a study on the psychological effects of body stereotypes as...

A Study on the psychological effects of body stereotypes as portrayed by televised commercial advertisements on men and women aged

between 18-25 years *M.Manjunatha

Research Scholor (PhD)

School of Arts and Humanities

REVA University

Bangalore-560064

*Dr.Hemantha Kumara V

Coordinator,Dept of Psychology

School of Arts and Humanities

REVA University

Bangalore-560064

Abstract

This study investigates the psychological effect caused in males and females aged between 18 and 25 years due to

stereotypical portrayal of their bodies. Previous researchers have found that media glorifies thin female bodies for

females and muscular bodies for males, causing dissatisfaction. This is because, stereotypical portrayal causes

people to assume those bodies as ideal and desirable.

Quantitative approach was chosen in which participants were asked to answer a questionnaire. Data from the

questionnaires were analyzed. It was found that both males and females were affected by the stereotypical portrayal

of models used in advertisements. The average body silhouette of male and female models was found to be lower than

the average body silhouette representative of participants, as well as what was perceived as more desirable and

ideal by them.

Participants felt that the bodies of models used in advertisements set unrealistic body goals for themselves, but

they found the bodies of models as being more attractive. The percentage of participants who desired to attain bodies

like ad models were significant, it was higher in the case of female respondents. Nearly half of all the participants also

confessed to not feeling body positive and reported lower self- confidence owing to the models in commercials.

Thus, media has the power to shape people’s opinions and perceptions. It can also make people feel like certain

things are more likeable and desirable, while certain others are deemed as unlikeable and undesirable. With people

being more and more exposed to females with thinner bodies, thin body for female has become the desirability quotient.

Females are generally portrayed as weak, naive, homely and submissive. In the case of males, media images tend

to portray them in heroic roles possessing qualities like strength, heroism, dominance, etc with muscular bodies.

Journal of Xi'an University of Architecture & Technology

Volume XII, Issue IV, 2020

ISSN No : 1006-7930

Page No: 2004

Thus, in males, muscular and larger body frames became more desirable. This kind of mindset often leads to body

dissatisfaction among males and females which can have adverse effects.

Body dissatisfaction causes anxiety, depression, low self-confidence, low self-esteem, eating disorders, etc.

Key words: body image, media image, body dissatisfaction, body positive, model

INTRODUCTION:

Media plays multiple roles in the society: acting as a sword arm of democracy, of being a watchdog to protect public

interest, marketing, to give voice to the voiceless, create social awareness, educate people and shaping public opinion. It

functions as a window to the outside world, what appears across its landscape actually may become people's reality and

could distort their individual perspective. As mentioned by the author Jeanette Auer in the paper "The role of Media in

Public Opinion Formation"(2012), Media, whether print, radio, film or TV, has long been recognised as a tool capable of

doing the thinking for man (Market 1936,p. 726; Ogden 1913,p.197). People's notions regarding socially acceptable

norms may be significantly affected and altered. For example, African Americans were represented in the English movies

as "savage, ignorant, thieves, interlopers and potential rapists" (Luther et al., 2012, p.59). This conveyed that the black

people were not "good enough" and thus, promoted racism.

In the current paper, the aim is to check if there is a similar correlation between media messages, televised commercial

advertisements in particular and the psychological effect on body stereotypes in the youth. In psychology, affect mediates

an organism's interaction with stimuli. Majority of the previous researches related to this field of study have established

that thinner body frames for females and more muscular body frames for males are idealised in the media which causes

body dissatisfaction in both men and women. The advertisers target men and women according to previously held social

beliefs and attitudes. Physical appearance is important in both males and females. However, "beauty' is generally defined

as peculiarly a feminine attribute and according to Ivy & Backlund, 2004, preoccupation with one’s appearance is seen as

part of the feminine stereotype. So there's possibility of women being affected to a greater extent due to these

commercials. The point of concern to be noticed about physical appearance depicted in the commercials is that the

advertisements focus mainly on beauty and body features of the model, and less on the product. There is emphasis on

physical attractiveness. This is a matter of concern as not everyone is born with flawless skin, perfect body or gorgeous

hair. Another negative aspect of such advertisements is that they set the norms for ideal bodies for both men and women,

promote racism and lead to eating disorders.

Brittney E. H. Schrick, B.S. in her paper "Television's relationship to body dissatisfaction" has mentioned that disordered

eating is characterized by a drive for thinness, a preoccupation with food and eating, and fear of gaining weight (Wilson &

Blackhurst, 1999). Media has a detrimental effect on body satisfaction, especially in women (Crouch & Degelman, 1998;

Field, 2000; Green & Pritchard, 2003; Harrison, 2003; Levine, 2000; Posavac & Posavac, 2002; Stephens & Hill, 1994;

Vaughan & Fouts, 2003; Wilson & Blackhurst, 1999). Presumably, media is influential because it is pervasive in society.

Every day, individuals are surrounded by media such as billboards, television, magazines, new media, etc. These media

images contain societal standards of beauty (Harrison, 2003; Silverstein, Perdue, Peterson, & Kelly, 1986; Spitzer,

Henderson, & Zivian, 1999; Stephens & Hill, 1994; and others). Even the mythical standard 36-24-36 measurements that

represent the ìidealî woman belong to a lady who is considered disproportionate by garment industry standards. She

would ìsimultaneously wear a size 4 (hips), a size 2 (waist), and a size 10 (bust)î (Harrison, 2003, p. 255). Using Ladies

Home Journal and Vogue magazines, Silverstein et al. (1986) attempted to show the decline in the size of ideal women

through the 20th century. Both magazines provided a sample that dates back to the early 1900s, and both have been

available to and consumed by a large number of women throughout that time. A content analysis of the photographs



ISSN No : 1006-7930

Page No: 2005

showed that the early years of the century contained the largest ideal size for females. This standard steadily declined until

it reached a low in 1925. From this low, the ideal increased until 1949 when it began to go down again nearly reaching its

1925 low in the late 1960s. This ideal size has not changed significantly since that time.

For this particular study, the youth have been chosen as sample since they could be the most affected by media messages

owing to larger exposure, since prevalence of eating disorders and body dissatisfaction levels could be higher in this

sample in comparison to other groups.

BACKGROUND:

The effects of advertisements regardless of medium were studied by multiple authors. These studies involved a myriad of

subjects differing in in gender, nationality, social status etc. It was found that these advertisements constantly made use of

the perfect and rare instances of the male or female form. It should also be noted that sometimes these advertisements

focus more on the physical attractiveness of the models compared to the effectiveness or usefulness of the product being

advertised. With the advances in modern modes of media and information transfer it is now possible for such

advertisements to reach a much wider audience consisting of viewers of different ages, mindsets, social status etc. The

effect of such advertisements where the attractiveness and physical stature of models are worshipped, will create a

different and profound effect on impressionable minds. These effects ranged from body dissatisfaction among women.

Dissatisfaction with one’s overall physical appearance has tripled among men in the past 30 years rising from 15% in

1972 to 43% in 1997 (Garner, 1997). Moreover, it is not limited to young men but rather shows up across multiple age

groups including adolescent men (e.g., Ricciardelli & McCabe, 2004), college men (e.g., Olivardia et al., 2004), and older

men (e.g., Franzoi & Koehler, 1998). (Media Images of Men: Trends and Consequences of Body Conceptualization Jamie

C. Farquhar and Louise Wasylkiw, Mount Allison University). Many studies have also shown that the effect on women is

more profound. Societal standards for beauty emphasize the desirability of thinness at a level impossible for many women

to achieve by healthy means. In fact, the gap between the average woman’s body size and the ideal is now larger than ever

before (The role of social comparison in the effect of magazine advertisements on women’s mood and body

dissatisfaction, Marika Tiggemann & Belinda McGill, School of Psychology, Flinders University of South

Australia). This observation forms the base of this paper as we aim to find the depth and conditions of the impact of these

advertisements.

THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK:

The study is based on the effect of body stereotyping in television commercials on the viewers. The audience are not

entirely passive, it is limited. This effect on the viewers is similar to the "Cultivation Analysis Theory" developed by

Professor George Gerbner. Cultivation theory examines the long-term effects of television viewing. "The primary

proposition of cultivation theory states that the more time people spend 'living' in the television world, the more likely

they are to believe social reality aligns with reality portrayed on television" (Riddle, K. 2009). He extensively studied how

media plays a part in shaping and cultivating people’s perception. Gerbner argues that the mass media cultivate attitudes

and values which are already present in a culture: the media maintain and propagate these values amongst members of a

culture, thus binding it together. This effect is called ‘mainstreaming’. Distinction has been made between ‘first order’

effects (general beliefs about the everyday world, such as about the prevalence of violence) and ‘second order’ effects

(specific attitudes, such as to law and order or to personal safety). There is also a distinction between two groups of

television viewers: the heavy viewers and the light viewers. People who watch a lot of television are more likely to be

influenced by the ways in which the world is framed by television programs, especially regarding topics of which the



ISSN No : 1006-7930

Page No: 2006

viewer has little first-hand experience. ‘Resonance’ describes the intensified effect on the audience when what people see

on television is what they have experienced in life. This double dose of the televised message tends to amplify the

cultivation effect. Thus, people unconsciously tend to believe and accept whatever is being shown in the media. There is

another aspect in the theory known as the “Mean World Syndrome” because of which people start perceiving the world to

be “mean” to them.

Media is, therefore, considered as a persuasive power influencing attitudes, beliefs, meanings and perception of people.

Cultivation theory has been frequently used to study and explain many of today's phenomena.

For example, people know that Game of Thrones world does not exist but they still root for the series. They relate to the

characters and take the GoT world as a part of their reality. There are millions of people who follow every new happening

related to Game of Thrones. Another example could be of television creating a -+mindset in people that females are

supposed to be pretty and with lot of make-up. This has encouraged teens and young girls to follow what they see, and has

led to them being more insecure about the way they look naturally. Also, the way African origin people have been

portrayed in television has encouraged people to think that they are involved in petty crimes and drug abuse. Incorrect

generalization of the behaviors of members of LGBTQ community in the media have encouraged discrimination and

ridicule against them. In 2016, the Blue Whale Challenge, a deadly game that consists of a series of tasks involving

inflicting self-harm led to the death of many people across the world because the last “challenge” of the game requires the

player to commit suicide. Thus media does affect people’s mind to some extent and therefore, the theory is relevant to this

day.

Another theory that be associated with the paper is Social Comparison Theory according to which, people compare their

own physical appearance to the body images presented in the media. The theory was proposed by Leon Festinger in 1954.

This theory is used in association with the figure rating scale to understand if individuals will change their figure choice

after social comparing themselves to other individuals presented in the media. This comparison with other individuals in

this case may cause body dissatisfaction, disordered eating, low self-esteem, low self-confidence, etc. For example,

women are widely exposed to images of actresses and models with thin body frames on new media platforms like

Facebook and Instagram. The women tend to perceive models’ bodies and more “ideal and attractive.” Researchers using

social comparison theory have found that in most cases women tend to engage in upward social comparisons resulting in

more negative feelings about the self. The majority of women have a daily opportunity to make upward comparison by

measuring themselves against some form of societal ideal. Social comparisons have become a relevant mechanism for

learning about the appearance-related social expectations among peers and for evaluating the self in terms of those

standards" (Jones, 2001, P. 647).

The third theory related to the research is Self-discrepancy theory. The theory has generally been applied to body image

research to understand the three domains of the self: the actual self, the ideal self, and the ought self. Different

representations of the self can be contradictory and result in emotional discomfort. When respondents are asked to choose

images on the scale, the individual may choose a separate silhouette for each domain of the self. The scale used in this

study is Strunkard Scale. Findings can be observed to understand the differences between an individual’s perception of his

or her actual body type and ideal body type.

SIGNIFICANCE:

With the development in communication technology, change in the ease of access to any form of data at any instant in

time; the effects of such advertisements are found in demographics not targeted or not accounted for during the design of

the advertisement. Children with impressionable minds, teenagers and young adults with insecurities, disabilities, different

mindsets and body structures, all are affected some or the other way. Increased cases of body image dissatisfaction,

attempts to obtain the ideal body sometimes ending up as a disaster are not uncommon. Sociocultural pressure on women

to be thin has been blamed for the development of eating disorders such as anorexia, bulimia, binge eating, and



ISSN No : 1006-7930

Page No: 2007

avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID). Despite decades of research, however, it is still not clear why a few

women exposed to these pressures develop eating disorders, but most women in the society do not. The media are often

blamed for spreading the message that women must be thin, and for making women feel badly about themselves. Males

exposed to super-fir, highly muscular models also try and push themselves too far, even going to the extent of using

steroids to achieve the “ideal” body. Also, these images of idealised and perfect bodies lead to bullying, very low self-

esteem and self-confidence and eating disorders. According to a 2013 study published in “Journal of Adolescent Health,”

conducted by researcher Dong Chul Seo involving over 6,000 participants, perceiving oneself as overweight or obese may

be an important, independent predictor of suicidal thoughts among middle-school and high-school students. Moreover,

girls seemed to be more affected than boys.

AIM AND OBJECTIVES:

To study the effect of televised commercial advertisements on the respondents

To check if there is any difference between the body types perceived as “ideal” by respondents and the body type they

think is closest to their own

METHOD:

Qualitative approach has been adopted and sample size of the study will be 80- consisting of equal number of males and

females. The respondents selected for the study are males and females aged 18-25 years living in Bengaluru city in the

state of Karnataka located in the southern part of India. They have been chosen as the sample since they have just

undergone transition from being teenagers or adolescents to being adults. Studies have shown that adolescents are prone

to concerns about their weight, shape, size and body image, and as a result, diet to lose weight (Schreiber GB, Robins M,

Striegel-Moore R, Obarzanek E, Morrison JA, Wright DJ, 1996). Also, living in the city could mean that the respondents

are comparatively more exposed to the television advertisements than people from the rural area. It would be easier thus,

to study the effect on this set of students.

The 80 participants consisting of 40 males and 40 females will be given a questionnaire to observe the effect of televised

commercial advertisements that mostly use slim female models and muscular male models, especially in glamourous

roles.

SAMPLING TECHNIQUE:

The study involves Random Probability Sampling. The entire process of sampling is done in a single step with each

subject selected independently of the other members of the population. Everyone in the population has a known and equal

chance of being selected as a respondent for the study. 40 males and 40 females in the age group between 18-25 years

were chosen for the study.



ISSN No : 1006-7930

Page No: 2008

TOOLS FOR DATA COLLECTION:

First section of the questionnaire will be designed to collect demographic characteristics like name, age and the gender of

the respondent.

Questions in the Second section will be crafted to aid the observation of the effect caused by the advertisements. The

questions are devised based on the researcher's observations and on previous research studies.

VARIABLES:

In this study, bias or body stereotyping in advertisements is the independent variable while the dependent variable is the

psychological effect on males and females in the selected age group caused. To aid in better observation, the respondents

are divided into two groups (Set A and Set B) based on the difference in the average size of the models in the

advertisements.

TIME AND LOCATION:

The study required one month's time for the complete collection of data, observation, analysis and interpretation.

The experiment is carried out within Bengaluru city located in Southern India. The two sets of participants are asked to

come on the same day, previously decided according to their convenience, to the venue of the experiment where the

participants are given a questionnaire to be filled in 20 minutes.

REVIEW OF LITERATURE:

DEPICTING WOMEN AS SEX OBJECTS IN TELEVISION ADVERTISING: EFFECTS ON BODY

DISSATISFACTION

Howard Lavine

State University of New York at Stony Brook

Donna Sweeney

Stephen H. Wagner

Northern Illinois University

In the paper “Depicting women as sex objects in television advertising: effects on body dissatisfaction,” by researchers

Lavine and Sweeney, effects of actual body image, actual-ideal body image discrepancy, and own ideal-others’ ideal body

image discrepancy as a function of ad type (sexist vs. nonsexist and no ad conditions), gender were observed. Body

dissatisfaction was assessed using the Pictorial Body Image Scale developed by Stunkard, Sorensen, and Schulsinger.

Participants were divided into three groups.

Results indicated that women rated themselves as heavier than the composite ideal for women to a greater extent after

exposure to sexist than nonsexist/no ads; in contrast, men tended to rate themselves as thinner than the composite ideal for

men to a greater extent following exposure to sexist than nonsexist/no ads. Male and female participants’ actual-ideal

discrepancies differed significantly within the sexist condition. While men rated their ideal as thinner than others’ ideal

for men to a greater extent within the sexist than the nonsexist/no ad condition; women rated their ideal as heavier than

others’ ideal for women to a greater extent after exposure to sexist ads versus nonsexist ads. The relevance of this study to

the current research is because it deals with observing body dissatisfaction levels in men and women subjected to sexist,

nonsexist and no ad conditions.



ISSN No : 1006-7930

Page No: 2009

ADVERTISEMENT PRESSURE AND ITS IMPACT ON BODY DISSATISFACTION AND BODY IMAGE

PERCEPTION OF WOMEN IN INDIA

Dr. Sasi Rekha V

Dr. K Maran

The aim of the study is to analyze the differences and inconsistencies in the ideal and emotional body image perception of

Chennai women and to observe the relationship between advertisement pressure and body dissatisfaction of women. Body

dissatisfaction scale developed by Stunkard and Sorenson was used to determine the body dissatisfaction of respondents.

At the end of the study, it was found that nearly 42% of the women felt pressurised to look “beautiful” and that 76% of

them aspire to have a smaller body size than their existing figure. The sampling area was Chennai and the objective of the

study was to observe the body dissatisfaction level in women due to advertisements. Hence it is relevant to the current

research.

MEDIA-PORTRAYED IDEALIZED IMAGES, BODY SHAME, AND APPEARANCE ANXIETY

Fiona Monro, B Psychology (Hons)

Gail Huon, PhD

The study is concerned with the effects of exposure to idealized body magazine images on young women’s body shame

and appearance anxiety. Sample size of the study is 39 consisting only women. The study was conducted in two sessions:

Questionnaires were provided to check restraint status, appearance anxiety, body shame, self-objectification, self-

monitoring, and exposure to magazines. In the second session, participants viewed 24 magazine advertisements for 20

seconds each, consisting of different combinations of idealized or non-idealised body traits and body related or non-body

related products. After the experiment, it was revealed by the study that majority of the participants experienced less body

shame after exposure to images without “idealized bodies.” This was the case for both non–body-related product and

body-related product advertisements. Also, subjects showed greater appearance anxiety after viewing advertisements

featuring an idealized body. Since the study dealt with the idea of body shame and appearance anxiety caused in the minds

of people after exposure to advertisements, it is relevant to the study.

TELEVISION’S RELATIONSHIP TO BODY DISSATISFACTION IN COLLEGE WOMEN

BRITTNEY E. H. SCHRICK, B.S.

The study investigates the relationship between television viewing and body dissatisfaction in young adult women during

college. Subjects were assessed regarding how many hours of television they viewed, which TV shows and what TV

stations they watched. The study revealed that participants who viewed programs with a higher average thinness rating

showed significantly greater internalization of the thin ideal. In addition, greater internalization of the thin ideal was

related to the choice of a smaller ideal body size. Also, the amount of hours of television viewed the number of thin-ideal

focused shows viewed was related to higher internalization of the thin ideal. Thus, the results show that media

consumption and internalization of the thin ideal may not be related to long-term body dissatisfaction.



ISSN No : 1006-7930

Page No: 2010

THE IMPACT OF MEDIA EXPOSURE ON MALES’ BODY IMAGE

Daniel Agliata and Stacey Tantleff-Dunn, University of Central Florida

Male respondents were exposed to television advertisements containing either ideal male images or neutral images

inserted between television program. The research showed that the participants exposed to ideal image advertisements

became significantly more depressed. They had higher levels of muscle dissatisfaction than those exposed to neutral ads.

The findings suggest that exposure to media images of ideal male body, defined as lean and muscular, can have

deleterious effects on mood and body satisfaction in men. Neutral advertising, however, had opposite effect with

significant decreases in depression observed.

NEGOTIATING MASCULINITIES: ADVERTISING AND THE INVERSION OF THE MALE GAZE

Forthcoming: Consumption, Markets & Culture

Maurice Patterson

University of Nottingham

Richard Elliott

University of Exeter

Saïd Business School, University of Oxford

The aim of the study was to find out what kind of images men would like to see in the advertisements that related to men

and products related to them. Generally, a man's gaze will stay longer on an advertisement in which an attractive woman

is featured. However, their gaze stays longer on an ad pertaining to men having ideal bodies. It has been observed that this

leads to participants questioning their own body status.

TELEVISION, DISORDERED EATING, AND YOUNG WOMEN IN FIJI: NEGOTIATING BODY IMAGE

AND IDENTITY DURING RAPID SOCIAL CHANGE

Anne E. Becker

Increased prevalence of disordered eating could be the indirect effect of television models and actors having idealized

bodies. To investigate this, researcher Becker identified adolescent Fijian girls, 3 years after the introduction of television

to their community. She wanted to examine the influence of television viewing on girls' identity and body image. It was

found at the end of the study that the girls were worried about their weight and body shape, showed purging behavior to

control weight, and body disparagement. Western media images and ideas made these vulnerable girls feel that efforts to

reshape the body will enhance their social status and anchor their identities in widely recognized cultural symbols of

prestige.

BODY IMAGE, EATING DISORDERS, AND THE MEDIA

Marjorie J. Hogan

Victor C. Strasburger



ISSN No : 1006-7930

Page No: 2011

To adolescents, the sudden and rapid changes in their body and appearance is overwhelming. Both girls and boys become

more aware of their own bodies. Body image is a major concern of the teenagers. However, previous studies have shown

that many adolescents are unhappy with their appearance, body shape and size. Media certainly plays a role in shaping

their ideas and preferences. Reseachers Hogan and Strasburger strive to examine how the media along with cultural

background, peers and family exert influence on creating the ideal body image. It was revealed at the end of the study that

body image was constructed by all the factors. Media played the role of a catalyst or intermediate influence, rather than a

direct and complete cause of eating disorders.

THE EFFECTS OF MEDIA ON BODY IMAGE AND SELF ESTEEM

Sinead Gorman

Body dissatisfaction is related to depression, low self-esteem and eating disorders. The media has been bombarding us

with models and actors having "idealised" bodies and weight. For the study "The effects of media on body image and self-

esteem,” reseacher Gorman chose young adults, between the ages 18 and 25 to investigate the influence of mass media on

self-esteem and body image. He chose young people to examine how the media messages affects them. The results that

the current study arrived at is contradictory to most of the previous studies. It was concluded that men have lower body

image than women. Also, it could not verify the correlation between media and body image or self-esteem.

BODY-FOCUSED ANXIETY IN WOMEN: ASSOCIATIONS WITH INTERNALIZATION OF THE THIN-

IDEAL, DIETING FREQUENCY, BODY MASS INDEX AND MEDIA EFFECTS

Aileen Pidgeon, Rachel A. Harker

Media portrays thin women as ideal, desirable and attractive. Body image has become an important aspect of one’s mental

health and self-esteem. It can negatively affect eating behaviour and increase body-focused anxiety. Researchers Pidgeon

and Harker seek to analyse the effect of the media on women by examining the directional links between internalization of

the thin-ideal, body-focused anxiety, desirability and dieting frequency. It was observed that women who have a greater

BMI and have rejected the thin-ideal might selectively expose themselves to media content that conforms to their personal

worldview. Dieting frequency was not significantly correlated with desirability. Most women who participated in the

study rejected dieting as a means to achieve thin-ideal; while it was expected that media might promote the idea of

dieting. However, body-focused anxiety promotes dieting. The research also found that being overweight is major

determinant of body dissatisfaction.

DOES BARBIE MAKE GIRLS WANT TO BE THIN? THE EFFECT OF EXPERIMENTAL EXPOSURE TO

IMAGES OF DOLLS ON THE BODY IMAGE OF 5-8 YEAR OLD GIRLS

Helga Dittmar

Suzanne Ive

University of Sussex

Emma Halliwell

University of the West of England

Barbie dolls are a big hit with the young girls. They are extremely popular and extensively marketed. These dolls have

petite, slim and almost unattainable bodies. Researchers' aim to investigate if these dolls cause body dissatisfaction in

young girls. Girls between the ages 5 & 8 participated in the study. After exposure to the Barbie doll, these girls reported

lower body esteem and greater desire for a thinner body shape. Younger girls among those chosen for the study desired a

thinner body than they had. The desire to have an unhealthy and unrealistically thin body in this set of girls was more

extreme. Barbie doll exposure significantly depressed overall body esteem and increases discrepancies between girls’



ISSN No : 1006-7930

Page No: 2012

actual and ideal body size. It was radically different in case of older set of girls. The negative effect of Barbie dolls on

young girls highlights the need for different kinds of dolls.

STUCK IN THE MODEL TRAP: THE EFFECTS OF BEAUTIFUL MODELS IN ADS ON FEMALE PRE-

ADOLESCENTS AND ADOLESCENTS

Mary C Martin and James W Gentry

Exposure to advertisements employing only highly attractive models may have adverse effects on developing minds of

Pre-Adolescents and adolescents who tend to compare themselves with the advertising models. This affects their self-

perceptions and lowers their self-esteem. Results suggested that motive is vital, though not consistent among the fourth,

sixth and eighth graders who participated in the study. Sixth graders' self- perceptions of body image were significantly

lower after self- evaluation than after self-enhancement by discounting the beauty of the models while it remained

unchanged in the fourth and eighth graders.

ANALYSIS:

Body Mass Index (BMI) is defined as body mass divided by the square of the body height. It is universally expressed in

units of kg/m2, resulting from mass in kilograms and height in metres.

The BMI is an attempt to quantify the amount of tissue mass (muscle, fat, and bone) in an individual, and then categorize

that person as underweight, normal weight, overweight, or obese based on that value. That categorization is the subject of

some debate about where on the BMI scale the dividing lines between categories should be placed (Malcolm Kendrick

April 12, 2015).

According to World Health Organisation, BMI ranges are underweight: under 18.5 kg/m2, normal weight: 18.5 to 25,

overweight: 25 to 30, obese: over 30.

45% of males and 70% of females belonged had “normal” weight (BMI between 18.5 to 24.9), 30% of males and 5% of

females were overweight (BMI between 25 and 29.9), 20% males and 5% females were obese (BMI >30); and, 5% of

males and 20% females were underweight (<18.5).

10% of total respondents said they would avoid going to social gatherings & parties because of their features. The number

of people avoiding looking at their old pictures and pictures of ad models is very insignificant (<1%). Many respondents

accepted to wearing certain type of clothing (avoidance of figure hugging clothes, sleeveless clothes, bright-coloured

clothes, etc) that accentuate certain features of their bodies that they are not confident of (42.5%). A small number of the

respondents said they avoid getting photographed or videographed by a third party because of their features. Many a

times, they resorted to changing body posture to avoid been seen in a particular camera angle (32.5%).

Strunkard scale was used in the study. The Figure Rating Scale (FRS) is a means of measurement developed to determine

body dissatisfaction in women and men (Grogan, S 2009. Routledge: New York). It is a visible measure of how an

individual perceives his or her own physical appearance. Each figure presents nine male and nine female schematic

silhouettes, ranging from extreme thinness to extreme obesity (Stunkard, A., Sorenson, T., & Schulsinger, F. 1983).

The respondents of research program were asked to select the silhouette that best indicates his or her current body size and

the silhouette that reflects his or her ideal body size and that of the body type that they think is closest to models used in

television ads.

The average silhouette of male and female participants that they thought was closest to their own was 4.7 and 3.45

respectively.



ISSN No : 1006-7930

Page No: 2013

The average “ideal” silhouette of male body according to male respondents is 3.9 while the average “ideal” silhouette of

female body according to female respondents is 4.0. Male respondents’ average of the female “ideal” body is 3.6 while

female respondents’ average of the male “ideal” body is 4.45.

In the study, it was found that the participants’ average of female and male models being used in advertisements was

2.65(2.85 females’ average and 2.45 males’ average) and 3.5 (3.65 females’ average and 3.35 males’ average)

respectively. Among both males and females, this figure depicting a body silhouette was the lowest. While the average of

the silhouette closest to their own body was 4.7, the average of male models was 3.5. In case of females, the figures stood

at 3.45 and 2.65 respectively.

Although 70% men and 60% women said they find the ad models attractive and desirable, exactly half (50%) of all

participants surveyed said models used in the advertisements set unrealistic body goals for people. The remaining 27.5%

disagreed/strongly disagreed; and the others remained neutral. Nevertheless, 40% (45% men, 35% women) of all

participants desired to attain like those of the ad models of the same sex because they felt dissatisfied with their bodies

because of the bodies of models used in the ads. 40% males and 55% females said they didn’t feel body positive and

confident, 5% males and 10% females said otherwise and the rest remained neutral. According to 55% of all respondents,

televised commercials employing models with “unrealistic” bodies encouraged bullying and body shaming, while 30%

others disagreed.

To bridge the gap between self-evaluated silhouette, ideal silhouette and the silhouette represented by models, the

respondents wished to follow a particular diet, avoid certain types of foods and exercise.

25% of the male respondents and 40% of female respondents said they wish to follow a particular diet and avoid certain

foods in order to alter their body weight/shape to attain what they deem as ideal.

While most respondents said they would not start exercising to alter their shape or weight to attain bodies like models in

the advertisements (37.5% of total respondents said they want to start exercising to alter shape/ weight), the percentage

was significantly higher among respondents having BMI above the normal range (>24.9). Out of 40 males, 20 of them

said they would exercise (50%). Among women, the results were contradictory. All 16 women (40% women) who wanted

to exercise and alter their weight/shape fell in the less than normal BMI range (<18.5).

REFERENCES:

1. Thompson, J. K., Heinberg, L. J., Altabe, M., & Tantleff-Dunn, S. (1999). Exacting beauty: Theory, assessment, and

treatment of body image disturbance. Washington, DC, US: American Psychological Association.

2. Body image survey results: Plagued by body image issues? The results of a national survey show you're not alone,

David Garner, 1997

5. Media images of men: Trends and Consequences of Body conceptualisation, Jamie C. Farquhar and Louise Wasylkiw,

Mount Allison University

6. The role of social comparison in the effect of magazine advertisements on women's mood and body dissatisfaction,

Marika Tiggemann & Belinda McGill, School of psychology, Flinders University of South Australia

7. Schreiber GB, Robins M, Striegel-Moore R, Obarzanek E, Morrison JA, Wright DJ. Weight modification efforts

reported by black and white preadolescent girls: National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Growth and Health Study.

Pediatrics. 1996;98:62–70.



ISSN No : 1006-7930

Page No: 2014

8. Sociocultural Idealization of Thin Female Body Shapes: An Introduction to the Special Issue on Body Image and

Eating Disorders; Janet Polivy, C. Peter Herman; University of Toronto

9. Racism and the Media: A Textual Analysis;

Kassia E. Kulaszewicz;

St. Catherine University

10. Riddle, K. E., 2009-05-21 "Cultivation Theory Revisited: The Impact of Childhood Television Viewing Levels on

Social Reality Beliefs and Construct Accessibility in Adulthood"; Paper presented at the annual meeting of the

International Communication Association, Marriott, Chicago, IL

11. The Role of Media in Public Opinion Formation, Jeanette Auer, 2012

12. Malcolm Kendrick April 12, 2015

13. Grogan, S 2009. Routledge: New York

14. Stunkard, A., Sorenson, T., & Schulsinger, F. (1983). Use of Danish adoption register for the study of obesity and

thinness. In S. Kety, L.P. Rowland, R.L. Sidman, & S.W. Matthysse (Eds.), The genetics of neurological and psychiatric

disorders. New York: Raven. 115-120.

14. International Journal of Eating Disorders

15. Howard Lavine, State University of New York at Stony Brook, Donna Sweeney, Stephen H. Wagner, Northern

Illinois University,

http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.322.7466&rep=rep1&type=pdf

16. Dr. Sasi Rekha V, Dr. K Maran, http://www.caluniv.ac.in/global-mdia

journal/Article/A2%20R%20V%20MARAN.pdf

17. Fiona Monro, B Psychology (Hons), Gail Huon, PhD,

https://www.google.co.in/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/eec2/9c0da708671c39badbb

b9181933675d6db03.pdf&ved=2ahUKEwjmpd36qbbaAhUgSY8KHWpzD-

sQFjACegQICBAB&usg=AOvVaw1qhdNIjVDd7D1M34fYka3F

18. BRITTNEY E. H. SCHRICK, B.S.

https://www.google.co.in/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=http://www.caluniv.ac.in/global-mdia-

journal/Article/A2%2520R%2520V%2520MARAN.pdf&ved=2ahUKEwjM-

pqPq7baAhUBPY8KHfBQB0UQFjAAegQICBAB&usg=AOvVaw3rKRSrXHeR758-f2WkrRwz

19. Daniel Agliata and Stacey Tantleff-Dunn, University of Central Florida,

https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Stacey_Tantleff-

Dunn/publication/247839476_The_Impact_of_Media_Exposure_on_Males%27_Body_Image/links/02e7e53a9f7cd8d443

000000.pdf

20. Forthcoming: Consumption, Markets & Culture,Maurice Patterson, Richard Elliott

https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Maurice_Patterson/publication/247521938_Negotiating_Masculinities_Advertising_

and_the_Inversion_of_the_Male_Gaze/links/544a7ee80cf2bcc9b1d2f4c3/Negotiating-Masculinities-Advertising-and-the-

Inversion-of-the-Male-Gaze.pdf



ISSN No : 1006-7930

Page No: 2015

https://www.google.co.in/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/eec2/9c0da708671c39badbbb9181933675d6db03.pdf&ved=2ahUKEwjmpd36qbbaAhUgSY8KHWpzD-sQFjACegQICBAB&usg=AOvVaw1qhdNIjVDd7D1M34fYka3F



21. Anne E. Becker, https://www.asu.edu/lib/tutorials/empirical/narrative.pdf

22. Mary C Martin and James W Gentry,

https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Mary_Martin13/publication/247662277_Stuck_in_the_Model_Trap_The_Effects_of

_Beautiful_Models_in_Ads_on_Female_Pre-Adolescents_and_Adoles/links/566834bb08ae34c89a05a7aa.pdf

23. Marjorie J. Hogan, Victor C. Strasburger,

https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/e705/e9227eea15b35eb7a7da82b4568743e818c4.pdf

24. Sinead Gorman, http://esource.dbs.ie/bitstream/handle/10788/2505/ba_gorman_s_2015.pdf?sequence=1

25. Aileen Pidgeon, Rachel A. Harker, http://file.scirp.org/pdf/OJMP_2013102210143055.pdf

26. Helga Dittmar, Suzanne Ive, Emma Halliwell,

http://static1.nina.be/static/asset/2014/DoesBarbieMakeGirlsWantToBeThin_1721.pdf



ISSN No : 1006-7930

Page No: 2016

a study on the psychological effects of body stereotypes as...

Documents