Influences on the eye of the beholder : reaction of women to body images portrayed in fashion magazines.

Abstract

The purpose of this within-subjects design was to determine if college women experienced different physiological and psychological responses to idealized body images from fashion magazines and to images from a home decorating magazine. Participants were 45 undergraduate women, ages 18 to 24, who were enrolled in a small midwestern university. Stress reaction was measured with hand temperature and the level of satisfaction with physical health, weight, and physical appearance/body image was measured by self-report. Paired sample 1 tests yielded no significant differences in hand temperature when viewing images in fashion magazines compared to home decorating images. There was also no significant difference in level of satisfaction with physical health or physical appearance/body image. There was a statistically significant difference regarding weight as participants reported greater dissatisfaction with weight after viewing idealized body images in fashion magazines. While the practical significance of this finding is difficult to determine, it supports previous research regarding negative reactions to idealized body images.