Sian McLean

La Trobe Co-author Network

Dr Sian McLean is an Honorary Research Fellow in the EMBodIED Research Team (Engaging Minds in Body Image and Eating Disorders Research). Her research focuses on sociocultural and individual factors that contribute to body dissatisfaction in children, adolescents, and adults. A particular interest is the role of media literacy in protecting against the negative effects of exposure to appearance ideal images on body dissatisfaction.

Dr McLean's research interests also include weight bias, unhealthy weight control behaviours in males, and the effects of social media on body image. She is also highly experienced in school-based prevention and evaluation of programs to improve body dissatisfaction and wellbeing.

Positions

Psychology , School of Psychology and Public Health

Publications
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selected publications

academic article
- McLean SAPaxton SJ. Body Image in the Context of Eating Disorders. Psychiatric Clinics of North America. 42:145-156. 2019
- Damiano SRYager ZMcLean SPaxton S. Achieving body confidence for young children: Development and pilot study of a universal teacher-led body image and weight stigma program for early primary school children. Eating Disorders. 26:487-504. 2018
- Yager KMZMcLean SALi X. Body Image Outcomes in a Replication of the ATLAS Program in Australia. Psychology of Men and Masculinity. 20:418-428. 2018
- McLean SAWertheim EHPaxton SJ. Preferences for being muscular and thin in 6-year-old boys. Body Image. 26:98-102. 2018
- Tamplin NCMcLean SAPaxton SJ. Social media literacy protects against the negative impact of exposure to appearance ideal social media images in young adult women but not men. Body Image. 26:29-37. 2018
- Griffiths SMurray SBKrug IMcLean SA. The Contribution of Social Media to Body Dissatisfaction, Eating Disorder Symptoms, and Anabolic Steroid Use Among Sexual Minority Men. CyberPsychology, Behavior and Social Networking. 21:149-156. 2018
- Rodgers RFFMcLean SAPaxton SJ. When Seeing Is Not Believing: An Examination of the Mechanisms Accounting for the Protective Effect of Media Literacy on Body Image. Sex Roles: a journal of research. 81. 2018
- McLean SAWertheim EHMasters JPaxton SJ. A pilot evaluation of a social media literacy intervention to reduce risk factors for eating disorders. International Journal of Eating Disorders. 50:847-851. 2017
- Dunstan CJPaxton SJMcLean SA. An evaluation of a body image intervention in adolescent girls delivered in single-sex versus co-educational classroom settings. Eating Behaviors. 25:23-31. 2017
- Yager KMZGray TCurry CMcLean SA. Body dissatisfaction, excessive exercise, and weight change strategies used by first-year undergraduate students: comparing health and physical education and other education students. Journal of Eating Disorders. 5:1-11. 2017
- Sullivan Mort GMcEvedy SSullivan-Mort GMcLean SAPascoe MCPaxton SJ. Ineffectiveness of commercial weight loss programs for achieving modest but meaningful weight loss: Systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Health Psychology. 22:1614-1627. 2017
- Rodgers RFPaxton SJMcLean SADamiano SR. "Does the voice in your head get kinder as you get older?" Women's perceptions of body image in midlife. Journal of Women and Aging: the multidiciplinary quarterly of psychosocial practice, theory and research. 28:395-402. 2016
- Spiel ECRodgers RFPaxton SJWertheim EHDamiano SRGregg KJMcLean SA. "He's got his father's bias': Parental influence on weight bias in young children. British Journal of Developmental Psychology. 34:198-211. 2016
- Schofield MJO'Halloran PMcLean SAForrester-Knauss CPaxton SJ. Depressive Symptoms Among Australian University Students: Who Is at Risk?. Australian Psychologist. 51:135-144. 2016
- McLean SAWertheim EHMarques MDPaxton SJ. Dismantling prevention: Comparison of outcomes following media literacy and appearance comparison modules in a randomised controlled trial. Journal of Health Psychology. 24:135910531667866-135910531667866. 2016
- McLean SAPaxton SJWertheim EH. Does Media Literacy Mitigate Risk for Reduced Body Satisfaction Following Exposure to Thin-Ideal Media?. Journal of Youth and Adolescence: a multidisciplinary research publication. 45:1678-1695. 2016
- McLean SAPaxton SJMassey RHay PJMond JMRodgers B. Identifying Persuasive Public Health Messages to Change Community Knowledge and Attitudes About Bulimia Nervosa. Journal of Health Communication: international perspectives. 21:178-187. 2016
- Griffiths SHay PMitchison DMond JMMcLean SARodgers BMassey RPaxton SJ. Sex differences in the relationships between body dissatisfaction, quality of life and psychological distress. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health. 40:518-522. 2016
- McLean SAPaxton SJWertheim EH. The measurement of media literacy in eating disorder risk factor research: Psychometric properties of six measures. Journal of Eating Disorders. 4:1-12. 2016
- McLean SAPaxton SJWertheim EH. The role of media literacy in body dissatisfaction and disordered eating: A systematic review. Body Image. 19:9-23. 2016
- Rodgers RFMcLean SAMarques MDunstan CJPaxton SJ. Trajectories of Body Dissatisfaction and Dietary Restriction in Early Adolescent Girls: A Latent Class Growth Analysis. Journal of Youth and Adolescence: a multidisciplinary research publication. 45:1664-1677. 2016
- Damiano SRPaxton SJWertheim EHMcLean SAGregg KJ. Dietary Restraint of 5-Year-Old Girls: Associations with Internalization of the Thin Ideal and Maternal, Media, and Peer Influences. International Journal of Eating Disorders. 48:1166-1169. 2015
- Rodgers RFMcLean SAPaxton SJ. Longitudinal Relationships Among Internalization of the Media Ideal, Peer Social Comparison, and Body Dissatisfaction: Implications for the Tripartite Influence Model. Developmental Psychology. 51:706-713. 2015
- McLean SAPaxton SJWertheim EHMasters J. Photoshopping the Selfie: Self Photo Editing and Photo Investment are Associated with Body Dissatisfaction in Adolescent Girls. International Journal of Eating Disorders. 48:1132-1140. 2015
- Wilksch SMPaxton SJByrne SMAustin SBMcLean SAThompson KMDorairaj KWade TD. Prevention Across the Spectrum: a randomized controlled trial of three programs to reduce risk factors for both eating disorders and obesity. Psychological Medicine. 45:1811-1823. 2015
- Damiano SRGregg KJSpiel ECMcLean SAWertheim EHPaxton SJ. Relationships between body size attitudes and body image of 4-year-old boys and girls, and attitudes of their fathers and mothers. Journal of Eating Disorders. 3. 2015
- Rodgers RFPaxton SJMcLean SAMassey RMond JMHay PJRodgers B. Stigmatizing Attitudes and Beliefs Toward Bulimia Nervosa The Importance of Knowledge and Eating Disorder Symptoms. Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease. 203:259-263. 2015
- McLean SAPaxton SJMassey RHay PJMond JMRodgers B. Stigmatizing attitudes and beliefs about bulimia nervosa: Gender, age, education and income variability in a community sample. International Journal of Eating Disorders. 47:353-361. 2014
- Rodgers RFPaxton SJMcLean SA. A Biopsychosocial Model of Body Image Concerns and Disordered Eating in Early Adolescent Girls. Journal of Youth and Adolescence: a multidisciplinary research publication. 43:814-823. 2014
- Rodgers RPaxton SMclean SCampbell KWertheim ESkouteris HGibbons K. Maternal negative affect is associated with emotional feeding practices and emotional eating in young children. Appetite. 80:242-247. 2014
- Mclean SPaxton SMassey RMond JRodgers BHay P. Prenotification but not envelope teaser increased response rates in a bulimia nervosa mental health literacy survey: A randomized controlled trial. Journal of Clinical Epidemiology. 67:870-876. 2014
- Rodgers RFPaxton SJMcLean SACampbell KJWertheim EHSkouteris HGibbons K. Do maternal body dissatisfaction and dietary restraint predict weight gain in young pre-school children? A 1-year follow-up study. Appetite. 67:30-36. 2013
- McLean SAPaxton SJWertheim EH. Mediators of the relationship between media literacy and body dissatisfaction in early adolescent girls: Implications for prevention. Body Image. 10:282-289. 2013
- McLean SAPaxton SJWertheim EH. A body image and disordered eating intervention for women in midlife: A randomized controlled trial.. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology. 79:751-758. 2011
- McLean SAPaxton SJWertheim EH. Factors associated with body dissatisfaction and disordered eating in women in midlife. International Journal of Eating Disorders. 43:527-536. 2010
- Paxton SJMcLean SAGollings EKFaulkner CWertheim EH. Comparison of face-to-face and internet interventions for body image and eating problems in adult women: An RCT. International Journal of Eating Disorders. 40:692-704. 2007
- Heinicke BEPaxton SJMcLean SAWertheim EH. Internet-Delivered Targeted Group Intervention for Body Dissatisfaction and Disordered Eating in Adolescent Girls: A randomized controlled trial. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology. 35:379-391. 2007
chapter
- Paxton SShelton BMclean S. Modern Communication Technologies in the Treatment of Body Image and Eating Disorders. 268-283. 2009
- Paxton SMclean S. Treatment for Body-Image Disturbances. 471-486. 2009
abstract
- Dunstan CJPaxton SJMcLean SAGregg K. A school-based body image intervention for young girls: Is co-educational or single-sex delivery more effective?. Journal of Eating Disorders. 2014
- McLean SAPaxton SJMond JMHay PJRodgers B. Evaluation of persuasiveness of messages to reduce stigma towards bulimia nervosa. Journal of Eating Disorders. 2014
- McLean SAPaxton SJWertheim EH. Experimental effects of exposure to media images in adolescent girls: Role of appearance comparison and peer norms for appearance. Journal of Eating Disorders. 2014
- Damiano SRPaxton SJGregg KJSpiel ECMcLean SA. Relationships between the body size attitudes of fathers and mothers and those of their four-year-old sons and daughters. Journal of Eating Disorders. 2014