Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Thin-Ideal Media and Women’s Body Dissatisfaction: Prevention using Downward Social Comparisons on Non-Appearance Dimensions

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Sex Roles Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Exposure to thin-ideal media has adverse effects on the body satisfaction of women with higher levels of body image disturbance. In a study involving 109 UCLA female undergraduates, we examined the effectiveness of an intervention that was based on downward social comparison theory and the selection of alternative comparison dimensions. All participants had higher levels of body dissatisfaction and viewed pictures of fashion models; the intervention group compared downward with the models on non-appearance dimensions in writing, whereas the control group described the models in writing. We hypothesized that the intervention group would experience more positive shifts in body and weight satisfaction, anxiety about appearance, and desire to lose weight than would the control group. The results supported our hypotheses.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • American Psychiatric Association (2000). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (4th ed., text revision; DSM-IV-TR). Washington, DC: American Psychiatric.

    Google Scholar 

  • Attie, I., & Brooks-Gunn, J. (1989). Development of eating problems in adolescent girls: A longitudinal study. Developmental Psychology, 25, 70–79.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Brown, J. D., Novick, N. J., Lord, K. A., & Richards, J. M. (1992). When Gulliver travels: Social context, psychological closeness, and self-appraisals. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 62, 717–727.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cameron, L. D., & Nicholls, G. (1998). Expression of stressful experiences through writing: Effects of a self-regulation manipulation for pessimists and optimists. Health Psychology, 17, 84–92.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Cash, T. F., Cash, D. W., & Butters, J. W. (1983). Mirror, mirror, on the wall: Contrast effects and self-evaluations of physical attractiveness. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 9, 351–358.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cattarin, J. A., Thompson, J. K., Thomas, C., & Williams, R. (2000). Body image, mood, and television images of attractiveness: The role of social comparison. Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, 19, 220–239.

    Google Scholar 

  • Celio, A. A., Winzelberg, A. J., Wilfley, D. E., Eppstein-Herald, D., Springer, E. A., Dev, P., et al. (2000). Reducing risk factors for eating disorders: Comparison of an internet- and classroom-delivered psychoeducational program. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 68, 650–657.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Champion, H., & Furnham, A. (1999). The effect of the media on body satisfaction in adolescent girls. European Eating Disorders Review, 7, 213–228.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Festinger, L. (1954). A theory of social comparison processes. Human Relations, 7, 117–140.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Franko, D. L. (1998). Secondary prevention of eating disorders in college women at risk. Eating Disorders, 6, 29–40.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Furnham, A., & Alibhai, N. (1983). Cross-cultural differences in the perception of female body shapes. Psychological Medicine, 13, 829–837.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Garner, D. M., Garfinkel, P. E., Schwartz, D., & Thompson, M. (1980). Cultural expectations of thinness in women. Psychological Reports, 47, 483–491. 140.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Garner, D. M., Olmsted, M. P., & Polivy, J. (1983). The development and validation of a multidimensional Eating Disorder Inventory for anorexia nervosa and bulimia. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 2, 15–34.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Greenberg, M., & Stone, A. A. (1992). Emotional disclosure about traumas and its relation to health: Effects of previous disclosure and trauma severity. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 63, 75–84.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Groesz, L. M., Levine, M. P., & Murnen, S. K. (2002). The effect of experimental presentation of thin media images on body satisfaction: A meta-analytic review. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 31, 1–16.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Hamilton, K., & Waller, G. (1993). Media influences on body size estimation in anorexia and bulimia. British Journal of Psychiatry, 162, 837–840.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Hargreaves, D., & Tiggemann, M. (2002). The effect of television commercials on mood and body dissatisfaction: The role of appearance-schema activation. Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, 21, 287–308.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hausenblas, H. A., Janelle, C. M., Gardner, R. E., & Focht, B. C. (2004). Viewing physique slides: Affective responses of women at high and low drive for thinness. Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, 23, 45–60.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hausenblas, H. A., Janelle, C. M., Gardner, R. E., & Hagan, A. L. (2002). Effects of exposure to physique slides on the emotional responses of men and women. Sex Roles, 47, 569–575.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Heinberg, L. J., & Thompson, J. K. (1992). Social comparison: Gender, target importance ratings, and relation to body image disturbance. Journal of Social Behavior and Personality, 7, 335–344.

    Google Scholar 

  • Heinberg, L. J., & Thompson, J. K. (1995). Body image and televised images of thinness and attractiveness: A controlled laboratory investigation. Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, 14, 325–338.

    Google Scholar 

  • Irving, L. M. (1990). Mirror images: Effects of the standard of beauty on the self- and body-esteem of women exhibiting varying levels of bulimic symptoms. Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, 9, 230–242.

    Google Scholar 

  • King, L. A. (2001). The health benefits of writing about life goals. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 27, 798–807.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lavine, H., Sweeney, D., & Wagner, S. H. (1999). Depicting women as sex objects in television advertising: Effects on body dissatisfaction. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 25, 1049–1058.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Leon, G. R., Fulkerson, J. A., Perry, C. L., & Cudeck, R. (1993). Personality and behavioral vulnerabilities associated with risk status for eating disorders in adolescent girls. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 102, 438–444.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Levine, M. P., & Smolak, L. (1998). The mass media and disordered eating: Implications for primary prevention. In W. Vandereycken & G. Noordenbos (Eds.), The prevention of eating disorders (pp. 23–56). New York, NY: New York University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lew, A., Mann, T., Myers, H., Hoppé, R., & Comer, R. J. (2001). Media images and female body dissatisfaction: Downward social comparisons on non-appearance dimensions as a preventive strategy. Unpublished manuscript.

  • Markus, H., Hamil, R., & Sentis, K. P. (1987). Thinking fat: Self-schemas for body weight and the processing of weight relevant information. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 17, 50–71.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mintz, L. B., & Betz, N. E. (1988). Prevalence and correlates of eating disordered behaviors among undergraduate women. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 35, 463–471.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Myers, P. N., & Biocca, F. A. (1992). The elastic body image: The effect of television advertising and programming on body image distortions in young women. Journal of Communication, 42, 109–133.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Neumark-Sztainer, D., Sherwood, N. E., Coller, T., & Hannan, P. J. (2000). Primary prevention of disordered eating among preadolescent girls: Feasibility and short-term effect of a community-based intervention. Journal of the American Dietetic Association, 100, 1466–1473.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • O’Dea, J. A., & Abraham, S. (2000). Improving the body image, eating attitudes, and behaviors of young male and female adolescents: A new educational approach that focuses on self-esteem. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 28, 43–57.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Ogden, J., & Mundray, K. (1996). The effect of the media on body satisfaction: The role of gender and size. European Eating Disorders Review, 4, 171–182.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pennebaker, J. W. (1997). Writing about emotional experiences as a therapeutic process. Psychological Science, 8, 162–166.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pinhas, L., Toner, B. B., Ali, A., Garfinkel, P. E., & Stuckless, N. (1999). The effects of the ideal of female beauty on mood and body satisfaction. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 25, 223–226.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Posavac, H. D., Posavac, S. S., & Posavac, E. J. (1998). Exposure to media images of female attractiveness and concern with body weight among young women. Sex Roles, 38, 187–201.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Posavac, H. D., Posavac, S. S., & Weigel, R. G. (2001). Reducing the impact of media images on women at risk for body image disturbance: Three targeted interventions. Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, 20, 324–340.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Reed, D. L., Thompson, J. K., Brannick, M. T., & Sacco, W. P. (1991). Development and validation of the Physical Appearance State and Trait Anxiety Scale (PASTAS). Journal of Anxiety Disorders, 5, 323–332.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Richins, M. L. (1991). Social comparison and the idealized images of advertising. Journal of Consumer Research, 18, 71–83.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Salovey, P., & Rodin, J. (1984). Some antecedents and consequences of social-comparison jealousy. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 47, 780–792.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schoemaker, C., Van Strien, T., & Van der Staak, C. (1994). Validation of the Eating Disorder Inventory in a nonclinical population using transformed and untransformed responses. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 15, 387–393.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Shrauger, J. S., & Patterson, M. B. (1974). Self-evaluation and the selection of dimensions for evaluating others. Journal of Personality, 42, 569–585.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Silverstein, B., Perdue, L., Peterson, B., & Kelly, E. (1986). The role of the mass media in promoting a thin standard of bodily attractiveness for women. Sex Roles, 14, 519–532.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Simon, L., Greenberg, J., & Brehm, J. (1995). Trivialization: The forgotten mode of dissonance reduction. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 68, 247–260.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Smith, S. M., McIntosh, W. D., & Bazzini, D. G. (1999). Are the beautiful good in Hollywood? An investigation of the beauty-and-goodness stereotype on film. Basic and Applied Social Psychology, 21, 69–80.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Smolak, L., Levine, M., & Schermer, F. (1998a). A controlled evaluation of an elementary school primary prevention program for eating problems. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 44, 339–353.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Smolak, L., Levine, M., & Schermer, F. (1998b). Lessons from lessons: An evaluation of an elementary school prevention program. In W. Vandereyeken & G. Noordenbos (Eds.), The prevention of eating disorders (pp. 137–172). London: Athlone.

    Google Scholar 

  • Smyth, J. M. (1998). Written emotional expression: Effect sizes, outcome types, and moderating variables. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 66, 174–184.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Stapel, D. A., & Koomen, W. (2000). Distinctness of others, mutability of selves: Their impact on self-evaluations. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 79, 1068–1087.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Stewart, A. (1988). Experience with a school-based eating disorders prevention program. In W. Vandereycken & G. Noordenbos (Eds.), The prevention of eating disorders (pp. 99–136). New York, NY: New York University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Stice, E., Schupak-Neuberg, E., Shaw, H. E., & Stein, R. I. (1994). Relation of media exposure to eating disorder symptomatology: An examination of mediating mechanisms. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 103, 836–840.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Stice, E., & Shaw, H. E. (1994). Adverse effects of the media portrayed thin-ideal on women and linkages to bulimic symptomatology. Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, 13, 288–308.

    Google Scholar 

  • Stice, E., & Shaw, H. (2004). Eating disorder prevention programs: A meta-analytic review. Psychological Bulletin, 130, 206–227.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Stice, E., Trost, A., & Chase, A. (2003). Healthy weight control and dissonance-based eating disorder prevention programs: Results from a controlled trial. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 33, 10–21.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Taylor, S. E., & Lobel, M. (1989). Social comparison activity under threat: Downward evaluation and upward contacts. Psychological Review, 96, 569–575.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Taylor, S. E., Wood, J. V., & Lichtman, R. R. (1983). It could be worse: Selective evaluation as a response to victimization. Journal of Social Issues, 39, 19–40.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tesser, A. (1988). Toward a self-evaluation maintenance model of social behavior. In L. Berkowitz (Ed.), Social psychological studies of the self: Perspectives and programs (pp. 181–227). San Diego, CA: Academic.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tesser, A. (2000). On the confluence of self-esteem maintenance mechanisms. Personality and Social Psychology Review, 4, 290–299.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tesser, A., & Campbell, J. (1980). Self-definition: The impact of the relative performance and similarity of others. Social Psychology Quarterly, 43, 341–346.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Thompson, J. K. (1995). Assessment of body image. In D. B. Allison (Ed.), Handbook of assessment methods for eating behaviors and weight-related problems: Measures, theory, and research (pp. 119–148). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

    Google Scholar 

  • Thompson, J. K., & Heinberg, L. J. (1999). The media’s influence on body image disturbance and eating disorders: We’ve reviled them, now can we rehabilitate them? Journal of Social Issues, 55, 339–353.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Thompson, J. K., & Stice, E. (2001). Thin-ideal internalization: Mounting evidence for a new risk factor for body-image disturbance and eating pathology. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 10, 181–183.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Thornton, B., & Maurice, J. K. (1997). Physique contrast effect: Adverse impact of idealized body images for women. Sex Roles, 37, 433–439.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Thornton, B., & Maurice, J. K. (1999). Physical attractiveness contrast effect and the moderating influence of self-consciousness. Sex Roles, 40, 379–392.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tiggemann, M., & McGill, B. (2004). The role of social comparison in the effect of magazine advertisements on women’s mood and body dissatisfaction. Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, 23, 23–44.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Treasure, J., & Szmukler, G. I. (1995). The inpatient treatment of anorexia nervosa. In G. Szmuckler, C. Dare, & J. Treasure (Eds.), Handbook of eating disorders: Theory, treatment, and research (pp. 275–291). Chichester, UK: Wiley.

    Google Scholar 

  • Van Strien, T., & Ouwens, M. (2003). Validation of the Dutch EDI-2 in one clinical and two nonclinical populations. European Journal of Psychological Assessment, 19, 66–84.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ward, A., Brown, N., & Treasure, J. (1996). Persistent osteopenia after recovery from anorexia nervosa. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 22, 71–75.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wertheim, E. H., Paxton, S. J., Schutz, H. K., & Muir, S. L. (1997). Why do adolescent girls watch their weight? An interview study examining sociocultural pressures to be thin. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 42, 345–355.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Wiederman, M. W., & Pryor, T. (1996). Substance use and impulsive behaviors among adolescents with eating disorders. Addictive Behaviors, 21, 269–272.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Wilcox, K., & Laird, J. D. (2000). The impact of media images of super-slender women on women’s self-esteem: Identification, social comparison, and self-perception. Journal of Research in Personality, 34, 278–286.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wills, T. A. (1981). Downward comparison principles in social psychology. Psychological Bulletin, 90, 245–271.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wiseman, M. A., Gray, J. J., Mosimann, J. E., & Ahrens, A. H. (1992). Cultural expectations of thinness in women: An update. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 11, 85–89.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wood, J. V. (1989). Theory and research concerning social comparisons of personal attributes. Psychological Bulletin, 106, 231–248.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wood, J. V., Giordano-Beech, M., & Ducharme, M. J. (1999). Compensating for failure through social comparison. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 25, 1370–1386.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wood, J. V., Taylor, S. E., & Lichtman, R. R. (1985). Social comparison in adjustment to breast cancer. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 49, 1169–1183.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Author notes

  1. Ann-Marie Lew

    Present address: Counselling Centre, University Health, Wellness and Counselling Centre, National University of Singapore, Alumni House, 20 Lower Kent Ridge Road, Singapore, 119080, Singapore

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA

    Ann-Marie Lew, Traci Mann, Hector Myers, Shelley Taylor & Julienne Bower

Authors
  1. Ann-Marie Lew
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Traci Mann
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Hector Myers
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Shelley Taylor
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Julienne Bower
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Ann-Marie Lew.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Lew, AM., Mann, T., Myers, H. et al. Thin-Ideal Media and Women’s Body Dissatisfaction: Prevention using Downward Social Comparisons on Non-Appearance Dimensions. Sex Roles 57, 543–556 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11199-007-9274-5

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11199-007-9274-5

Keywords

Search

Navigation