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Susan Basow, Dana Professor of Psychology, will present a brown bag lecture about the dangers of a negative body image 12 p.m. Monday, Nov. 13 in Jaqua Auditorium (room 103) in Hugel Science Center.
The discussion, which is sponsored by the Association of Lafayette Feminists, will delve into the questions of why body dissatisfaction occurs (especially in females), the effects it has, and what can be done to prevent it.
“The main message I hope students take away is to be more critical of cultural images and to understand that cultural ideals are unattainable and pursuing them distorts our human potential,” she says.
Basow’s clinical psychology and gender expertise has been covered by a variety of media outlets, including the BBC, CBS, CNN, and Canadian CityTV. A widely published leader in her field, Basow is author of Gender Stereotypes: Traditions and Alternatives,printed in three editions, including a Chinese translation. She has made numerous presentations at professional conferences and has served as a consultant and expert witness. She is consulting editor for scientific journals Psychology of Women Quarterly and Sex Roles and is a licensed psychologist. She also helped found Lafayette’s Women’s Studies program.
She often includes students in her research and publications. Julie Phelan ’05, who graduated with an A.B. with majors in psychology and art, worked with Basow on research focusing on gender differences and aggression among college students, which was presented in August at the American Psychological Association’s 2006 convention in New Orleans. They also co-authored “Gender Patterns in College Students’ Choices of their Best and Worst Professors” with Laura Capotosto ’05, who graduated with an A.B. with majors in psychology and government & law. The article appeared in Psychology of Women Quarterly. Basow has also performed recent research with Alexandra Minieri ’07 (East Brunswick, N.J.), a psychology major, and Liz Lilley ’06, who graduated with a B.S. in neuroscience.