Performance under health-engendering and health-depressing conditions

Undergraduate psychology majors (four males, four females) were trained to role play health-engendering (HE) and health-depressing (HD) behaviors. Introductory psychology students (N = 48) were tested under different role playing conditions. Measures were taken before and after the role playing by an investigator who played a neutral role. A balanced two-way design was used. Four groups (N = 12 each) were thus formed: males under HE conditions, males under HD conditions, females under HE conditions, and females under HD conditions. Results indicated that the Ss did discriminate the roles when asked to rate a variety of characteristics. On two measures of learning (CVC lists and abbreviated digit span) the role of E had no effect; the role playing did not interfere with performance. It was found that the self figure in the human figure drawing was significantly smaller under HD conditions. This finding lends support to the body image hypothesis.