Desensitization to the Female Body

Abstract

Mass media has influenced women’s perception of what constitutes the ideal body (Andrew, Tiggemann, & Clark, 2015). Previous studies have examined the effect of celebrity images on women’s perceptions of their bodies (Brown & Tiggemann, 2016). The current study examined the relationship between the portrayal of female bodies in media and women’s perceptions of the ideal body. Forty-two female participants over the age of 18 were recruited from the General Psychology course at Carroll College (14 participants per condition). We hypothesized that after exposure to celebrity images which portrayed body types in one of the three conditions (thin, average, or curvy), participants would select an ideal body that more closely aligned with the body type they were exposed to.The participants completed a Body Assessment Scale (BAS), Body Image Questionnaire (BIQ), Body Esteem Scale (BES), and Celebrity Worship Scale. Additionally, participants were instructed to view images that portrayed women in one of three conditions: thin, average, and curvy. There was a significant difference in how individuals perceived their body after viewing celebrity images. Specifically, we found that participants selected thinner bodies after viewing any celebrity images (skinny, average, or curvy). There were no significant effects between conditions in any of the other scales. The lack of significance between conditions may indicate a desensitization to media.