Memorable Messages and Newcomer Socialization on Campus: Messages About Body Image Among Student Athletes, Sorority Members, and Freshmen

College females report greater body dissatisfaction than in high school, and a majority of college women report engaging in occasional to regular extreme measures of weight control. The college campus is an important agent for organizational socialization, and messages received during these times may foster internalized and lasting effects on body perceptions. Thus, this study employs the concept of memorable messages to examine how messages received by members of three distinct sociocultural groups (student athletes, freshmen, and sorority females) impact perceptions of body image. It was found that memorable messages received at these critical junctures share thematic similarity but significantly differ in the context of being received. The current study analyzed the content of the memorable messages as well as their sources and context.