How does a leading researcher ease the pedal off a life’s work to embrace the next chapter? For Matthew Flinders Distinguished Professor Marika Tiggemann – Australia’s 2019 top researcher in gender studies – becoming a grandmother just three months ago may cushion her transition to Emeritus Professor, but she won’t be hitting the brakes any time soon.

Professor Tiggemann started working at Flinders University in 1981 and will retire from paid duties this Friday – just short of clocking up 40 years of contributions to the University and broader society.

The body image expert will continue her editorial role on three international journals, together with Chief Investigator responsibilities on a current ARC project, and supervising five PhD candidates.

Author of more than 300 journal articles and a consistent grant winner, Professor Tiggemann says much has changed at Flinders since she commenced as a psychology tutor and post-doctoral researcher (on learned helplessness.)

“It was a lot smaller; you knew everybody in your school or faculty. There were no induction programs – none of the structural support we take for granted now!

“The position of women was so different. It has moved quickly and people don’t realise it’s not that long ago when there were not many women in senior roles at all. We still have a way to go, but the representation of women in the workforce has changed markedly.”

Professor Tiggemann says the phrase ‘body image’ was in its infancy then, but soon became a common phrase and a major societal challenge.

“However, as women gained more equality in the workplace, people expected body image concerns might take a back seat. Men obtained acknowledgement of worth from their jobs rather than appearance, so why wouldn’t the same happen to women?”

If anything, she says, expectations of women’s appearance increased.

And a similar disappointment followed with the rise of social media.

“At first it was thought the constant presentation of real people rather than enhanced models would make people feel better about themselves,” she reflects.

“Of course, it hasn’t played out that way at all. Partly because of influencers, partly because of Instagram and filters, but largely because of people themselves. Young girls in particular spend a long time taking photos, then choosing and editing images.

“The result is many people feel everyone looks better than them, and they’re focusing on their own looks more and setting themselves escalating standards to live up to.”

She says for young people this has extended beyond social media. “People are aware they could appear on a friend’s feed at any time and this influences the effort placed on appearance, on how conscious they are of their looks.”

There have even been reports of increased cosmetic surgery consultations driven by the recent upswing in video conferencing, with the need to view our faces for lengthy periods.

Professor Tiggemann says her research area is certainly one “you need to be nimble in” – and student contact has been valuable in keeping up with cultural insights.

She’s proud to name many high achievers among her previous students, including lauded eating disorders expert Matthew Flinders Distinguished Professor Tracey Wade, co-Director of the Flinders SHAPE research centre Dr Ivanka Pritchard, and Dr Amy Slater – who is Deputy Director of the globally renowned Centre for Appearance Research in Bristol.

Professor Tiggemann’s teaching contributions are set to continue through volunteering to teach English as a second language (her latest qualification), and she also hopes to volunteer in the homelessness sector.

With some extra time on her hands, there are plans to delve into activities like yoga and meditation, and watching granddaughter Evie grow will be high on the priority list. Whatever endeavours come next, they will surely be fuelled with the same vitality that’s been the hallmark of a truly stellar academic career!

Professor Marika Tiggemann’s achievements at Flinders University include:

General

• Australia’s top researcher in Gender Studies 2019
• Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences in Australia
• Chair of the Academic Senate at Flinders University from 2008 to 2012
• Requested to be a ‘Living Book’ in the 2008 Festival of Arts
• Interviewed in Taryn Brumfitt’s feature length documentary Embrace, released nationally in Palace/Nova and Hoyts cinemas
• Named as a woman leader in science, technology, maths and engineering in Girl Stuff(Kaz Cooke, Penguin)

Publications

• 1 book and 15 book chapters
• 310 articles
• Scopus – 14,687 citations, h-index = 69
• Google Scholar – 34,067 citations, h-index = 102

Grants

• Current
• ARC Project (with Kemps) ‘Things don’t always go better with Coke’: The role of automatic processing in the (over)consumption of soft drinks.
• Previous
• ARC (sole CI) “Warning: This image has been digitally altered”: The effect of disclaimer labels on women’s mood and body dissatisfaction.
• ARC (with Kemps) Can attentional re-training reduce food cravings and consumption?
• ARC (sole CI) Growing up too quickly? Body objectification in adolescent and pre-adolescent girls (teens and tweens).
• ARC (with Kemps) Implicit cognitive processing of environmental food and eating cues in obese adults.
• ARC (with Kemps) ‘Images of desire’: An experimental cognitive approach to understanding and reducing food cravings.
• ARC (sole CI) The role of television-watching in the construction of adolescent body image and disturbed eating.
• ARC (with Winefield) The significance of employment for the psychological well-being of young people: Final phase of a longitudinal study.
• NHMRC (with Winefield & Goldney) Prolonged unemployment and psychological illness in the young.

Professional engagement

Continuing:

• Editorial Board, Body Image, 2007 –
• Editorial Board, Journal of Health Psychology, 2014 –
• Editorial Board, International Journal of Eating Disorders, 2014 –

Previous

• Associate Editor, Australian Journal of Psychology, 1997-1999
• Associate Editor, Body Image, 2003–2006
• Consulting Editor, Psychology of Women Quarterly, 2002-2004
• Editorial Board, Sex Roles, 2005-2015