Adolecents' Perceptions of Magazine Media Effects of Self-Esteem & Gender

Date of Award

2003

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelors

Department

Social Sciences

First Advisor

Barton, Michelle

Keywords

Adolescence, Eating Disorders, Clinical

Area of Concentration

Psychology

Abstract

The differences in perceptions of magazine advertisements by adolescent and adult samples were investigated. Advertising stimuli were collected from teen magazines that displayed a single fernale model in the ad. Participants were asked to spontaneously identify salient features of the 21 ads. Next, they were explicitly asked to rate each model based on thinness, sexiness, and attractiveness. A self-esteem measure was used for the adolescent sample to delineate how self-esteem affected viewing. Salient features of the ads were explicit for the adolescent sample and differed by gender. Adolescent males sorted the ads based on characteristics of the model, while adolescent females sorted the ads based on characteristics of the ad not specific to the model. Attractiveness of the model was particularly salient to the adolescent male sample. The rating tasks also yielded significant results. The characteristic of thinness, evaluated by the rating task, appeared to be a non-salient feature. The reasons for this finding are explored. Adolescent females rated the models under stricter standards of sexiness and attractiveness than the adolescent males. A significant relationship was found between ratings of sexiness and attractiveness, but no significant relationships were found with the ratings of thinness. Global-esteem did not significantly influence the sorting task, but did significantly influence the rating of sexiness and attractiveness. Adolescents' with a score indicative of high global esteem had a tendency to rate the model as normal in regards to sexiness and attractiveness. Adolescents' with a score indicative of low global esteem tended to rate the models as very attractive and very sexy. The global esteem score did not significantly influence ratings of thinness. A significant age difference in the sorting and rating tasks was observed between adults and adolescents. The results indicated that adolescents did not sort the ads based on features of the model, as adults did. Adolescents' ratings of the features of the model also significantly differed from the adults' ratings. Adults had a lower threshold than the adolescents for identifying sexiness and attractiveness. The implications of these findings are discussed in relation to the development of body dissatisfaction and impaired self-image, which arise in the onset of eating disorders.

Rights

This bibliographic record is available under the Creative Commons CC0 public domain dedication. The New College of Florida, as creator of this bibliographic record, has waived all rights to it worldwide under copyright law, including all related and neighboring rights, to the extent allowed by law.

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