title: The impact of doll style of dress and familiarity on body dissatisfaction in 6- to 8-year-old girls.
abstract: We tested the impact of exposure to dolls of different body types and wardrobes on girls' body dissatisfaction. In Study 1, 112 girls (6 to 8 years old) were randomized to one of four conditions: thin (Barbie™) or full-figured (Tracy™) dolls dressed in a swimsuit or modest clothing. In Study 2, a different cohort of girls (n=112) was exposed to one of four conditions containing unfamiliar dolls of different body size (thin vs. full-figured) and dress (modest vs. swimsuit). In both studies, girls who played with thin dolls experienced higher body size discrepancies than girls who played with full-figured dolls. Girls who played with full-figured dolls showed less body dissatisfaction after doll exposure compared to girls who played with thin dolls. Playing with unrealistically thin dolls may encourage motivation for a thinner shape in young girls.
authors.affiliation: John F. Kennedy High School, Bellmore, NY 11710, United States.
authors.forename: Rebecca D
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Jellinek
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Virginia Wesleyan College, 1584 Wesleyan Drive, Norfolk, VA 23502, United States.
authors.forename: Taryn A
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Myers
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutritional Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, 110 Chandlee Laboratory, University Park, PA 16802, United States; Department of Food Science, The Pennsylvania State University, 110 Chandlee Laboratory, University Park, PA 16802, United States. Electronic address: klk37@psu.edu.
authors.forename: Kathleen L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Keller
mesh_terms: D057215:Body Dysmorphic Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology*; D001828:Body Image / Q000523:psychology*; D049628:Body Size; D002648:Child; D003020:Clothing / Q000523:psychology*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D005783:Gender Identity; D006801:Humans; D007100:Imitative Behavior; D009042:Motivation; D010988:Play and Playthings; D013851:Thinness / Q000523:psychology
keywords: Body dissatisfaction; Body esteem; Body image; Dolls