How the media affects body image

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Institution
Course
Date
Body Image and the Media
Introduction
Media images displayed showing an extra thin shape of the body can be seen everywhere both in the mainstream media and social media platforms. These media images are displayed on magazines, billboards, in ads and commercials. Continuous interest on the body image of women has grown over the years. Severs research has been done on women’s eating patterns, self-esteem, and how these two aspects are influenced by what women see in the media. This area of study is crucial because identifying the link between poor body image and what the media portrays can enhance evaluation and implementation of successful interventions. An intervention can reduce the number of cases of bulimia and anorexia, increase positive body shape and boost self-esteem among women.
Body image includes our emotions, imagination, perception, and physical feeling off and about our body figures. Our body image is ever changing depending on our environment, mood, and physical appearance. It is simply sensations within our body and about our body. Media refers to a medium of communicating with the public. Sociocultural theory on body image is the general standards set by the Society for beauty that stress the desire for thin body image and that this ideal image is approved by a majority of women, even though it is not achievable by a majority of women.
Purpose
The current study aims to determine if women exposed to media images of the thin body shapes have a negative perception of their body image.

One of the pressures driving both teenage girls and adult women to look thin is the media. The surge in the number of ideal thin body shapes increases the negative feeling among women about their body image. The purpose of this study is to validate the influence of media on body image of women in university institution. Data collection was enhanced by the use of body image states scale, which includes six questions about satisfaction or dissatisfaction with their body size and shape. The study subjects were divided into two namely: control and experimental groups. The study seeks to illustrate with evidence and analysis the extent to which media can affect women’s perception of themselves and the psychological impact on women’s self-esteem (Sparhawk, 2)
Hypothesis
The researchers propose seven null hypothesis statement arguments on the study topic. The researcher argues that the difference in the sample scores shown on the body image states scale between the experimental and control groups has no statistical significance. The researcher also claims that there’s no difference of the feeling between the experimental and the control groups on their body size and shape, physical appearance and attractiveness and looks. The researcher also claims that the experimental and control groups have no difference on satisfaction with their weight. Finally, the researcher concluded that the experimental and control group’s feelings about their looks in comparison with other people has no difference (Sparhawk, 2).
Variables
The researcher looked at body image as the independent variable of this study being influenced by other variables such as the media’s repetitive portrayal of women which over time influences the perception, thoughts, and feelings of women about their body shape and size. It also develops women’s concept of appearance, race, age, sexuality and functions. These variables contain elements of both emotional and cognitive psychology. The cognitive part includes self-statements and belief about people’s body size and image. Emotional body size and image describes events of appearance, whether these events are uncomfortable, or comfortable and if there are dissatisfaction and satisfaction with the body. Body image and size is a subjective experience, and it is dependent on an individual’s perception on their self-image. How and individual views their body is how they view themselves and this amounts to psychological issues such and self- confidence and esteem (Sparhawk, 7)
Literature Review on Variables
Previous studies done on body image agree that the body image is multidimensional; furthermore, they came up with three aspects, affect, and cognition regarding the body, the importance of the body, dieting behavior, and imaginative body image. Cognitive dimension links with beliefs and thoughts about the shape of the body and the affective dimension deal with the feelings that an individual has about their body appearance. The second aspect, dieting behavior and importance of the body can be explained as behavior linked to dieting and grooming. Women who put more focus on the shape of their body tend to dedicate more of their focus on dieting behaviors and grooming than their female counterparts who do not focus much on their body shape. The last dimension, perceptual image of the body can be explained as the accuracy a person has when describing their size, shape, and weight (Sparhawk, 7).
Furthermore, more research on body shape and image indicate that body image and shape is not static in nature, Researchers found that, access to media content like watching television can change an individual’s body image by asserting influence on their thoughts and be more cautious on their attractiveness, weight, or appearance. Body image and shape is not static, meaning that it changes over a person’s lifetime. Previous research has concluded that body image is affected by several factors including friends, family, teacher, society, and peer and the more an individual grows older, the weaker or stronger, thereby inducing influx in body shape and image throughout a person’s life. Women who have a negative body image and shape experience negative feelings of themselves. A researcher indicated that some women have feelings of minor annoyances about their body size and shape, but other women experience great distress due to the feelings about themselves to the extent that it affects their day to day life. Body image is naturally psychological, and is more about an individual’s self-esteem and has little to do with their attractiveness physically as seen by others (Sparhawk, 9).
The media an important impact on the society, it makes decisions on what the general public views and how it is portrayed. The media is predominated by images of women showing them as thin with no imperfections. The media displays these thin women as successful and happy. Some women are continuously affected by randomly viewing these thin ideal images of women. Drastic dieting, plastic surgery, low self-esteem, disordered eating, and negative image of the body are all effects of media influence on the image of women. According to researchers, advertising has unrealistic and stereotypic images of women. The media come up with reality for its audience by presenting value messages and ideology. The media defines a society’s opinion, for example, because of media, it is socially acceptable to form a negative opinion about heavier individuals, more so heavier women (Sparhawk, 12).
Research Methodology
The researcher uses a case study research design; the study is about media influence on the individual attitude of women towards themselves in the case of a single institution. The research aims to use the case of the institution to draw a general conclusion and validate influence of media on women (Sparhawk, 20).
Ethics
The study is ethical; the subjects were voluntarily chosen and randomly grouped. The research method was effective and was convenient for both the researcher and the subjects without overstepping on any of the party’s day to day activities. The scale the body image states scale used to measure results is also a well developed and tested means of measuring results. It produces fair results that are free of bias that can make any of the subjects feel uncomfortable, affected or uneasy when responding to research questions thereby upholding ethics while at the same time ensuring the accuracy of results.
Work Cited
Sparhawk, Julie M. BODY IMAGE AND THE MEDIA: THE MEDIA’S INFLUENCE ON BODY IMAGE. 1st ed. 2003. Web. 7 Oct. 2016.