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Introduction: The study examines the influence on body dissatisfaction of viewed images of bodies transmitted over mass media and social media, as mediated by the internalization of body ideals through media and selfdiscrepancy (the difference between the perceived actual self and the perceived ideal self). Method: In this study, the images of bodies individuals view in their everyday media diet are estimated using a newly developed pictorial scale for women (thinness) and men (muscularity). For participants, the perceived body image is formed through mass media (magazines, TV) and social media (Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, and Snapchat). The self-discrepancy theory is then used to explain the effect of images of bodies in the media on the internalization of these body ideals and body dissatisfaction. Results: Results show that Facebook and YouTube shape body ideals perceived to be prevalent in the media, negatively influencing internalization and self-discrepancy. Self-discrepancy, in turn, increases body dissatisfaction. However, for males, the perceived body ideals in the media did not affect body dissatisfaction, internalization, or self-discrepancy. Discussion: These results emphasize the importance of combining and comparing mass and social media and differentiating between female and male concerns regarding body image. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many of the models shown in advertising may be utilised to make false comparisons among themselves. The results of social comparison theory show that the more comparisons people make, the more unhappiness they have with their own appearance. There seems to be a gender difference in how men and women compare themselves to media images. According to studies, males are less likely than women to make upward comparisons with media models. For the person making the comparison, these comparisons nearly invariably result in negative feelings and self-evaluations. Behavioral intention for looking like a model and the pressure through advertisement on the respondents are considered as factors that makes the women to improve their personal appearances. Silhouette scale is used to measure the body dissatisfaction of the respondents. Visiting Gym and exercising are considered as important body investment practices. Respondents doing exercise regularly are having better behavioral intention and they also feel the pressure of advertisements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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The article "How satisfied are we with our body?" in the magazine "Cosmetic Medicine + Aesthetic Surgery" examines the influence of mass media on body image and satisfaction with one's own body. Sociological studies show that the reception of attractive individuals in the media can lead to comparisons and imitations, especially among children and adolescents. Gender-specific differences show that girls are more dissatisfied with their figure and idealize a slimmer silhouette. Satisfaction is considered in psychology as a cognitive component of happiness, which differs from the affective component - mood. [Extracted from the article]

Using a between-participants experimental paradigm, the present study investigated U.S. adolescent boys' (n = 96) and college men's (n = 194) attitudes toward media images of male athletes as well as their thoughts about the athletes. Participants viewed either sexualized (i.e., skin exposed, sexual pose) or performance (i.e., in uniform and in action poses on the field/court) images of male athletes. They then rated the athletes' competence, esteem, and sexual appeal and completed a writing task about their reactions to the images. Male viewers rated the sexualized athletes lower in competence and esteem and higher in sexual appeal compared to the performance athletes. These results have implications for advocacy efforts calling for less sexualization in today's media environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: It has been suggested that the media influence beliefs regarding ideal body appearance and drive for muscularity whilst also offering recommendations for achieving this; most commonly heavy load free weight resistance training (RT). However, evidence for media effects are inconsistent in the literature. This study investigated this "lift big-get big" culture and effects of imagery on males' beliefs regarding RT. Method: An online survey was conducted with male participants (N = 110) randomized to different images (hyper-muscular/lean/control) and RT information ("lift big-get big"/"evidence based RT"/control). Results: Descriptive data suggested belief in necessity of heavy loads and free weights was pervasive. There was a small significant effect of condition for multivariate analysis of beliefs regarding RT. Univariate analyses showed significant effects of condition regarding the importance of free weights and heavy loads for strength, and free weights for hypertrophy. Small to moderate effects were found comparing "evidence-based RT" with a hyper-muscular physique to "lift big-get big" conditions with both hyper-muscular and lean physiques, the latter more likely to agree free weights and heavy loads are necessary for strength. A small effect was found comparing "lift big-get big" conditions with both hyper-muscular and lean physiques and the control condition, the former more likely to agree free weights are necessary for hypertrophy. Conclusions: Although hyper-muscular bodies alone did not influence RT beliefs, new information, i.e., "evidence-based RT" combined with a hyper-muscular physique had a small effect. The "lift big-get big" culture is perhaps pervasive enough that most conditions merely reinforced existing beliefs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article explores how the U.S. public has witnessed media images policing through the use of excessive force, such as assaults, false arrests, verbal abuse, and terrorization. Topics include experiences of Black people fighting for justice in the U.S. residents protesting extreme social inequality in Ecuador and Chile; Muslims in India facing violence for their religious beliefs; women in Mexico and Santiago protesting gender-based violence are the targets of police violence.

Research in diverse populations has often found that thin media images negatively affect women's state body image, with many women reporting lower body satisfaction after exposure to pictures of thin models than before exposure. However, there is evidence that theistic affirmations might buffer against the negative effect of media on body image. Furthermore, religiosity and the Islamic body covering are discussed as protective factors against a negative trait body image. However, there is no experimental research on veiled Muslim women's state body image. Therefore, the current study experimentally investigated whether the body satisfaction of veiled Muslim women (n = 66) decreased after exposure to thin media images compared to pictures of furniture as a control condition. Christian women (n = 90) and atheist women (n = 74) were included as control groups, and participants were randomly assigned to the two conditions. Prior to the experimental session, participants' trait body image was assessed using an online questionnaire comprising questions about body satisfaction, thin-ideal internalization, pressure to be thin, and physical appearance comparisons. It was found that veiled Muslim women had a more positive trait body image than did Christian women and atheist women. Accordingly, veiled Muslim women reported lower levels of thin-ideal internalization, pressure to be thin, and physical appearance comparisons than did Christian women and atheist women. The experimental findings showed that body satisfaction decreased in the experimental condition and not in the control condition, but no significant differences in pre-post changes emerged between the three groups. As the pre-post changes in body satisfaction did not differ between the three groups, veiling might not buffer against the negative effect of thin media images on state body image. Nevertheless, given the more positive trait body image of veiled Muslim women compared to Christian and atheist women, veiling might positively influence body image in the longer term. However, as additional analyses including unveiled Muslim women did not reveal differences between veiled and unveiled Muslim women, future studies should test the assumption that affiliation to Islam might be more decisive for a positive trait body image than veiling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although research has documented a connection between media and body image for women, little research has explored this connection among pregnant or postpartum women. The purpose of this study was to explore women’s perceptions of media and body image during the perinatal period. Fredrickson’s objectification theory provided a theoretical framework for the study. Data collection involved semi-structured in-depth interviews with 50 pregnant or postpartum women in which they were asked to describe their perceptions of media depictions of pregnant or postpartum women and its impact on their body image. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed thematically. Four major themes emerged: (1) participants questioned the realism of media depictions of pregnant and postpartum women, (2) participants described complex reactions to media messages including negative impacts on body image and strategies for mitigating negative impacts, (3) participants desired changes in media messages to be more realistic and to depict a more complex portrayal of the life stage, and (4) participants discussed the unique and complex role of social media including both negative and positive impacts. Implications of the findings for pregnant and postpartum women, communication scholars, and healthcare professionals are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Much research has found that exposure to certain types of media portrayals of women can be related to body image concerns among women. The current paper focuses on the impact of certain messages on pregnant and postpartum women. These women are rarely examined in a media research context but are particularly vulnerable to body image concerns. This experimental study involved 192 pregnant or postpartum women who read a magazine containing glamorized media portrayals of pregnant/postpartum women or a control magazine. Pregnant women reported lower body image after only five minutes of exposure to the magazine with pregnant/postpartum women compared to the control group. There was no immediate effect on postpartum women. Implications for the media industry, health professionals, and women are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The advent of social media offers yet another set of communication channels which can brand add to integrated marketing communication strategies. Contrary to online advertising available on social media where traditional advertising logic provides an adequate explanation, the content creation and dialogue on social networks still lack sufficient understanding. Consequently, there are many companies which tend to misunderstand customers communication needs within the social media landscape. The obvious reason is the lack of knowledge combined with resistance to change. To bridge this gap, there is a need for empirical research which will clarify the current communication needs of customers. To explore this phenomenon, exploratory research employing questionnaire involving 481 respondents was evaluated with factor analysis method. Identification of three factors provided deeper insights into the understanding of attitudes and behaviour of the current internet population in the Czech Republic. Social network Facebook was chosen as the most widespread not only locally but also globally. Based on this research and previous research studies on communication, a new communication model is proposed in which the element of interaction is the most important. The proposed scheme bears some novel aspects. Firstly, the content in our model is not created outside as in previous models. A social network itself provides a platform for content creation. Secondly, we expanded the physical technical environment of the social network by the abstract brand community in which not only customers but the employees form a vital part. Lastly, the data plays an important role as a valuable tool for feedback and further analysis. Data flow from customer to company enables managers to execute true mass individualisation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined the relationship between Instagram use (overall, as well as specifically viewing fitspiration images) and body image concerns and self-objectification among women between the ages of 18 and 25 from the United States (n = 203) and from Australia (n = 73). Furthermore, this study tested whether internalization of the societal beauty ideal, appearance comparison tendency in general, or appearance comparisons to specific target groups on Instagram mediated any relationships between Instagram use and the appearance-related variables. Greater overall Instagram use was associated with greater self-objectification, and that relationship was mediated both by internalization and by appearance comparisons to celebrities. More frequently viewing fitspiration images on Instagram was associated with greater body image concerns, and that relationship was mediated by internalization, appearance comparison tendency in general, and appearance comparisons to women in fitspiration images. Together, these results suggest that Instagram usage may negatively influence women’s appearance-related concerns and beliefs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Physical appearance comparison may make individuals more susceptible to the detrimental effects of brief media exposure on body satisfaction. However, it is unclear whether these findings would also extend to chronic media exposure in everyday life. In addition, it is unknown whether the role of appearance comparison relative to media and body dissatisfaction differs between genders. This study examined trait physical appearance comparison as a moderator of the relationships between television and Internet exposure and appearance evaluation and body area satisfaction. Male (n = 137) and female (n = 335) undergraduates completed self-report measures of trait physical appearance comparison, television and Internet consumption, appearance evaluation, and body area satisfaction. Among women, appearance comparison moderated the relationship between television exposure and appearance evaluation, such that those who engaged in more appearance comparison and viewed more television had a more negative evaluation of their appearance. Among men, appearance comparison moderated the relationship between Internet use and body area dissatisfaction, such that those who engaged in more appearance comparison and spent a significant amount of time on the Internet had greater body area dissatisfaction. These results suggest that appearance comparison represents a vulnerability for experiencing body dissatisfaction from media exposure, contingent on media format and gender. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Findings indicated that the mass media exposure significantly associated with body image dissatisfaction [Chen & Jackson, 2012. Gender and age group differences in mass media and interpersonal influences on body dissatisfaction among Chinese adolescents.Sex Roles,66(1-2), 3–20; Field et al., 2005. Exposure to the mass media, body shape concerns, and use of supplements to improve weight and shape among male and female adolescents.Pediatrics,116(2), e214–e220]. However, limited studies have examined the effect of social media on body image concerns. In regard to this, this paper aims to explore how appearance presentation and appearance interaction on social networking sites influence young adults’ body image dissatisfaction in the Chinese patriarchal society. It proposes that internalization, social comparison and body surveillance may be potential mediators of SNS influences from appearance presentation and appearance interaction on female’s and male’s body dissatisfaction. A survey of 181 males and 203 females indicated that online appearance interaction was significantly associated with female’s body dissatisfaction. In addition, its effect was partially mediated by body surveillance. Besides, body surveillance also mediated the effect of appearance presentation on female’s body dissatisfaction. In male’s case, the influence of online appearance interaction on body dissatisfaction was mediated by internalization and social comparison. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

A large number of studies have investigated body image and appearance-related social comparisons among college students and adolescents. However, there is no adolescent-specific instrument for measurement of body and appearance satisfaction within social context. The present study aimed to develop and validate Adolescent Comparative Body and Appearance Satisfaction Scale (ACBASS). Three studies ( n = 938) were conducted to investigate validity and reliability of the scale. Finally, a 20-item scale with 4 components (physical fitness, facial appearance, physical health, and body strength) was resulted with adequate psychometric properties. This newly developed scale may be used in clinical and research settings among adolescents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The verbal messages that contextualize exposure to idealized body imagery may moderate media users’ body satisfaction. Such contextualizing verbal messages often take the form of social comparison motives in fashion magazines, while body dissatisfaction is an important mechanism underlying various body image–related health issues like depression and unbalanced weight status. Hence, the present study applied social comparison motives as induced through magazine cover messages. Hypotheses were tested in an experimental design with social comparison motives (self-improvement vs. self-evaluation vs. control) and recipient gender as between-subjects factors and body satisfaction as within-subjects factor (N = 150). Results showed that self-improvement messages accompanying ideal body media models increased body satisfaction, compared to control messages and baseline measures. In contrast, the self-evaluation messages did not impact body satisfaction. Results imply that inconsistencies regarding effects from exposure to idealized body imagery are explained by the context in which media images are portrayed, evoking differential social comparison motives. Moreover, the findings imply that health communication interventions can use verbal messages on body improvement as helpful tools, if they draw on social comparison motives effectively. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

In experimental investigations of how exposure to thin-ideal body types affects body dissatisfaction (a predictor of disordered eating), it is unclear what the nature of the control condition should be. The current investigation utilizes an un-confounded design and models a method for developing control images of women who differ from thin models in terms of body type and body type only (while using a cover story to reduce suspicion and providing participants with details other than body shape to focus on). The expected effect of image type on body satisfaction was found (after controlling for participants' self-perceived overall attractiveness), although consistent with Ferguson's (2013) meta-analysis, the effect was small. A scale type manipulation, however, designed to test an account of the findings in terms of how participants define scale endpoints, did not significantly affect the results, perhaps because participants spontaneously engaged in social comparison when first exposed to the models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The TV oak (Television Oak) conflict concerned felling an old tree in a wealthy area of Stockholm. The case received great public attention in different media formats with different scopes (e.g., newspapers, television, internet). The TV Oak issue involved actors with different, partly conflicting perceptions. Assuming that the relevance of urban tree management issues in particular leads to increased interest among the local audience, this paper compared differences in reporting on the TV Oak case in local and national newspapers. The comparison comprised the actors "speaking" in the newspapers, the interest roles attributed to different actors and the frames used. The empirical materials used were articles concerning the TV Oak published between October 2011 and June 2012 in one local and two national Swedish newspapers. Quantitative analysis of statements in these articles showed that the geographical scope of the newspaper was not the major driving force framing the TV Oak conflict and that variety of framings, ranging from a humanised perception of the oak to a more analytical hazard perception, were used. Differences between the interest roles allocated to different actors (e.g., in terms of victim, causer, and helper in the oak conflict) showed that the framing of conflicts very much depended on single actors, in particular a high profile journalist in the national newspapers and private individuals writing letters to the editor in the local newspaper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An introduction is presented in which the editors discuss articles within the issue on topics including coping with digital stress in adolescents, internet addiction of adolescent, perceptions of Latina adolescent girls on the role of media in modeling valued body shapes and sizes.

The present study investigated the notion that the scrutiny of post-partum celebrity bodies by gossip media reinforces the message to all women that their bodies are vulnerable to close, critical scrutiny and that their value is contingent upon their appearance (e.g., Gentile ). Using objectification theory (Fredrickson and Roberts ) and the media priming framework (Roskos-Ewoldsen and Roskos-Ewoldsen ), the present study examined the impact of depictions of post-partum celebrities on never-pregnant young women. College women ( N = 127) were randomly assigned to view full-body images and accompanying photo captions depicting recently post-partum celebrities, headshot-only images and captions depicting the same recently post-partum celebrities, or control images and captions featuring home décor and travel destinations. Results revealed that assignment to both the full-body and headshot conditions resulted in higher state self-objectification compared to the control condition. However, those in the headshot condition reported higher body surveillance scores than those in the full-body condition. Results are discussed in light of objectification theory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Negative effects of viewing images of thin and attractive models have been well documented. However, these models are typically presented in an objectified, passive form with a focus on the aesthetic qualities of the body. Little is known about women's responses to models presented in an active form, with a focus on athleticism and performance. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to test body conceptualization theory by exposing women to models presented with a focus on the body-as-object (BAO), the body-as-process (BAP), or images of scenery, and to examine whether a desire to achieve an athletic body interacted with these effects. A convenience sample of 160 women was recruited from the general public, gyms, and university in a regional Australian area. Participants completed pre- and post-test measures of state mood, fitness and body satisfaction as well as a trait measure of athletic internalization. Results showed that exposure to either BAP or BAO images produced similar negative outcomes compared to exposure to scenery. Thus, emphasis on performance cues still elicits negative self-evaluations. However, differences between women high and low on athletic internalization were primarily found in response to the BAO images. That is, women who desired an athletic physique reported greater depression, anger and feelings of fatness after viewing the posed models compared to women who expressed less desire for an athletic body shape. Further research is needed around the ways in which athletic images and athletic internalization can be used to foster a more positive body image. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research has demonstrated that interpersonal weight-related pressures and criticisms are related to body dissatisfaction among college women. Further, research has suggested that romantic partners, in comparison to family and peers, play an increasingly important role in college women's body dissatisfaction. However, research has been inconsistent on the roles that these sources of interpersonal weight-related pressure and criticism play in college women's body dissatisfaction. The influence of romantic partners on college women's body dissatisfaction is important to examine given that college women are developmentally at a time in their lives where issues related to romantic relationships become more salient. Even more, understanding of the influences on college women's body dissatisfaction and resultant disordered eating is critical so that effective prevention and intervention efforts can be developed. Thus, this study examined the influence of family, peer, romantic partner, media weight-related pressures and criticisms on body dissatisfaction and resultant disordered eating (i.e., dieting and bulimic behaviors) among college women. Participants included undergraduate college women ( N = 246) recruited from introductory psychology courses from a mid-sized U.S. Midwestern university. Women completed paper and pencil surveys for course credit. Path analytic results demonstrated that partner and media pressures were related to internalization of the thin ideal, and that family, peer, and media pressures along with internalization of the thin ideal were related to body dissatisfaction. Moreover, body dissatisfaction was related to maladaptive dieting and bulimic behaviors. Prevention and intervention efforts aimed at reducing the impact of various forms of weight-related pressure, especially the media, appear crucial. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article 'Social media effects on young women's body image concerns: Theoretical perspectives and an agenda for research' by Perloff () extends the study of media effects on women's body image concerns by including social media. His article is important because of the increasing use and unique nature of social media, and it can provide an avenue for future research. The main focus of this commentary is to critically examine the arguments of Perloff () and to provide suggestions on how to extend his model. We begin by emphasizing the importance of culture on body image and provide a theoretical extension based on the theoretical construct of self-construal. Next, we propose to differentiate social media use as motivated by general social media use (e.g., socializing and entertainment) from that driven by specific needs related to body image concerns (e.g., pro-eating disorder sites). In addition, we suggest differentiating mere exposure to content from the active use of social media, such as commenting and posting. Finally, we recommend advancing the research on body image beyond the thin ideal because body dissatisfaction can be related to various body parts (e.g., breast size, skin color, and eye shape), and we recommend including participants beyond adolescence, integrating multiple methods, and conducting research on interventions. The aim of this commentary is not to provide a framework for specific cultures or social contexts, but to offer suggestions that encourage researchers to broaden the scope of research on body image concerns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is written in response to Perloff's article for the Feminist Forum that proposes an agenda and a related model to guide future research conducted in the area of social media effects on young women's body image concerns, especially as they occur in the United States. The current paper offers suggestions and considerations for ways to renegotiate and reconfigure Perloff's agenda and model. Specifically, this paper argues for a model that makes space for both deleterious and salutary effects, not only the former, as a means to create a model that is malleable enough to provide heuristic value for future empirical research in this area. The current paper includes a United States-focused review of the recent research about online social support groups (OSGs) and internet-based health interventions that include social media applications and suggests that these media and their related effects be included in the proposed model moving forward. The current paper also contends that more concerted and prominent attention to the form, function, attributes and/or affordances of social media is needed in the proposed agenda and related model. The theory of affordances offers a comprehensive way to address the complexity of how social media is used and the related outcomes they bring about for a particular group of people (i.e., young women with body image concerns) and is therefore also suggested as an addition to the proposed model. Other related augmentations, addendums and revisions are suggested near the end of the current paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we provide a commentary on Perloff's theoretical perspectives and agenda for research that examines the effects of social media on young women's body image concerns. Social media are the main form of mass media being used by the youth of today, and researchers in the U.S. and Australia have commenced studying how these may be affecting body image concerns. However, the processes underlying how social media may influence young people's body image appear to be no different from underlying other forms of mass media. Research is needed to more fully evaluate youth's experiences of online appearance culture and how this may foster both negative and positive peer interactions. We also need more studies which compare the influences on social media with other media forms as there is no clear evidence that social networking sites and other forms of social media are more detrimental to one's body image than other forms of media. We also consider factors that may protect young people from internalizing appearance ideals that are promoted by the mass media. In addition, we consider broader conceptualizations of body image so that a wider range of human experiences can be studied. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This commentary in response to Perloff () suggests considerations for studying social media's potential influence on body image. These are derived from Perloff's transactional model of social media and body image. In investigating how social media use may influence body dissatisfaction in the United States, scholars should consider how the purposes and functions of social media differentiate them from traditional media effects theories. Individuals may be more likely to encounter unsought messages in social media than in traditional media. Social media messages have the potential to present much more diverse representations of female and male bodies because they are mostly produced and disseminated by individuals. Finally, social media offer the ability to reach a variety of at-risk groups with media literacy training. Media literacy training educates audiences about the purposes of messages, which can increase skepticism and possibly reduce message effects. Thus, media literacy training may address the media-related aspect of body dissatisfaction because it teaches critical and analytical skills. Theoretically driven models such as Perloff's transactional model of social media and body image provide a fruitful basis of research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In an article in this issue of Sex Roles, I proposed a transactional model of social media effects on body image concerns that emphasizes the role played by individual vulnerability characteristics, gratifications sought from social media, and a host of mediating psychological processes. Commentators offered thoughtful responses to the model, pointing to strengths, but also targeting a number of areas for additional emphasis and ameliorative attention. This article, with a focus on the U.S. context, reviews each of the papers. It summarizes their main suggestions, and pulls together the host of forward-looking ideas, including the role played by cultural forces, the interplay between social and conventional mass media, and an emphasis on the salutary effects of social media on body image processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on social comparison theory, this study explores how interest in celebrities' post-baby bodies relates to body image disturbance after childbirth in South Korean women. Previous studies have shown that the media have glamorized celebrities who quickly lose their baby weight. Given the established relationship between thin media images and body image disturbance, the present study investigates whether this relationship, which has been studied mainly in female undergraduates and adolescents in Western countries, might apply to postpartum Korean women. An online survey questionnaire was completed by 345 women, recruited from across the country, who had given birth to a child within one year of the survey date. The results shows that interest in celebrities' post-pregnancy bodies is positively associated with social comparison behavior (i.e., comparison of their bodies to those of others), which is in turn positively linked to body dissatisfaction and drive for thinness. These two otherwise simple mediation models were differently moderated by public self-consciousness (i.e., the tendency to compare oneself to others). In predicting body dissatisfaction, public self-consciousness moderated the relationship between social comparison behavior and body dissatisfaction. In predicting drive for thinness, public self-consciousness moderated the association between interest in celebrities' post-baby bodies and social comparison behavior. The findings confirm the effect of media representations of postpartum celebrities as a beauty standard for non-celebrities, and the role played in this process by both actual comparison behavior and the tendency for comparison. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Past research examining the content of media programming has shown women in the media tend to conform to certain beauty and body standards, with the dominant standard being one of "thinness." Because this thin ideal is so well-documented, there has been an interest in examining the effects of those portrayals on media consumers. Previous research has demonstrated the media can play an important role in causing body dissatisfaction among women. This research builds upon prior studies by conducting an experiment exploring the interaction among image familiarity (the image was of a female celebrity or unknown model), body size (the female was thin or overweight), and race (the female was White or Black) and how those three items could affect participant body satisfaction. Unlike most prior research, the sample was diverse, allowing analysis examining any differences related to participant gender or race. Results suggest there were, indeed, different psychological effects based upon the size, familiarity, and race of the female image viewed, and the effects differed by race. Unlikeprevious research, there were no differences between genders. Implications from these results are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Past research examining the content of media programming has shown women in the media tend to conform to certain beauty and body standards, with the dominant standard being one of "thinness." Because this thin ideal is so well-documented, there has been an interest in examining the effects of those portrayals on media consumers. Previous research has demonstrated the media can play an important role in causing body dissatisfaction among women. This research builds upon prior studies by conducting an experiment exploring the interaction among image familiarity (the image was of a female celebrity or unknown model), body size (the female was thin or overweight), and race (the female was White or Black) and how those three items could affect participant body satisfaction. Unlike most prior research, the sample was diverse, allowing analysis examining any differences related to participant gender or race. Results suggest there were, indeed, different psychological effects based upon the size, familiarity, and race of the female image viewed, and the effects differed by race. Unlike previous research, there were no differences between genders. Implications from these results are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Disordered eating and body image have been widely studied in college students and children. However, few studies have examined body image dissatisfaction in adulthood. Therefore, this study sought to determine the prevalence of body image dissatisfaction in adult men and women. One hundred and thirty-nine adults were surveyed on body dissatisfaction and possible relating factors. It was found that media influence predicted body dissatisfaction in women and that age, family pressure and self-esteem predicted body image dissatisfaction in both men and women. Because adults’ views about their bodies can have an impact on those of their children, it is important that researchers continue to examine body image dissatisfaction and comparable issues within adult populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Susceptibility to appearance-related mass media, interpersonal feedback, and instrumentality were compared as predictors of body satisfaction and shape concerns regarding thinness and muscularity in a sample of 287 undergraduate men and women. Results indicate that both genders experience body dissatisfaction, but along different shape dimensions; susceptibility to appearance-related mass media and negative appearance-related feedback appear to operate in similar ways to affect men’s and women’s overall body satisfaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses research on men's body-image in relation to psychological insecurity and body dissatisfaction. Topics include mass media portrayals of men and masculinity, the findings of the study Growing Up Today Study (GUTS) on body image in U.S. teenage boys, and the need for programmes that can address body image problems in boys and men. The role of muscles in mass media depictions of masculinity is noted.

This study observed the relations between actual body size, body dissatisfaction, frequency of selfies taken, and number of Instagram selfies posted. Results indicated that actual body size was positively related to body dissatisfaction, and negatively related to the number of selfies taken. Results also revealed a positive relationship between body dissatisfaction and selfies taken. Conversely, no correlations were detected between the frequency of selfies posted to Instagram and either actual body size or body image dissatisfaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]