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Identification of Personality Characteristics of University Women Students Preceding A Weight Control Regimen
Author(s) -
Hoskins Mercedes
Publication year - 1979
Publication title -
home economics research journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.372
H-Index - 31
eISSN - 1552-3934
pISSN - 0046-7774
DOI - 10.1177/1077727x7900700505
Subject(s) - overweight , underweight , psychology , personality , temperament , minnesota multiphasic personality inventory , weight control , normal weight , body weight , clinical psychology , developmental psychology , obesity , demography , medicine , social psychology , sociology
This research analyzed the data from 347 subjects who completed a personality assessment and enrolled in a weight control regimen. The subjects were grouped by their deviation from normal body weight as determined by Metropolitan Life Insurance Company Tables (1969). Three groups were identified: (1) underweight, subjects whose weight deviated more than 10 percent below ideal weight; (2) middleweight, subjects deviating within 10 percent of ideal weight; and (3) overweight, subjects deviating more than 10 percent above their ideal weight. On the basis of scores assigned to their responses on the Taylor‐Johnson Temperament Analysis, nearly a fourth of the subjects were categorized as being in the stress syndrome (formerly identified as suicide proneness). Underweight subjects had the highest percentage of scores in the stress syndrome, and overweight subjects had the lowest percentage of scores that identified them as being under stress. A significant relationship was found between the scores of the subjects on the personality trait subjective (emotional, illogical, self‐absorbed) and having fathers whom they perceived to be over weight. Significant relationships were also found between the subjects' scores in the two traits, quiet (socially‐inactive, lethargic, withdrawn) and submissive (passive, compliant, dependent), and the weight of their closest friend, if the weight of the friend was perceived as being either under‐ or overweight rather than normal.