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| Department of Psychology Appalachian State University Boone, NC 28608 Phone: 828.262.2715 Email:martzdm@appstate.edu |
| Education |
| Clinical Psychology Internship Specializing in Behavioral Medicine, 1993-1994, Medical University of South Carolina |
| Ph.D., 1994, Virginia Tech, Clinical Health Psychology |
| M.S., 1991, Virginia Tech, Clinical Health Psychology |
| B.S., 1989, Virginia Tech, Honors Psychology |
| Research Interests |
“Fat talk” is a form of dialog whereby individuals, usually females, speak negatively about their bodies in social circles. Ethnographic research documented fat talk in U.S. female Caucasian teens and anthropologist, Mimi Nichter, considered it to have positive social functions. My research lab has taken fat talk and studied it using psychological scientific methods. We have documented that both male and female college students know the norm to fat talk, college females will mirror fat talk in their own body image ratings when talking with another female, more American women than American men hear fat talk and feel pressure to join in these conversations, and that college students from the United Kingdom fat talk too. Recent thesis research from our lab showed there could be a social norm to fat talk and also a norm for American females to self-accept their bodies. We conclude that fat talk is engrained in popular culture and may serve some benign short-term social functions. However, fat talk is a part of the cultural objectification of women’s bodies and may play a role in perpetuating negative body image among American women. |
| Popular Press on "Fat Talk" |
| KCBS - American Women Pressured Into "Fat Talk" MSNBC - Female 'fat talk' mandatory, study finds Video clip from the Today Show |
| Representative Publications |
| Martz, D., Curtin, L., & Bazzini, D. (2012). Fat talk and body image. Encyclopedia of Body Image and Human Appearance. |
| Petroff, A., Martz, D., Webb, R. M., & Galloway, A. (2011). Predicting ideal BMI: What does clothing size have to do with it? Body Image: International Journal of Research. |
| Payne, L., Martz, D., Tompkins, K.B., Petroff, A., & Farrow, C. (2010). Fat talk in the United Kingdom and the United States. Sex Role: A Journal of Research. |
| Galloway, A., Farrow, C., & Martz, D. (2010). Retrospective reports of child feeding practices, current eating behaviors, and BMI in college students. Obesity. DOI 10.1038. |
| Bolger, K., Carter, K., Curtin, L., Martz, D. M., Gagnon, S. G., & Michael, K.D. (2010). Motivational Interviewing for Smoking Cessation Among College Students. Journal of College Student Psychotherapy. |
| Bazzini, D., Curtin, L., Joslin, S., Regan, S., & Martz, D. (2010). Do animated Disney characters portray and promote the beauty-goodness stereotype? Journal of Applied Social Psychology. |
| Tompkins, K.B., Martz, D., Rocheleau, C., & Bazzini, D. (2009). Social likeability, conformity, and body talk: Does fat talk have a normative rival in female body image conversations? Body Image: An International Journal of Research, 6, 292-298. |
Martz, D. M., Petroff, A.G., Curtin, L.A., & Bazzini, D.G. (2009). Gender differences in fat talk among American adults: Results from the Psychology of Size Survey. Sex Roles: A Journal of Research, 61, 34-41. |
| Curtin, L., & Martz, D. (2007). Health Psychology. In S. F. Davis & W. Buskist (Eds.). 21st century psychology (pp. 100-119). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. |
| Tucker, K., Martz, D., Curtin, L., & Bazzini, D. (2007). Examining “Fat Talk” experimentally in a female dyad: How are women influenced by another woman’s body presentational style? Body Image: An International Journal of Research, 4, 157-174. |
| Martz, D., Baker, G., Knott, N., DeStefano, J., Wallace, A., & Greenfield, K. (2006). Physician’s personal and practice use of CAM Therapies in a rural community in the southeast U.S. Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, 12, 715-716. |
| Britton, L., Martz, D., Bazzini, D., Curtin, L., & LeaShomb, A. (2006). Fat talk and self-presentation of body image: Is there a social norm for women to self-degrade? Body Image: An International Journal of Research, 3, 244-250. |
| Broadwater, K., Curtin, L., Martz, D., & Zrull, M. (2006). College student drinking: Perception of the norm and behavioral intentions. Addictive Behaviors, 31, 632-640. |
| Craig, A., Martz, D., & Bazzini, D. (2006). Peer pressure to “fat talk”: Does audience type influence how women portray their body image? Eating Behaviors, 244-250. |
| Martz, D., Curtin, L., Whitaker, C., Hamer, M., & Konrad, K. (2005). Evaluation of a Written Versus Mental “Worry-Time” To Treat Pathological Worry, Journal of Worry and Affective Experience, 1, 78-8. |
| Wallus, D., Martz, D., Huelsman, T., & Michael, K. (2005). Effects of Carbohydrates on Mood in the Presence of Intense Physical Exercise. Journal of Worry & Affective Experience, 1(1), 4-14. |
| Knauss, F., Martz, D., Parker, A., Curtin, L., & Pai, S. (2005). Women and cigarette smoking: Does amount of weight gain following a failed quit attempt affect social disapproval? Addictive Behaviors, 30(4), 643-651. |
| Curtin, L., Martz, D., Bazzini, D., & Vicente, B. (2004). They're not "abnormal" and we're not making them "abnormal:" A longitudinal study. Teaching of Psychology, 31, 51-53. |
| Psujek, J., Martz, D., Curtin, L., Michael, K., & Aeschleman, S. (2004). Gender Differences In The Association Among Nicotine Dependence, Body Image, Depression, and Anxiety Within A College Population. Addictive Behaviors, 29, 375-380. |
| Martz, D. (2003). Behavioral treatment for a female engaging in autoerotic asphyxiation. Clinical Case Studies, 2(3), 236-242. |
| Ellington, J. K., & Martz, D. M. (2002). The transtheoretical model targeting dietary fat, exercise, and smoking in a university health clinic. Psi Chi Journal, 7(3), 129-136. |
| Earnhardt, J., Martz, D., Ballard, M., & Curtin, L. (2002). A Writing Intervention for Negative Body Image: Pennebaker Fails to Surpass the Placebo. Journal of College Student Psychotherapy, 17(2), 19-35. |
| Nicolino, J. C., Martz, D. M., & Curtin, L. (2001). Evaluation of a cognitive-behavioral therapy intervention to improve body image and decrease dieting in college women. Eating Behaviors, 2, 1-10. |
| Pinkston, M. M., Martz, D. M., Domer, F. R., Curtin, L. A., Bazzini, D. G., & Smith, L. L. (2001). Psychological, Nutritional, and Energy Expenditure Differences in College Females with Anorexia Nervosa versus Comparable-Mass Controls. Eating Behaviors, 2, 169-181. |
| Biesecker, A. & Martz, D. (1999). Impact of Coaching Style on Vulnerability for Eating Disorder: An Analog Study. Eating Disorders: Journal of Treatment and Prevention, 7(3), 235-244. |
| Martz, D. M., & Bazzini, D. G. (1999). Eating Disorders Prevention Programming May be Failing: Evaluation of Two, One-Shot Programs. Journal of College Student Development, 40(1), 32-42. |
| Martz, D.M. (1998). [Review of the book The Secret Language of Eating Disorders]. Eating Disorders: Journal of Treatment and Prevention, 6(3), 281-283. |
| Martz, D. M. (1997). A Day in the Life of a Health Psychologist. The Health Psychologist, 19(3), 6-7. |
| Martz, D. M., Graves, K. D., & Sturgis, E. T. (1997). A pilot peer leader eating disorders prevention program for sororities. Eating Disorders: Journal of Treatment and Prevention, 5(4), 305-319. |
| Martz, D. M., Sturgis, E. T., & Gustafson, S. B. (1996). Development and preliminary validation of the Cognitive Behavioral Dieting Scale. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 19(1), 297-309. |
| Martz, D. M., Handley, K. B., & Eisler, R. M. (1995). The relationship between female gender role stress, body image, and eating disorders. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 19, 493-508. |
| Shaw, D. L., Martz, D. M., Lancaster, C. J., & Sade, R. M. (1995). Medical School Admissions: Influence of Demographic and Cognitive Variables on Interviewers' Ratings of Noncognitive Traits. Academic Medicine, 70(6), 532-536. |
| Teaching and Research Awards |
| 2007 Distinguished Graduate Faculty Award |
| 2005 Nominee for the Sink Research Award |
| 1999-2000 Recipient of Graduate Student Association's Award of Outstanding Mentoring and Advising, Appalachian State University |
Phone: (828) 262-2272 Fax: (828) 262-2974
Department Chair: James C. Denniston dennistonjc@appstate.edu
Administrative Assistant: Carol M. Anderson andersncm@appstate.edu
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