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Lipscomb study links caffeine to to increased body image concerns among college women
A new Lipscomb University study reveals that caffeine consumption may heighten body image concerns and anxiety among college-aged women, particularly impacting their social physique anxiety (SPA)—the anxiety one feels about how others perceive their body. The research, led by Rachel Shannon, a 2024 psychology graduate, and supervised by Dr. Jaclyn Spivey, head of Lipscomb’s undergraduate psychology program, explores the effects caffeine-containing items like coffee and dark chocolate may have. Shannon’s findings suggest that caffeine could contribute to body dysmorphia and heightened SPA among women. “I wanted to focus on body image dissatisfaction because there is a lot more literature already on women with body image dissatisfaction,” said Shannon, explaining her…
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Volunteers needed to study trauma effects
As we all know, there are challenges when a student transitions from high school to college. But are there unique problems for those who have survived “difficult” childhoods? A Lipscomb graduate student has designed a survey to investigate the effects of trauma later in life. Baljeet Loaee, a psychology graduate student has launched a study of “the association between childhood maltreatment and student adaptation to college and their academic performance.” The study is built around a 30 to 45 minute survey for students over 18 years old. Loaee says there is not much evidence on the impact of childhood trauma on undergraduate students and their adaptation to college. “This research will…
