Thesis
Adolescent perceptions of objectifying magazine advertisements and feelings of body consciousness
Washington State University
Master of Science (MS), Washington State University
12/2015
Handle:
https://hdl.handle.net/2376/100915
Abstract
Objective: Adolescents suffer from a host of negative health outcomes related to perceptions of their bodies. Previous research has linked health outcomes to objectifying media content, to which adolescents have unprecedented access and exposure to. The purpose of this study is to examine how adolescents perceive objectifying media, and how their perceptions are associated with feelings of body consciousness. Method: Drawing from a national U.S. sample, an experiment was conducted with 874 fifteen-to-seventeen year old adolescents. Participants completed an online survey in which they viewed two sets of magazine alcohol advertisements that differed in levels of objectification. The conditions included an objectifying condition, and a non-objectifying condition that used the same advertisements as the objectifying condition but were altered so that objectification was removed. Results: The objectified advertisement condition had a positive and significant effect on body consciousness for boys, but not for girls. Both girls' and boys' perceptions of the women in the advertisements as idealized and objectified were positively and significantly associated with body consciousness regardless of the type of advertisement. Conclusions: Adolescents' perceptions of women in magazine advertisements may play a role above and beyond mere exposure. This could have implications for future prevention efforts regarding media effects and body dissatisfaction among adolescents.
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Details
- Title
- Adolescent perceptions of objectifying magazine advertisements and feelings of body consciousness
- Creators
- Jason Daniel Wheeler
- Contributors
- Stacey J. T. Hust (Co-Chair)Kathleen Boyce Rodgers (Co-Chair) - Washington State University, Human Development, Department ofJessica Kay Fitts Willoughby (Committee Member) - Washington State University, Strategic Communication, Department of
- Awarding Institution
- Washington State University
- Academic Unit
- Human Development, Department of
- Theses and Dissertations
- Master of Science (MS), Washington State University
- Publisher
- Washington State University; [Pullman, Washington] :
- Number of pages
- 68
- Identifiers
- 99900525159101842
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Thesis