meeting, Denver, CO. (Chair: Elizabeth Daniels)

Daniels, E., & Schooler, D. (2009, April). “I am not a skinny toothpick and proud of it.”: Latina adolescents’ ethnic identity and responses to mainstream media images. Paper presented at the Biennial Society for Research on Child Development Meeting, Denver, CO.

Daniels, E., & Wartena, H. (2009, April). How do I look?: Men’s reactions to media representations of women. Poster to be presented at the Western Psychological Association Convention, Portland, OR.

Daniels, E., & Shanahan, D. (2009, April). Title IX: Correlates of support for women's sports. Poster to be presented at the Western Psychological Association Convention, Portland, OR.

Daniels, E. (2008, April). How is sport involvement related to attitudes toward appearance?: An investigation among adolescents and young adults. Poster presented at the 3rd Gender Development Research Conference, San Francisco, CA.

Niles, A., Daniels, E., Frederick, D. A., Elssesser, K., & Lever, J. (2008, April). Sexual objectification in the workplace. Poster presented at the Western Psychological Association Conference, Irvine, CA.

Daniels, E. (2008, March). Athlete or Sex Symbol: What Girls Think of Media Representations of Women Athletes. Paper presented at the Biennial Society for Research on Adolescence Meeting, Chicago, IL. (Chair: Elizabeth Daniels)

Daniels, E. (2007, August). Media representations of women athletes: How are girls affected? Paper presented at the Annual Convention for the American Psychological Association, San Francisco, CA.

Daniels, E. (2007, August). Physically active women in teen media: Do they exist? Poster presented at the Annual Convention for the American Psychological Association, San Francisco, CA.

Daniels, E. (2007, April). Game on: Young adults' recollections of their experiences in physical activities during childhood and adolescence. Paper presented at the Biennial Society for Research on Child Development Meeting, Boston, MA.

Daniels, E. (2007, March). Media representations of women athletes: What girls are seeing affects their self-concept. Paper presented at the Girls and Women Rock: Celebrating 35 Years of Sport and Title IX Symposium, Cleveland, OH.

Daniels, E. (2006, April). Sexualized women athletes: How does media impact girls’ self-concept? Poster presented at the 2nd Gender Development Research Conference, San Francisco, CA.

Daniels, E. (2005, May). Sexualized women athletes: How does media impact girls’ self-concept? Poster presented at the University of California Santa Cruz 2nd Annual Graduate Research Symposium, Santa Cruz, CA.

Daniels, E. (2005, May). Media representations of active women: What are girls seeing and does it affect their self-concept? Paper presented at the Stanford/UC Berkeley/UC Santa Cruz Annual Developmental Psychology Talks, Stanford, CA.

Daniels, E., Sincharoen, S., & Leaper, C. (2005, April). The relation between sport orientations and athletic identity among boy and girl athletes. Poster presented at the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance Annual Meeting, Chicago, IL.

Daniels, E. (2005, February). Athletic identity: A consideration of how to keep girls in sports. Paper presented at the Women in Sport: Before, During, and After Title IX Symposium, Bowling Green, OH.

Daniels, E., Sinchareon, S., & Leaper, C. (2004, April). Adolescent boys and girls in athletics: Are motives around sport and athletic identity associated? Poster presented at the Gender Development Research Conference, San Francisco, CA.

Daniels, E. (2004, March). The relationship between sport participation and global self-esteem among White adolescent athletes. Paper presented at the Biennial Society for Research on Adolescence Meeting, Baltimore, MD. (Chair: Elizabeth Daniels)

INVITED PRESENTATIONS

Daniels, E. (2010, April). The sexualization of girls. Invited panel at the Gender Development Research Conference, San Francisco, CA.

Daniels, E. (2008, December). The importance of positive role models for girls. Office of Adolescent Pregnancy Programs National Care and Prevention Grantee Conference, Fairfax, VA.

Daniels, E. (2008, November). Sex object or athlete: How media representations of women athletes impact adolescent girls and young women. Colloquium speaker at the University of Oregon, Eugene, OR.

Daniels, E. (2008, April). Sex objects, athletes, and sexy athletes: How media representations of women athletes impact adolescent girls and young women. Colloquium speaker in the University of California Santa Cruz’s Developmental Psychology program, Santa Cruz, CA.

Daniels, E. (2008, April). Sexy Anna versus jock Mia: What girls think of media images of women athletes. Paper presented in the Bodies in Motion panel at the UCLA Center for the Study of Women, Los Angeles, CA.

Daniels, E. (2006, November). Media representations of active women: What girls are seeing affects their self-concept. Colloquium speaker at UCLA’s Developmental Forum, Los Angeles, CA.

Daniels, E. (2004, February). Girls and women in sport: From the present to the past. Guest lecture at celebration of National Girls and Women in Sport Day, UCSC, Santa Cruz, CA.