Jessica Alleva (J.M.)

As a researcher, my key mission is to improve the way that people think and feel about their own body. My research projects are centred around this aim and include, for example, experimentally testing new techniques for improving body image and investigating the underlying mechanisms that can explain body image improvement. Please see below for a selection of my recent publications. 

A selection of recent publications:

Alleva, J. M., Tylka, T. L., van Oorsouw, K., Montanaro, E., Perey, I., Bolle, C., Boselie, J., Peters, M. L., & Webb, J. B. (2020). The effects of yoga on functionality appreciation and additional facets of positive body image. Manuscript accepted for publication.

 

Wu, Y., Alleva, J. M., & Mulkens, S. (2020). Factor analysis and psychometric properties of  the Chinese translation of the Acceptance of Cosmetic Surgery Scale. Body Image, 33, 244-256.

 

Veldhuis, J., Alleva, J. M., Keijer, M. G., & Konijn, E. A. (2020). Me, my selfie, and I: The relations between selfie-behaviours, body image, and self-esteem. Psychology of Popular Media Culture, 9, 3-13. 

 

Atkinson, M. J., Stock, N. M., Clarke, A., Jankowski, G., Piran, N., Riley, S., Calogero, R., Alleva, J. M., Rumsey, N., Diedrichs, P. C., Slater, A., & Williamson, H. (2019). Looking to the future: Priorities for the field of appearance and body image research and practice in the next five years. Body Image, 32, 53-61.   

 

Alleva, J. M., Holmqvist Gattario, K., Martijn, C., & Lunde, C. (2019). What can my body do vs. how does it look? Young women and men’s descriptions of their body functionality or physical appearance. Body Image, 31, 71-80.   

 

Alleva, J. M., & Martijn, C. (2019). Body functionality. In T. L. Tylka & N. Piran (Eds.), Beyond negative body image to positive embodiment: Constructs, protective factors, models, and interventions (pp. 33-41). New York: Guilford Press.

 

Alleva, J. M., Paraskeva, N., Craddock, N., & Diedrichs, P. C. (2018). Body appreciation in British men: Correlates and variation across sexual orientation. Body Image, 27, 169-178.

 

Alleva, J. M., & Tylka, T. L. (2018). Muttarak’s study design cannot support the link between the body-positive movement and overweight/obesity. Obesity, 26, 1527-1527.

 

Alleva, J. M., Diedrichs, P. C., Halliwell, E., Peters, M. L., Dures, E., Stuijfzand, B. G., & Rumsey, N. (2018). More than my RA: Improving body image in women with rheumatoid arthritis using a functionality-focused intervention programme. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 86, 666-676.

 

Alleva, J. M., Diedrichs, P. C., Halliwell, E., Stuijfzand, B. G., Treneman-Evans, G., & Rumsey, N. (2018). A randomised-controlled trial investigating potential underlying mechanisms of a functionality-based approach to improving women’s body image. Body Image, 25, 85-96.  

 

Alleva, J. M., Stuijfzand, B. G., & Martijn, C. (2018). Diminishing covariation bias in women with a negative body evaluation and the potential roles of outcome aversiveness and interpretation of social feedback. Body Image, 24, 62-68. 

 

Alleva, J. M., Tylka, T. L., & Kroon Van Diest, A. M. (2017). The Functionality Appreciation Scale (FAS): Development and psychometric evaluation in U.S. community women and men. Body Image, 23, 28-44.   

 

Alleva, J. M. (2017). Shapeshifting: Focusing on body functionality rather than physical appearance to improve body image. Journal of Aesthetic Nursing, 6, 300-301.   

 

Alleva, J. M., Martijn, C., Veldhuis, J., & Tylka, T. L. (2016). A Dutch translation and validation of the Body Appreciation Scale-2: An investigation with female university students in the Netherlands. Body Image, 19, 44-48.

 

Alleva, J. M., Veldhuis, J., & Martijn, C. (2016). A pilot study investigating whether focusing on body functionality can protect women from the potential negative effects of viewing thin-ideal media images. Body Image, 17, 10-13. 

 

Alleva, J. M., Martijn, C., & Jansen, A. (2016). Covariation bias in women with a negative body image: How is it expressed and can it be diminished? Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry, 50, 33-39.

 

Alleva, J. M., Sheeran, P., Webb, T. L., Martijn, C., & Miles, E. (2015). A meta-analytic review of interventions designed to improve body image. PLoS ONE, 10,e0139177.​

 

Alleva, J. M., Martijn, C., Van Breukelen, G. J. P., Jansen, A., & Karos, K. (2015). Expand Your Horizon: A programme that improves body image and reduces self-objectification by training women to focus on body functionality. Body Image, 15,81-89.

 

Aspen, V., Martijn, C., Alleva, J. M., Nagel, J., Perret, C., Purvis, C., Saekow, J., Lock, J., & Taylor, C. B. (2015). Decreasing body dissatisfaction using a brief conditioning intervention. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 69, 93-99.

 

Martijn, C., Alleva, J. M., & Jansen, A. (2015). Improving body satisfaction: Do strategies targeting the automatic system work? European Psychologist, 20, 62-71.

 

Alleva, J. M., Lange, W-G., Jansen, A., & Martijn, C. (2014). Seeing Ghosts: Negative body evaluation predicts overestimation of negative social feedback. Body Image, 11, 228-232.

 

Alleva, J., Roelofs, J., Voncken, M.,Meevissen, Y., & Alberts, H. (2014). On the relation between mindfulness and depressive symptoms: Rumination as a possible mediator. Mindfulness, 5, 72-79.

 

Alleva, J. M. (2014). Lichaam is meer dan uiterlijk: Het belang van lichaamsfunctionaliteit [The body is more than its appearance: The importance of body functionality]. De Psycholoog, 49, 50-57.

 

Alleva, J. M., Martijn, C., Jansen, A., & Nederkoorn, C. (2013). Body language: Affecting body satisfaction by describing the body in functionality terms.Psychology of Women Quarterly, 1-16.

 

Alleva, J., Jansen, A., Martijn, C., Schepers, J., & Nederkoorn, C. (2013). Get your own mirror: Investigating how strict eating disordered women are in judging the bodies of other eating disordered women. Appetite, 68, 98-104.

 

Martijn, C., Alleva, J., & Jansen, A. (2012). “Help, Ik ben zo lelijk!” Nieuwe interventies om tevredenheid met eigen uiterlijk te vergroten [“Help! I’m so ugly!” New interventions to improve body satisfaction]. De Psycholoog, 47, 10-18.