FEMINIST IDENTITY, GENDER TRAITS, AND SYMPTOMS OF DISTURBED EATING AMONG COLLEGE-WOMEN

This study explored relationships among feminist identity, gender trai ts, and symptoms of disturbed eating. Seventy-one college women comple ted the following: weight-related questions, Feminist Identity Develop ment Scale, Personal Attributes Questionnaire, Figure Rating Scale, an d Eating Disorders Inventory. Identification with feminist values nega tively correlated with body dissatisfaction, bulimic symptoms, and fee lings of ineffectiveness. identification with stereotypical masculine traits was inversely related to perfectionist tendencies and feelings of ineffectiveness, but was unrelated to body concerns. These results suggest factors promoting body dissatisfaction and disturbed eating ma y have less impact on college women identifying with feminist values; such as commitment to nonsexist roles and personal empowerment.