The Effects of Exposure to Slender and Muscular Images on Male Body Dissatisfaction

<p>GALIOTO, RACHEL, M.A. MAY 2013 PSYCHOLOGY</p><p>THE EFFECTS OF EXPOSURE TO SLENDER AND MUSCULAR IMAGES ON MALE BODY DISSATISFACTION (85 pp.)</p><p>Director of Thesis: Janis H. Crowther</p><p> The present study examined the effects of appearance-based comparisons to muscular and slender idealized male bodies on body dissatisfaction and the contribution of internalization and social comparison to change in body dissatisfaction. Drive for leanness and drive for muscularity were examined as moderators for each condition. Participants were 95 male undergraduates who provided demographic information and completed measures assessing body dissatisfaction, the drive for muscularity, the drive for leanness, internalization, and social comparison. They viewed seven images of either muscular or slender men in advertisements or product-only advertisements. Results indicated that exposure to both muscular and slender media images was associated with an increase in body dissatisfaction; however, there was no change in body dissatisfaction for the product-only condition. Results further indicated that there were no significant differences in the change in body dissatisfaction for the two media image conditions. A series of hierarchical linear regressions indicated that social comparison was a significant predictor of a change in body dissatisfaction for the muscular condition only. Neither the drive for leanness nor the drive for muscularity emerged as a moderator in either condition. These findings demonstrated that even very brief exposure to both slender and muscular media images may impact a man’s body dissatisfaction. Importantly, a novel finding of this research was that exposure to slender images was associated with a similar amount of change in body dissatisfaction as exposure to muscular images. These results support the examination of media literacy interventions with this population.</p>

Name thesis:degree_name

MA

Level thesis:degree_level

masters

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

College of Arts and Sciences / Department of Psychological Sciences

Grantor dc:publisher

Kent State University

Year dc:date

2013

Author dc:creator

• Galioto, Rachel M.

Contributors dc:contributor

• Crowther, Janis

• Psychobiology
• body image
• body dissatisfaction
• weight lifting
• media images

Statement dc:rights

• unrestricted
• This thesis or dissertation is protected by copyright: all rights reserved. It may not be copied or redistributed beyond the terms of applicable copyright laws.

Language dc:language

English

Repository record dc:identifier

http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=kent1357582675

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:etd.ohiolink.edu:kent1357582675