THE EFFEDT OF MEDIA-GENERATED IDEAL FEMALE BODY AND NEUTRAL

IMAGING ON HIGH AND LOW EATING DISORDERED WOMEN

Melissa Jurecki and Michael Lavin (SUNY Law School, Albany and St. Bonaventure

University)

An investigation of mediated ideal female body imaging on high and low eating

disordered women was performed. The Eating Disorder Inventory 2 was administered to

classify subjects as having a high or low propensity for eating disorders. They were

randomly assigned into two groups: (1) viewed mediated ideal female body imaging, and

(2) viewed neutral imaging. Following this exposure, subjects identified their ideal body

weight from a 12-figure test. A significant interaction was found between programming

type and eating disorder level. This provides support for a causal relationship between

television's endorsement of society's thin ideal and the increase in eating disorders in

young women.

a) Michael J. Lavin, Ph.D

Deptt of Psychology

St. Bonaventure University

St. Bonaventure, NY 14778

Phone: 716-375-2488

b) FAX 716-375-2389 MLavin@SBU.EDU

c) Poster

d) Melissa Jurecki

e) Social

f) Sponsor:_____________________

Eating Disorders

The Media’s Relation to Eating Disorders

Although there are many potential factors that contribute to the develop of eating disorders, the well-documented increasing obsession with a thin physique in our society is considered one etiological factor (Wiseman et al., 1992). This obsession has led to a $33 billion weight-loss industry and the notion that dieting among young women and adolescent girls is indicative of “normal” eating behavior (Polivy, Garner, & Garfinkel, 1986). A study by Brenner and Cunningham (1992, January-February) shows 20 percent of college age women would like to be thinner to look more like the models in the media. However, the same percentage of female models would also like to be thinner, even though 73 percent of them are already underweight. Therefore, the weight of the woman does not determine her body satisfaction. Even for some underweight women there seems to be a thinner ideal.

In addition, this obsession with thinness begins at a very young age. In a study done for the Parents Guide to Eating Disorders and Obesity (Jablow, 1992), preschool girls were offered two different dolls with the same hair, facial features, and clothing. There was an overwhelming preference for the thinner doll, even among the children that were overweight. The emphasis even at this age appears to be on thinness, even though the obesity rate among American children has doubled in the last 20 years.

Women tend to display more behaviors that illustrate this preoccupation with weight than men. Not only are eating disorders found almost exclusively in women, but women also weight themselves more and report greater dissatisfaction with their weight (Polivy & Herman, 1987). The Minnesota twins research shows a greater genetic effect on weight in men than women (Mitchell & Eckert, 1987). This supports the hypothesis that there is a stronger environmental effect on weight for women. Television can be considered an integral part of this environment.

Studies have also shown that restrained eating and thinner figures are associated with femininity (Mori, Chaiken, & Pliner, 1987; Guy, Rankin, & Norvell, 1980). Restrained eating is particularly common when women are in a situation with a desirable male (Mori et al., 1987). A women’s eating behavior can be influenced by the visual images she is exposed to through television. In Cauwells (1983), personal accounts of women with eating disorders often refer to television images of women when discussing the reasons behind their own body image distortion. The following statement is from Dorothy, a 24-year old anorexic and bulimic:
Expecting to be top woman, I modeled myself after those in the limelight. Whether they’re models or executives, they’re always shown in the media as thin, tall, fin-featured, high-cheekboned, rich-lipped, beautiful women....For me this appearance thing had a lot to do with my eating disorders.

The commercials teach us what perfect women should look and act like....Even the women who emphasize the women’s movement, at least the one’s I’ve seen most often in the media, are all good-looking, attractive, and thin (138).

Myers and Biocca (1992, Summer) investigated this “elastic body image” of women. Their results suggest that watching 30 minutes of body image commercial can alter a woman’s perception of her body. Surprisingly, in Myer’s study the exposure gave the women a feeling of euphoria and they subsequently underestimated the size of their bodies. This conflicts with the theoretical link between eating disorders and the televised images of women.

Since eating disorders are highest in females from middle to upper-class social background between the ages of 12-20, St. Bonaventure University served as a good environment for research in this area.

Method

Participants and Experimental Groups

Forty-three female college students between the ages of 18-22 participated in the two-part experiment. In the first session, the Eating Disorder Inventory 2 (EDI) was administered to determine propensity for eating disorder. The average percentile of all eleven EDI subscales were used to divide Ss into high (mean = 81.6) and low (mean = 59.4) groups. The higher the score, the more eating disorder symptoms the subject demonstrated and the greater propensity for actually having an eating disorder.

It was not necessary to have only women with eating disorders in the high group because eating disorder patients and women with high EDI scores share many pathological behaviors and attitudes about their body, weight, and appearance (Garner, Olmsted, Polivy, & Garfinkel, 1984). The assumption was made that the high group would perform similarly to women who actually have eating disorders.

Procedures

In the second session, Ss were randomly assigned into an experimental group (m = 24, mean EDI = 62.7) that viewed ideal female body imaging, and a control group (n = 19, mean EDI = 61.5) that viewed a nature show that included animals only. The material for the experimental group was selected by a focus group of 20 women. They chose the runway models from televised fashion shows as the best example of the media’s ideal female figure. Both groups viewed 20 minutes of footage.

Immediately following exposure, participants took a 12-figure test (Singh, 1993, August) that asked them to rate the different weighted figures from most to least ideal (see Figure 1). The average weights (in lbs.) were calculated. Ss were also asked to indicate the figure that best described their own body type. The weights assigned to each figure were averages based on the responses of the 20-women focus group mentioned above.

Results

The mean ideal weights for each group were totaled; high/exp = 117 (n = 12), high/cont = 125 (n = 12), low/exp = 121 (n = 9), low/cont = 116 (n = 10). A significant interaction was found between programming type and eating disorder level, F(1,39) = 6.99, p < .01, with an alpha level of .05 (see Figure 2).

After the interaction was discovered, tests for simple effects were performed. A marginally significant simple effect was found in the predicted direction between high EDI Ss in the experimental and control conditions, t(23) = 1.71, p < .046. A significant simple effect was found between high and low EDI Ss in the control group, t(20) = 1.73, p < .02.

Discussion

Previous research shows that the increase in eating disorders in the last several decades has coincided with a decrease in women’s ideal body weight a portrayed in the media (Stice, Schupak-Neuberg, Shaw, & Stein, 1994) and with an increase in the number of articles and advertisements promoting weight-loss and diets in women’s magazines (Wiseman et al., 1992). The results from this study show that the media does have an effect on a woman’s perception, particularly those showing high eating disorder symptomology. The simple effect between high EDI Ss in both conditions shows that after exposure to female body imaging these Ss will attend to thinner figures as their ideal. The female imaging seemed to effect those women who have the greatest chances of developing an eating disorder based on their EDI score. This is particularly damaging because the more they are exposed to these images, the more influenced they are, and based on EDI score, the more likely they are to resort to abusive eating patterns.

The low weights and simple effect found in the control condition do not follow the predicted results of this study. No research could be found on why exposure to a nature show would cause women to report lower weights as their idea. I suspect the material for the control group may have contributed to this surprising effect. The nature show consisted of grotesque images, many of animals and bugs eating each other. Although there was no body imaging in the material, the nature of the programming may have been confounding. No conclusions can be drawn based on that data until further research is done. I would suggest the use of different programming, such as ocean scenes, to make the control group even more neutral.

Another possible confounding fact was the music involved in both groups. For the experimental group, upbeat instrumental music that is often heard at fashion shows was utilized while the neutral programming consisted of mostly relaxing music with a male voice-over explaining the images on the screen. It is possible that the music affected the Ss arousal levels or associations between music and images were formed. To eliminate this problem, the same music should be used for each condition. I propose that replications of this research should make these changes and also include some sort of physiological measurement (e.g. pulse rate) to measure arousal levels. I would also suggest increasing exposure time such that the Ss view several episodes of the body imaging and neutral programming.

One prediction that can be made based on the results from the high EDI Ss is that if mediated ideal weights form women continue to decline, women who already show symptoms of eating disorders will attend to this ideal and may take more measures to live up to it. Body dissatisfaction and the drive for thinness will increase, the sale of exercise and diet aids will increase, and more women may resort to abusive eating patterns to achieve this ideal.

References

Brenner, J.B. and Cunningham, J.C. (1992, January-February). Facts of Life. Psychology Today, 25, 11. Cauwells, J.M. (1983). Bulimia: The binge-purge compulsion. Garden City, NJ: Doubleday and Company, Inc.

Garner, D.M., Olmsted, M.P., Polivy, J., and Garfinkel, P.E. (1984). Comparison between weight- preoccupied women and anorexia nervosa. Psychosomatic Medicine, 46, 255-266.

Guy, F., Rankin, B., and Norvell, M. (1980). The relation of sex-role stereotyping to body image.

Jounal of Psychology, 105, 167-173.

Jablow, M.M. (1992). A Parents Guide to Eating Disorders and Obesity. New York, NY: Publishing.

Mitchell, J.E., and Eckert, E.D. (1987). Scope and significance of eating disorders. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psycholgoy, 55, 628-634.

Mori, D., Chaiken, S., and Pliner, P. (1987, October). “Eating lightly” and the self-presentation of femininity. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 105, 166-173.

Myers, P.N., and Biocca, F.A. (1992, Summer). The elastic body image: the effect of television advertising and programming on body image distortions in young women. Journal of Communication, 42, 108- 126.

Polivy, J., Garner, D.M., and Garfinkel, P.E., (1986). Causes and consequences of the current preference for thin female physiques. In C.P. Herman, M.P. Zanna, and E.T. Higgins(Eds.), Physical appearance, a stigma and social behavior: the Ontario Symposium (vol. 3, pp. 89-112). Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.

Polivy, J., and Herman, C.P. (1987). Diagnosis and treatment of nomal eating. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 55, 635-644.

Singh, D. (1993, August). Adaptive significance of female physical attractiveness: Role of waist-to-hip ratio. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 65, 293.

Stice, E., Schupak-Neuberg, E., Shaw, H.E., Stein, R.I. (1994, November). Relation of media exposure to eating disorder symptomatology: an examination of mediating mechanisms. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 103, 836-841.

Wiseman, C.V., Gray, J.J., Mosimann, J.E., Ahrens, A.H. (1992). Cultural exceptations of thinness in women: an update. International Journal for Eating Disorders, 11, 85-89.

Figure Caption

Figure 1. The 12-figure test with each figure’s weight in lbs. Figures were arranged randomly when presented to Ss.

Figure 2. Mean ideal weights (in lbs.) for high and low EDI Ss in the body imaging and neutral programming conditions.