Health Sciences Degree Level: Doctoral Abstract ID#1030
Stice, Eric; Spangler, Diane; W Stewart Agras. Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology 0.3 (Fall 2001): 270-288. 2
Graduate/Faculty Category: Health Sciences Degree Level: Doctoral Abstract ID#1030
Perceptions of Unmodified Images of Models in Advertisements by Young Women Lowy, A. S., Rodgers, R. F., Long, S., Yates, K., Collinson, D., Franko, D. L., & Kruger, L. Background Exposure to digitally modified images used in advertising is known to have deleterious effects on mood and body image of young women. It has been suggested that using unmodified images might mitigate these effects. However, little is known about the way in which young women react to unmodified images. Objective The present study aimed to examine the effects on body image and consumer attitudes using unmodified images from a recent advertising campaign from the company Aerie. Method Participants were female undergraduates randomly assigned to either individual (n = 35) or group interviews (n = 33). Participants were presented with examples from the new Aerie campaign and asked to discuss: • Their perceptions of digitally-modified images in advertisements • How unmodified images differed from typically modified ones • How their body image and consumer attitudes were impacted
Sample Characteristics Mean age = 19.51(1.59) years Ethnic distribution:64.6% Caucasian 29.2% Asian 9.2% Hispanic/Latina 6.2% African American
Preliminary Results • Across groups, participants reacted positively to the unmodified images. • A majority of the participants felt positively about their own bodies in relation to the images and responded favorably to Aerie after seeing their new campaign. “I think moms would really like this campaign that have teenage daughters” “It makes me feel a little bit more comfortable in my own skin” “These I feel like are more for me” “It’s more relatable” Conclusion These preliminary findings suggest that the use of unmodified images in advertising would be advantageous. Advertising campaigns using unmodified images could potentially be less deleterious to body image and thus reduce eating disorder risk factors. Working collaboratively with companies to evaluate and support such initiatives may contribute to changing the media’s emphasis on the thin-ideal. References Stice, E, Spangler, D.; Stewart, A.W. (2001). Exposure to media-portrayed thin-ideal images adversely affects vulnerable girls: A longitudinal experiment. Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, 20(3), 270-288. Tiggemman, M., Slater, A., & Smith, V. (2014). ‘Retouch free’: The effect of labelling media images as not digitally altered on women’s body dissatisfaction. Body Image, 11(1), 85-88. [email protected]
Graduate/Faculty Category: Health Sciences Degree Level: Doctoral Abstract ID#1030
Perceptions of Unmodified Images of Models in Advertisements by Young Women Lowy, A. S., Rodgers, R. F., Long, S., Yates, K., Collinson, D., Franko, D. L., & Kruger, L. Background Exposure to digitally modified images used in advertising is known to have deleterious effects on mood and body image of young women. It has been suggested that using unmodified images might mitigate these effects. However, little is known about the way in which young women react to unmodified images. Objective The present study aimed to examine the effects on body image and consumer attitudes using unmodified images from a recent advertising campaign from the company Aerie. Method Participants were female undergraduates randomly assigned to either individual (n = 35) or group interviews (n = 33). Participants were presented with examples from the new Aerie campaign and asked to discuss: • Their perceptions of digitally-modified images in advertisements • How unmodified images differed from typically modified ones • How their body image and consumer attitudes were impacted
Sample Characteristics Mean age = 19.51(1.59) years Ethnic distribution:64.6% Caucasian 29.2% Asian 9.2% Hispanic/Latina 6.2% African American
Preliminary Results • Across groups, participants reacted positively to the unmodified images. • A majority of the participants felt positively about their own bodies in relation to the images and responded favorably to Aerie after seeing their new campaign. “I think moms would really like this campaign that have teenage daughters” “It makes me feel a little bit more comfortable in my own skin” “These I feel like are more for me” “It’s more relatable” Conclusion These preliminary findings suggest that the use of unmodified images in advertising would be advantageous. Advertising campaigns using unmodified images could potentially be less deleterious to body image and thus reduce eating disorder risk factors. Working collaboratively with companies to evaluate and support such initiatives may contribute to changing the media’s emphasis on the thin-ideal. References Stice, E, Spangler, D.; Stewart, A.W. (2001). Exposure to media-portrayed thin-ideal images adversely affects vulnerable girls: A longitudinal experiment. Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, 20(3), 270-288. Tiggemman, M., Slater, A., & Smith, V. (2014). ‘Retouch free’: The effect of labelling media images as not digitally altered on women’s body dissatisfaction. Body Image, 11(1), 85-88. [email protected]
