Title: Effect of Exposure to Media Images on Perceptual Body Image Distortion and Affective Dissatisfaction
1Effect of Exposure to Media Images on Perceptual
Body Image Distortion and Affective
Dissatisfaction
- Angie French Blair Terrell
- Hanover College
2Research Question
What is the perfect woman? (Nichter Nichter,
1991) - 57, 100 lbs,- long blonde hair -
blue eyes
- How does exposure to these images influence how
women feel about themselves and their bodies? - Perceptual distortion
- Social Comparison (comparison of self to
others)
Most fashion models meet weight criteria for
anorexia nervosa. (Kalodner, 1997)
Media is everywhere!
3 Hypothesis
4- Participants
- 49 female students from Hanover College
- Mean age 19
- 48 Caucasian
- 1 Pacific Islander
5 - Phase 1
- Two weeks prior to Phase 2
- Social Comparison questionnaire and personal
information - Frequency of Social Comparison Scale
- (Fujita, 1996)
- Determines how prone an individual is to compare
herself to others - Alpha .90
- Anonymity protectioncode
- Street name last 4 digits from SSN
6- Phase 2
- PowerPoint slide show of 30 fitness,
fashion/beauty, or neutral images from popular
magazines - Selection criteria
- --Only one model per image
- --3/4 length body shot
- --no overlaid type
- --no product shown
- (criteria from Waller, Hamilton, Shaw, 1992)
7Fitness
8Fashion/Beauty
9Neutral
10- Adjustable Light Beam Apparatus
- (Thompson Spana, 1988)
- Measures perceived size of cheeks, waist, and
hips
11- Perceptual distortion discrepancy
between perceived and actual body size of cheeks,
waist, and hips - (Alpha .8697)
- Eating Disorders Inventory
- (Garner, Olmstead, Polivy, 1983)
- Drive for Thinness scale
- Body Dissatisfaction scale
- Alpha .9351
12 Results Does media exposure influence perceptual
distortion?
Exposure to Media Images of the Sociocultural
Ideal
Perceptual Body Image Distortion
Increased Affective Body Image Dissatisfaction
Social Comparison
13YESPerceptual Distortion
- Amount of distortion varied significantly across
three conditions, F (1,45) 3.24, p lt .05 - The only post hoc comparison that was significant
was between beauty and neutral, p lt .05. - Supports previous research ? Exposure to beauty
images increases distortion
14 Results
Dissatisfaction does not correlate with
distortion
Exposure to Media Images of the Sociocultural
Ideal
Perceptual Body Image Distortion
Increased Affective Body Image Dissatisfaction
15Results cont.
- Split Social Comparison into Low and
High categories. - Significant interaction found between social
comparison and media condition (F (5, 42) 2.77,
p .03). - The only significant difference between the means
was found in fitness condition (t (15) 2.4, p
.03).
16Discussion
- Two media conditions ? different effects
- Beauty images influence perception (distortion)
- Fitness images influence emotion
(dissatisfaction)
17Fitness ? Dissatisfaction
- Message behind the fitness images
- Idea of achievability
- But is it really achievable?
- Exposure ? GUILT ? Dissatisfaction
Thin Thighs, Firm Butt, Flat Abs 5 super moves
that tone you everywhere!
Firm All Your Trouble Zones Get lean and
sculpted, melt inches
Fastest Ab and Butt Toners Cardio shortcuts Blast
fat in 10, 15, 20 mins.
18(No Transcript)
19Beauty ? Distortion
- Beauty images thinner than fitness images
- Less guilt because only option of attainability
is to take drastic, unhealthy measures (e.g.,
drug use, eating disorder)
Average woman
fitness
beauty
Weight
20- Non-representative sample
- 48 Caucasian 1 Pacific Islander
- Homemade equipment
- Interrater reliability
21Questions