Intended and unintended effects of an eating disorder educational program: impact of presenter identity.

OBJECTIVE

This study examines the impact of presenter identity on the intended and unintended effects of an eating disorder educational program.

METHOD: High school students viewed one of two identical videotaped discussions about eating disorders. In one condition, the presenter was identified as an "eating disorder specialist"; in the other condition, she was identified as a "recovered patient." Before and after watching the video, participants reported on their awareness of various eating disorder symptoms, their beliefs about individuals with eating disorders, and their opinion of the presenter.

RESULTS

At Time 2, both groups reported increased knowledge about eating disorders. There was also evidence of increased endorsement of a number of implicit messages, particularly among those in the "recovered patient" group (e.g., "Girls with eating disorders are very pretty"; "It would be nice to look like" the presenter).

CONCLUSION

The unintended effects of eating disorder educational programs should be investigated before implementation because of their potential to undermine program efficacy.