STUDY: IMAGES OF THIN FEMALE BODIES RESULT IN VIEWER BODY DISSATISFACTION.
A study by psychologist Patricia Owen is the first to show that brief exposure to media images of thin female bodies results in body dissatisfaction on the part of the viewer.
The study's purpose was to assess the impact of such media exposure to thin and average size fashion magazine models on the viewers' opinions of their own body size, preferred body size and mood. Photos of models were manipulated by image distorting computer software to create average size bodies from thin ones, to control such distracting factors as hair, face and clothing style.
The undergraduate female student study participants had no eating disorders. Half of them viewed images of average size models, while the other half viewed images of thin models. Results showed that those who viewed the thin images reported greater body dissatisfaction and less positive mood.
Owen, a professor of psychology at St. Mary's University in San Antonio, Texas, conducted the research with Jill Rader of the University of Texas at Austin. Owen can reached at 210-431-2018, or at [email protected] Or contact Rob Leibold in the St. Mary's news office at 210-436-3327, or at [email protected]
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