The role of the media in body image concerns among women: a meta-analysis of experimental and correlational studies.
Research suggests that exposure to mass media depicting the thin-ideal body may be linked to body image disturbance in women. This meta-analysis examined experimental and correlational studies testing the links between media exposure to women's body dissatisfaction, internalization of the thin ideal, and eating behaviors and beliefs with a sample of 77 studies that yielded 141 effect sizes. The mean effect sizes were small to moderate (ds = -.28, -.39, and -.30, respectively). Effects for some outcome variables were moderated by publication year and study design. The findings support the notion that exposure to media images depicting the thin-ideal body is related to body image concerns for women.
Grabe
Shelly
S
Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1202 West Johnson Street, Madison, WI 53706, USA. grabe@wisc.edu
Ward
L Monique
LM
Hyde
Janet Shibley
JS
D000328:Adult; D001828:Body Image; D003469:Culture; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008402:Mass Media; D012649:Self Concept; D012919:Social Behavior