Examining the Science of Body Image in Multiracial Women
Hannah Stevenson ’21 (right) and Ariel Canonizado ’21 (left) participated in the 2020 Summer Research program, which is largely composed of students who are studying biology, chemistry and other fields of natural science; but Stevenson and Canonizado, both Psychology majors, embarked upon a different path. And for them, the journey was personal.
Their research project titled, “The Relationship Between Body Satisfaction, Body Ideals, and Anxiety in Biracial and Multiracial Women” was a departure from the norm. It all started with a conversation and their interest in studying biracial and multiracial women. Stevenson and Canonizado are representative of two specific categories: African American and White; and Filipino, Mexican and Salvadoran, respectively. “With both of us being multiracial, it was deeply personal because we live the many experiences that our research revealed,” said Canonizado.
The questions posed to the interview subjects included specific questions about anxiety, body satisfaction and body ideals, confusing sources of positive attention, and racial identity. Their findings revealed some common themes about stressors, coping mechanisms, and anxiety about multiple body ideals and whether the ideals lead to higher levels of anxiety; and if there is a correlation between all of the above. “We also saw common themes around confusing sources of positive attention. If their body was complimented, if they had a more athletic body type, and if that was something that was complimented over the course of their life, it was difficult for them to take that as a compliment because the first thought in their mind was okay, anything that's the opposite of what I'm being complimented on is bad,” said Stevenson. “As a result, they felt the pressure to maintain the body that they had. And that was more of a source of stress than a compliment.”
Stevenson and Canonizado’s research also indicated a distinct connection between multiracial identity, body type, and anxiety. “We discovered a lot of similar symptoms that the women listed: physical symptoms, headaches, intrusive thoughts, heartburn, sweats, higher heart rates and more,” shared Canonizado. “Sometimes they don’t want to leave the house because there is a lot of stress about how they are perceived by others.”
The research study cited specific examples of the stressors that lead to body image anxiety from multiracial families. “One woman shared with us one of the things that she's sure is a pretty common theme, and that is mixed messages from family,” said Canonizado. “In her culture, it was considered disrespectful to not finish all the food on your plate; but then her family would continually criticize her about her weight, which caused a lot of confusion because they’re the ones feeding her and telling her that she has to finish all her food, and then they tell her that her body is too big.”
Assessing the overall outcomes of their research project, Stevenson and Canonizado expressed that the biggest takeaway is that biracial and multiracial body image, anxiety, and stress needs to be addressed as a mainstream issue. “When I was listening to the women talk, I was thinking, wow, I feel that, and I understand you, and I see you,” said Canonizado. “We need to hear this more, and we need to see this more, especially in science.” Stevenson added.
Mark Barajas, associate professor of Psychology, and Stevenson and Canonizado’s faculty mentor stated, "Hannah and Ariel’s project was meaningful, well thought out, and filled a gap in the literature. The experiences of multiracial women have mostly been ignored by researchers, making this project all the more important. We are grateful to the School of Science for the funding and the ongoing support of research examining the intersection of culture and mental health."