title: Early adolescents' experiences with, and views of, Barbie.
abstract: There has been a great deal of debate over the influence of Barbie dolls on girls' developing self-concept and body image. Two qualitative studies were conducted to gather information about early adolescents' experiences with, and perspectives on, the controversial toy. In Study 1, focus groups with twenty 6th-grade girls suggested that they have ambiguous feelings toward the doll and the feminine sexualized image it represents. Study 2 gathered essay responses from fifty 7th- and 8th-grade boys and girls regarding their experiences with, and opinions on, Barbie dolls. Participants reported both positive and negative feelings toward the doll and its influence on girls' development.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Western Connecticut State University, 181 White Street, Danbury, Connecticut 06810, USA. kuther@wcsu.edu
authors.forename: Tara L
authors.initials: TL
authors.lastname: Kuther
authors.forename: Erin
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: McDonald
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007092:Imagination; D010553:Personality Development; D010988:Play and Playthings; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires