The Body Group focuses on issues related to the intergenerational transmission of body representations and understanding the influence of attachment relationships on body image. The central assessment tool, the ‘Mirror Interview’ (Kernberg, Normadin, & Buh-Nielsen, 2006) provides a unique empirical assessment of aspects of body representations including body esteem, levels of coherence and reflective functioning, verbal and non-verbal expressions of affect. The explorations of ‘self-as-seen’ as contrasted with ‘self-as-felt’ have proved fruitful in connecting the role of body esteem and alienation. Our studies to date have explored the link between mothers and their toddlers in terms of the intergenerational links between body and attachment representations, body representations in gay men, body representations in dancers, body representations in visual artists and studies of introceptive awareness, attachment and body representations. The body group thrives with the help of our close collaboration with Dr. Bernadette Buhl Nielsen (Department of Clinical Medicine, Roskilde, Denmark) who is a one of the authors of the Mirror Interview and has trained to reliability several cohorts of our students.

Assessments:

Body Group researchers conduct ongoing assessments that include the administration of the Adult Attachment Interview, the Mirror Interview, and questionnaires probing self-objectification, body awareness, eating behaviors, and more. Lab members have the opportunity to assist with interviewing and filming. If you would like to participate in an assessment as a lab volunteer or as a research participant, contact the lab managers.