LITERATURE REVIEW Researchers have used various abstract foundations for examining the relationship between media and body image ( Holmstrom, 2004). Here I review the theory that has been used by researcher in the area. Bandura’s Social cognitive theory (1994) assumed that “people learn and model the behaviors of attractive others”. The supporters of this theory suggest that young women find slim models in the media attractive and try to imitate them through dieting which leads them to eating disorders. Body image refers to a person’s unique perception of his/her body. It is how we perceive ourselves, how we think we appear to others, and how we feel about our looks from “our own internal view” (cash, 1990b, p. 51).This internal view is associated with a person’s feelings, thought, and evaluations (positive or negative). (Cultivation and social comparison, p. 3). Body image includes an individual’s perception and judgment of the size, shape, weight, and any other aspect of body which relates to body appearance. The concept of body image has changed greatly over the years. According to ………(10) Models of Rubens, Rembrandt, Gaugin and Matisse were all rounded, plump women.A plump and healthy women was admired as it reflected wealth and success.(14). Where as images of women have become slimmer since the 1950’s according to Jennifer A. (Australian journal of nutrition and dietetics). Abraham and Mira warnes in 1988 that health educators and health professionals should weigh up carefully the benefits of weight loss against the risks of inducing psychological disturbances such as eating disorders and adverse physiological side effects such as dieting and severe weight loss…(37)(ajn). Media has played a great role over the decade... ... middle of paper ... .... Psychology and Marketing, 513-530. Nio, T. (2003). Cultivation and social comparison of the thin-ideal syndrome: The effects of media exposure on body image disturbance and the state self-esteem of college women. School of Journalism in the Graduate Scho, 105-113. Holmstrom, A. (2004). The effects of the media on the body image: A Meta-Analysis. Journal of Broadcasting and Electronic Media, 48(2), 196-217. Strasburger, V., & Donnerstein, E. (1999). Children, Adolescents, and the Media: Issues and Solutions. Pediatrics, 103(1), 129-139. O’Dea, J. (1995). Body image and nutritional status among adolescents and adults. Journal of Nutrition & Dietetics, 25, 56-67. Groesz, L., Levine, M., & Murnen, S. (2001). The effect of experimental presentation of thin media images on body satisfaction: A Meta-Analysis review. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 1-16.
Rosen, J.C., (1995). Body Image Assessment and Treatment in Controlled Studies of Eating Disorders. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 20, 331-343.
Social pressure to have a perfect body is experienced by many women and young girls. The perfect body has been constructed by society and by the media and women and girls is expected to conform to it. “The American Anorexia and Bulimia Association states that: 1000 American women die of anorexia each year and that people with eating disorders have the second highest fatality rate of the psychological disorders”. Women are dying each year because of body image disturbance disorders and discovering the link between media images and perfect body image could be helpful in finding a successful intervention.
The Effects of Media on the Body-Image of Preadolescent Girls. Media is infamous for having a tremendous effect on teenage girls. The mass media have long been criticized for presenting unrealistic appearance ideals that contribute to the development of negative body image for many women and girls (Harrison & Hefner, 2006). Whether it’s the influence on their choice of friends, school, or their self-image, media has played an important role in affecting those decisions. A growing number of experimental studies have demonstrated a causal link between acute exposure to "thin-ideal" images (i.e., images of impossibly thin and attractive female beauty) and increased body dissatisfaction (Hargreaves & Tiggemann, 2003).
Mass media has evolved over the years and is heard to have many effects on body image. Does mass media have an effect on body image? To answer this question, I have explored academic articles for different social science disciplines. This particular discipline is Psychology. The discipline of psychology will show how body images affect people and what causes them to be affected. The articles being reviewed are Barlett, Christopher P., Christopher L. Vowels and Donald A. Saucier. “Meta-Analyses of the Effects of Media Images on Men’s Body Image Concerns.” Journal of Social & Clinical Psychology. 27.3 (2008) : 279-310., Hayes, Sharon and Stacey Tantleff-Dunn. “Am I too fat to be a princess? Examining the effects of popular children’s media on
Men and women are primed from a young age through magazines, TV shows, social media apps and more to conform to the ideal standards of beauty. As people move through the different milestones of the human lifespan their body image expectations and motivations change. It is essential to study body image to understand the effect it has on our physical, emotional, and psychological health. Exploring body image though the categories of university students, ethnicity, pregnancy, and gender helps to gain a well rounded view of medias effects on body
Yamamiya, Y., Cash, T. F., Melnyk, S. E., Posavac, H. D., & Posavac, S. S. (2005). Women's exposure to thin-and-beautiful media images: Body image effects of media-ideal internalization and impact-reduction interventions. Body image, 2(1), 74-80.
Nio, T. (2003). Cultivation and social comparison of the thin-ideal syndrome: The effects of media exposure on body image disturbance and the state self-esteem of college women. School of Journalism in the Graduate Scho, 105-113.
After extensively researching the topic and taking notes on the information that was presented in “An Intervention for the Negative Influence of Media on Body Esteem,” it was questioned whether or not exposing myths about female portrayal in the media can increase how satisfied a woman is with her body. As the media shows being thin as being perfect, women begin to eat unhealthy or develop unhealthy eating habits such as fasting or purging. In a short study conducted by Fister and Smith (2004), a strong correlation was found between eating disorder habits and actually thinking the result will be the ideal thinness portrayed in the media. In addition to this, edited pictures in the media can lead women to depression and lowered self-esteem (Haas, et al, 2012). However, when high risk females were shown images of average, normal models prior to being exposed to the models shown in the media today, they were determined to be less likely to try to become thinner. In “An Intervention for the Negative Influence of Media on Body Esteem,” three studies were done to observe the impact exposure of realities have on women. The first study hypothesized interventions before media exposure would lead to fewer comparisons between the participants and the models. Two videos used in this study as experimental tools were “Artificial Beauty” and “Genetic Realities”; “Artificial Beauty” demonstrated how pictures in the media are inappropriate comparisons because of the extensive amount of editing and picture enhancement used. “Genetic Realities” discussed how pictures in the media are incorrect because in reality, most females are simply incapable of looking those models; the video used as a control was “Parenting Skills”. It was concluded that inter...
Body image, according to Webster’s dictionary is a subjective picture of one’s own physical appearance established both by self-observation and by noting the reactions of others. Body image refers to people’s judgment about their own bodies and it is molded as people compare themselves to others. Since people are exposed to numerous media images, these media images become the foundation for some of these comparisons. When people’s judgment tell them that their bodies are subpar, they can suffer from low self-esteem, can become depressed or develop mental or eating disorders.
Body image is the way we see worth of ourselves by looking at ourselves and determine if we are happy with the way we look, you can look slim, thinner, muscular, and chubby and you be happy the way you look. A bunch of factors plays on the influence we have on body image, Peers, family, social media, etc. can decide what the factor of how we see body image. How we build, body image includes learning from others people experiences and taking out myth that people believe. Body image
“Mass media transmit the ideas, values, norms, attitudes, and behaviors that socialize and construct the social reality of those who use them for a wide variety of reasons” (Lopez-Guimera, Levine, Sanchez-Carracedo, & Fauquet, 2010, p. 388). The world of mass media has a significant influence on its audience in terms of what is considered to be the ideal body type, pressuring society to look a certain way to receive public acceptance. This pressure creates a distorted perception that is not always a positive one, it can be detrimental to an individual’s mental and physical health. According to Marika Tiggemann (2014), body dissatisfaction results from exposure to skinny media images generating a harmful social comparison. An analysis covering the effects of media on body image shows that consumers are being deceived through edited images and can also be linked to eating disorders. However, can media really be that harmful to body image?
The pattern is similar for the portrayal of women on television, magazines, and other parts of the media. The way media represents women are for them to be thin-like models and other women on television to be the high standard of “attractiveness” to others. The advertising involved targets young teenage women and feature these models that are portraying desirable items, and the “norm” is for these women to be slender and beautiful (Vonderen & Kinnally, 2012). Research has been done to prove that media’s pressure on being thin causes women to be depressive and negative feelings about themselves . Women’s view are skewed and perceived incorrectly of what the typical female body should be (Haas, Pawlow, Pettibone & Segrist, 2012).
A quite common problem in American society regarding body image is the development of eating disorders. Though the causes are not always known, a seriously negative perception of body image may result in unhealthy
Body image is a key part of our sense of identity and not a trivial matter or one of personal vanity. It is a fundamental part of our sense and self and affects our thoughts, emotions, and behavior. It is the belief that our size, shape, and weight convey to the world what type of person we are. Our bodies and appearances are under scrutiny on a daily basis. Between health campaigns, magazines, television shows, peers; there is a continual promotion or suggestion of how one should physically look.
This article touches on how body image has become the main aspect of physical and mental well-being. Its main focus is to address whether or not the media plays a role in the negative impact of today 's ideal body image. This article is also looking at how the media 's portrayal of the ideal body image impacts how we view ourselves.It is going to address the major links between the mass media and body image and how the shape today generation.