Dietary supplements are used by individuals for their potential beneficial health effects (e.g., improvements in memory and immune system functioning) or for their ergogenic effects (e.g., weight loss and improved physical/athletic performance). In 1994 the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA) was passed, which changed the way dietary supplements are regulated. We are conducting studies to help understand the effects these rule changes have on individuals’ beliefs about product safety and effectiveness. We are also conducting studies to understand the implications of our findings for the use of performance enhancing substances among adolescents.
Over the past decade a number of professional athletes have confessed to using performance enhancing substances. Parents, school officials, the media, Members of Congress and even President Bush have suggested that use of such substances by superstars will affect adolescents’ decisions to use such substances. In the lab we are conducting studies to investigate whether such confessions impact adolescents’ decisions to use performance enhancing substances.
There is a wide range of performance enhancing substances (PES) available to adolescents who are interested in improving athletic performance or physical appearance. Some PES are illegal and other PES are legal. The most commonly known illegal PES are Anabolic Steroids. Legal PES are marketed as dietary supplements and include substances like creatine, DHEA and ginsing. Our research has found a positive relationship between the use of legal and illegal PES. Several of our current projects apply the Gateway Theory framework to better understand the relationship between the use of legal and illegal PES.
Since the passage of the DSHEA, the availability of dietary supplements has increased dramatically. Many of the dietary supplements available claim to have ergogenic or performance enhancing effects. These performance enhancing substances (PES) are particularly attractive to adolescent males who want to improve athletic performance or physical appearance. However some of the PES are associated with negative health outcomes and may place adolescents at increased risk for using illegal PES (e.g., Anabolic Steroids).
A great of research suggests that improving or increasing parent-teen communication about risk taking behaviors can lead to decreased negative outcomes experienced by teens. However, the interventions targeting PES among males tend to be primarily peer-based or coach-based. No studies to date have tested the effectiveness of a parent-based intervention targeing use of PES among males. We are currently conducting a study with parents and their teens to identify ways to improve parent-teen communication about PES.
Sports participation during adolescence has been linked to a number of beneficial outcomes. We are interested in understanding the psychological mechanisms responsible for such outcomes. In one study we found that sports participation during adolescence is associated with increased physical activity and overall health during young adulthood. Dr. Dodge is also interested in working with her colleague Dr. Sharon Lambert to understand whether sports participation is associated with less exposure to violence.
Some individuals view human abilities and traits as relatively fixed whereas other individuals view human abilities traits as relatively malleable or changeable (Dweck, Chiu & Hong, 1995). In the lab we are conducting studies to examine whether such views extend to perceptions about one’s level of muscularity. In one study we are investigating whether such perceptions affect self-regulatory strategies aimed at improving muscularity.
Research on eating behaviors has relied on samples that are composed primarily of White females or samples of only a single race. We are interested in studying the eating behaviors and weight regulation strategies among males and different racial/ethnic groups. In one project we are studying how the gender of a person affects his or her chances of being referred for treatment of an eating disorder. In several other studies we are attempting to understand how body image of males affects weight regulation strategies.
Our studies on intrinisic motivation and achievment goals have identified the affect specific goals have on facets of intrinsic motivation. We are currently designing projects that will apply these theoretical frameworks to understand the mis-use of medication among college students (e.g., Ritalin, Aderal, etc.).