Janelle Blazek

She/her/hers

Assistant Professor of Psychology

Developmental Psychology

Kalamazoo College - B.A. in Psychology in 2013

- Senior Thesis: Program Evaluation of Family Therapy for Disordered Eating

University of Michigan - Ph.D. in Developmental Psychology in 2020

- Dissertation: The impact of gender, ethnic/racial identity, and puberty on disordered eating for Black, White, and Black-White Biracial Adolescents.

2022

I am an expect in the role that social identities and physical/emotional changes of puberty play in body image and disordered eating.

I explore gender and ethnic-racial identity development in the context of adolescence, a time of intense physical, social, and emotional change. I look at how these changes allow deeper exploration of identity and how this in turn can shape how we view the body for better or worse and might help explain variation in body image and disordered eating during this timeframe.

Developmental Psychology, Body Studies, Foundations of Psychology

Blazek, J., Saint Arnault, D., & Carter, R., (2022). Breasts, butts, & thighs - oh my! Weight spurt and body image messages in girls’ puberty books. Journal of Adolescent Research. https://doi.org/10.1177/07435584221076052

Carter, R., Blazek, J. L., & Kwesele, C. (2020). Perceptions of pubertal timing relative to peers: Comparison targets and social contexts of comparison. Cultural Diversity and Ethnic Minority Psychology, 26(2), 221–228. https://doi.org/10.1037/cdp0000287

Carter, R., Seaton, E., & Blazek, J. (2020). Comparing associations between puberty, ethnic-racial identity, self-concept, and depressive symptoms among African American and Caribbean Black boys. Child Development, 91(6), 2019-2041. https://doi.org/10.1111/cdev.13370

Blazek, J. & Carter, R. (2019). Understanding disordered eating in Black adolescents: Effects of gender identity, racial identity, and perceived puberty. Psychology of Men & Masculinities, 20(2), 252-265. https://doi.org/10.1037/men0000207

Blazek, J. (2021). Intersectionality and disordered eating: The unique experiences of Biracial girls. Paper presented at the yearly meeting of Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues (SPSSI), August 2-5, Virtual Conference.

Blazek, J. (2019). Preparing for change: Body change & image messages in girls’ puberty books. Paper presented at the yearly meeting of Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues (SPSSI), June 21-23, San Diego, CA.

Blazek, J. (2019). Puberty and disordered eating: Why race and gender matter for Black adolescents. Paper presented at the biennial meeting of the Society for Research on Child Development (SRCD), March 21-23, Baltimore, MD.