Date of Award

Spring 2020

Degree Type

Thesis

Department

Psychology

Director of Thesis

Rhea A. Merck

First Reader

Michael Lagomarsine

Second Reader

Michael Lagomarsine

Abstract

Body image issues are a prevalent issue among college-age students. College-age males specifically suffer from societal pressures of masculinity which manifest in different body image threats and coping strategies that focus on over-exercising and increased muscularity. This study aims to look at two distinct athletic populations of males at the University of South Carolina: yoga and weightlifting. An eleven item survey interrogated three types of coping strategies: avoidance, appearance fixing, and positive rational acceptance. Thirty males were surveyed and found that males participating in yoga reported rates of appearance fixing that were statistically significantly higher than those in the weightlifting groups. A qualitative analysis found that both groups participated in multiple workouts a day at the same rate and that both groups participated in similar athletic activities outside of their primary athletic group.

First Page

1

Last Page

36

Rights

© 2020, Austin T Coale

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