Elizabeth Daniels
Location
Dr. Elizabeth (Beth) A. Daniels is Professor and Director of the School of Psychology and Brain Science. She earned her PhD in Developmental Psychology at the University of California, Santa Cruz and completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of California Los Angeles. Her research examines how girls and young women are affected by sexual objectification and sexualization in a myriad of ways from body image and psychological well-being to school functioning. She is also interested in understanding how to cultivate embodiment and positive body image. Dr. Daniels examines these issues from a sociocultural perspective and is especially interested in how social identities (e.g., gender, race) shape experience. Dr. Daniels has published and spoken extensively on sexual objectification, sexualization, and positive body image in journal articles, an edited volume, book chapters, and popular press articles, as well as conference presentations, keynote addresses, presentations to the public, and media interviews. Her work has been featured in national and international media outlets including BBC News, The New York Times, The Washington Post, USA Today, and National Public Radio. 
Credentials
Awards and Accolades
- Visiting Professor, Centre for Appearance Research, University of the West of England
Post-Doctoral Training
Research
Selected publications
Daniels, E. A., Rama, R., Rodgers, R. F., Cox, M., & Halilaj, L. (2026). Si po ndiheni?:
Social media, body image and mental health among Albanian young women. Body
Image, 58. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bodyim.2026.102132
Daniels, E. A., Dajaches, L. M., Terán, L., Gahler, H., Choi, H., Speno, A., & Aubrey, J. S. (2024). The sexual landscape of youth: How U.S. adolescents make sense of sexting. Journal of Adolescent Research, 41(3), 455–483. https://doi.org/10.1177/07435584241231448
Daniels, E. A., Ward, L. M., & Grower, P., & Rowley, S. J. (2024). Struggling at school: Are media use and objectified body consciousness related? Psychology of Women Quarterly, 4(2), 290-304. https://doi.org/10.1177/03616843231225760
Daniels, E. A., Jerald, M. C., & Ward, L. M. (2022). The woman in the (rearview) mirror: Viewers' attitudes toward objectified car selfies of Black and White women. Psychology of Popular Media, 11(2), 217-226. https://doi.org/10.1037/ppm0000363
Daniels, E. A., & Robnett, R. (2021). The STEM pipeline: Do media and self-objectification create an early exit for middle school girls? Journal of Early Adolescence, 41(7), 1099-1124. https://doi.org/10.1177/0272431620983442
Daniels, E. A., Zurbriggen, E. L., & Ward, L. M. (2020). Becoming an object: A review of self-objectification in girls. Body Image, 33, 278-299. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bodyim.2020.02.016
Research interests
body image, sexual objectification, sexualization, media representations of women