The present study sought to explore how women's life experiences influenced their beliefs, and how those beliefs in turn influenced feminist self-identification. Additionally, we sought to determine whether feminist self-identification led to increased collective action on behalf of women. Female participants ( N = 282) from two US college campuses and online listservs completed an online survey assessing feminist self-identification, collective action, and life experiences. Conservative, liberal, and radical beliefs were assessed as were evaluations of feminists. A structural equation model was used to explore these relationships; life experiences were found to influence women's beliefs, which in turn influenced feminist self-identification, which influenced collective action. We found that life experiences may serve as a catalyst for both feminist self-identification and collective action.

Previous research has shown that most women in the United States support feminist goals but do not label themselves as feminists. Concern over other people’s opinions of feminists may predict rejection of the feminist label. In the present study we predicted that feminists would be more likely than non-feminists to believe that other people view feminists favorably. One hundred seventy-one female participants completed the Berryman-Fink Semantic Differential Scale twice, once to indicate how they view feminists and again to indicate how they believe others view feminists. Contrary to our hypothesis, all women, regardless of feminist identification, believed that others view feminists negatively and as more likely to be homosexual than heterosexual. Relationships between participants’ own views of feminists and their perceptions of others’ views of feminists were explored. Transformative experiences that may lead a feminist to ignore their perception of society’s views are discussed.

The goal of this study was to explore the relationships between feminism and clinical outcomes, such as eating attitudes, depression, and self-esteem, employing structural equation modeling to look at indirect relationships. This study examined female participants’ (N = 282) responses to an online survey measuring feminist self-identification, conformity to feminine norms, objectified body consciousness, eating attitudes, depression, and self-esteem. Participants were recruited on two college campuses and through online listservs. Feminist self-identification was related to rejecting the feminine norms of thinness, appearance, and the importance of romantic relationships. Endorsing these norms was related to increased body surveillance and shame. Objectification variables were related to negative clinical outcomes. Thus, feminism is a distal, rather than proximal, influence on clinical variables.