The Effect of Negative Body Talk in an Ethnically Diverse Sample of College Students

The Effect of Negative Body Talk in an Ethnically Diverse Sample of College StudentsIn a recent article in Psychological Science, The Effect of Negative Body Talk in an Ethnically Diverse Sample of College Students, M.H. Cameron and J.T. Fitzgerald (Cameron, 'Deconstructing negativity: What does it mean? '; Fitzgerald, 'The effect of negative body talk in an ethnically diverse sample of college students.') offer several reasons to think that negativity indeed causes physiological harm, including increased heart rate, elevated blood pressure, and reduced level of blood oxygen.The two researchers conducted a study of college students, the participants of which were selected at random from over 4 million students at Princeton, Yale, Dartmouth, and Penn State. The results, published online ahead of print in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, show that the more negatively one talked about their body shape, the higher their heart rate and lower their blood oxygen levels. Thi s may seem counterintuitive. After all, a quick evaluation of how negative a person talks about his or her own appearance would indicate that the person's self-esteem is affected by the amount of talk he or she has been having. But, according to the authors, the phenomenon they observed is not a simple-minded illusion created by the observer.It seems that the effect of negative body talk in an ethnically diverse sample of college students is real. The researchers suggest that the negative talk could be done by both negative and positive talkers, but both groups do it, that when one does it, it affects the other, and that both the negative talkers and the positive talkers also feel that the effect is real.As a confirmation of the effect of negative body talk in an ethnically diverse sample of college students, the study authors also point out the many behavioral and social benefits that body talk has. These benefits are not just limited to gender diversity, but include communication among the members of a group and even with non-communicating members.As a further proof that body talk can be a harmful thing, the authors write, 'Positive body talk is very common. If people in the general population hear positive words and ideas all the time, why should there be such a difference between the verbalization of negative and positive information?'Of course, the possibility of positive body talk is not enough to guarantee that negative body talk is good for anyone. It is still a useful tool to use in certain situations, especially when the people involved (students) are on an intimate level.Regardless of whether the students involved in this research are doing what is right or not, their findings offer support for the theory that negative body talk does indeed harm. Now that the question is proven, it is up to people to use the power of body talk for positive purposes instead of negative ones.The effect of negative body talk in an ethnically diverse sample of college s tudents is real. The next time you find yourself in a situation where you need to express your feelings or to form a lasting connection with another person, remind yourself that it is never too late to learn the art of positive body talk.