Exposure to Barbie: Effects on thin-ideal internalisation, body esteem, and body dissatisfaction among young girls

Haptic experience of bodies alters body perception

Research on media's effects on body perception has mainly focused on the role of vision of extreme body types. However, haptics is a major part of the way children experience bodies. Playing with unrealistically thin dolls has been linked to the emergence of body image concerns, but the perceptual mechanisms remain unknown. We explore the effects of haptic experience of extreme body types on body perception, using adaptation aftereffects. Blindfolded participants judged whether the doll-like stimuli explored haptically were thinner or fatter than the average body before and after adaptation to an underweight or overweight doll. In a second experiment, participants underwent a traditional visual adaptation paradigm to extreme bodies, using stimuli matched to those in Experiment 1. For both modalities, after adaptation to an underweight body test bodies were judged as fatter. Adaptation to an overweight body produced opposite results. For the first time, we show adiposity aftereffects in haptic modality, analogous to those established in vision, using matched stimuli across visual and haptic paradigms.

Perspective: Barbie: Food for the Soul or Fanciful Nostalgia?

This perspectives piece analyzes the "Barbie" movie and its impact on its viewership. In contrast to prior research demonstrating that images of Barbie objectified girls, lowered self-esteem, and promoted body dysmorphia, with social media focus on "Fitspiration" as well as "Thinspiration" amplifying the negative effect, the Barbie movie may have more positive impact than one might predict. As gleaned from an informal survey of patients, parents, and peers, the messages of the Barbie movie include a mix of body positivity, recognition of the impact of depression and other aspects of mental health, critique of the perceived societal patriarchy, and a message of empowerment for girls, females, and people otherwise unrecognized.

Fashion versus fitspo: The effect of viewing images of contemporary Barbie® dolls in passive versus active poses on college women's body image and affect

The modern millennial- and Gen Z-targeted Barbiecore feminist movement has emerged in tandem with Barbie®'s reinvention to inspire inclusion and active play. Stimulated by these media trends, the present study using a pre-post experimental design evaluated whether exposure to images depicting contemporary passively-posed Barbie Fashionista® (BF) dolls versus images of actively-posed Barbie Made to Move® (M2M) "fitspiration" dolls versus images of Lego Friends® (LF) scenes would differentially affect aspects of state body image and affect in a sample of 106 racially-diverse young adult college women (M_Age = 19.2, SD = 1.39). ANCOVA models assessed the effects of condition on post state measures while controlling for baseline state measures. Results indicated that participants exposed to the BF images reported significantly lower body appreciation relative to those who viewed the LF play sets. A similar trend emerged for participants shown the newer M2M doll images. Additionally, viewing images of the actively-posed M2M dolls was associated with marginally higher appearance comparison scores versus the LF control. These initial findings have implications for considering the relevance of expanded digital strategies for marketing more realistically appearing and functioning Barbie® dolls in affecting the body image experiences and potential purchasing choices of young adult female consumers.

Psychological Assessment of a Doll within the Framework of Cultural-Historical Psychology: Possibilities and Limitations

The problem of toy expertise is that a cultural object comes with no “instruction manual”. The goal of the article is to reveal both potential and limitations of the cultural-historical psychology and activity theory as a conceptual framework for doll expertise and test the cultural form of pretend play as a criterion of its developmental function using the example of Barbie and Monster High dolls. The article proves the necessity of cultural and psychological analysis of doll play to assess the developmental potential of a doll. The work demonstrates that the image of a doll determines how a child plays with it, i.e. how the doll itself plays with that child (F. Boitendijk). For the first time it also describes how the unit of analysis of pretend play - its two-step form (Challenge + Reply to Challenge) is used as a tool to examine the function of these dolls in child development. An exploratory empirical study of children’s play has shown how the images of Barbie and Monster High dolls define the way they are played with and answered negatively the following questions: does Barbie arouse premature interest in adult sexuality among preschoolers, and does playing with Monster High dolls blur the lines between good and evil.

Perceptions of the Body and Body Dissatisfaction in Primary Education Children According to Gender and Age. A Cross-Sectional Study

Body image (BI) is a trending topic of study since health problems derived from a negative perception of the body are increasing and affecting people of all ages, with an increasing incidence among children from the age of eight. The objective of this study was to evaluate the current perception of the body against the desired body and the degree of body satisfaction of Galician primary education students. A total of 355 students (167 boys (47%)) between 9 and 12 years old participated (mean = 10.53; SD = 0.84). Sociodemographic data (sex, age, height, and weight) were collected, and the Figure Rating Scale was used. There are statistically significant differences between boys and girls in the current perceived figure (p = 0.003) and in the desired figure (p < 0.001). Depending on age, the differences were in current (p = 0.010) and desired (p = 0.021) body perception. In conclusion, boys perceive themselves as having a larger figure than girls do, but this perception is far from reality according to the body mass index. For the desired figure, both boys and girls want to be slimmer, but girls want a slimmer figure. Regarding age, the current perceived figure size increases with age as it increases in those students dissatisfied with their body.

Princess Power: Longitudinal Associations Between Engagement With Princess Culture in Preschool and Gender Stereotypical Behavior, Body Esteem, and Hegemonic Masculinity in Early Adolescence

Princess culture is criticized for contributing to gender stereotypes and poor body esteem, however, there is little longitudinal research examining these claims. This study examines associations between engagement with princess culture during early childhood and gender stereotypes, body esteem, and adherence to hegemonic masculinity in early adolescence. Participants included 307 children (51% female, M_age  = 4.83 years, 87% White) who completed questionnaires at two time points, 5 years apart. The results indicated that early engagement with princess culture was not associated with later adherence to female gender stereotypes. However, princess engagement was associated with lower adherence to norms of hegemonic masculinity and higher body esteem. Socioeconomic status and gender moderated the results. Effect sizes were small to moderate. The changing nature of Disney princesses is discussed in the context of gender development across childhood.

Can realistic dolls protect body satisfaction in young girls?

Ultra-thin fashion dolls may represent a risk factor for thin-ideal internalisation and body dissatisfaction amongst young girls. We asked thirty one 5- to 9-year-old girls to engage in interactive play with commercially available dolls which were either ultra-thin (Barbie and Monster High) or represented a putative realistic childlike shape (Lottie and Dora) and to indicate their perceived own-body size and ideal body size on an interactive computer task both before and after play. There was a significant interaction between testing phase and doll group such that playing with the ultra-thin dolls led to the girls' 'ideal self' becoming thinner. A further 46 girls played with the ultra-thin dolls and then played with either the same dolls again, the realistic childlike dolls, or with cars. Initial play with the ultra-thin dolls again produced a drop in perceived ideal own body size; however, no group showed any significant change in their body ideals during the additional play phase. These data indicate the potential benefit of dolls representing a realistic child body mass to young girls' body satisfaction and do not support the hypothesis that the negative impacts of ultra-thin dolls can be directly countered by other toys.

Weight control intentions and mental health among Canadian adolescents: a gender-based analysis of students in the COMPASS study

INTRODUCTION

Little is known about gender differences in associations between weight control intentions and mental health in adolescents. Our objective was to examine these associations in a large sample of adolescent girls and boys.

METHODS

Using data from Year 6 (2017-18) of the COMPASS study (n = 57 324), we performed a series of multivariable linear regressions to examine whether weight control intentions (gain, lose, stay the same, no intention) were associated with depression, anxiety and self-concept, while adjusting for relevant covariates including body mass index. Models were stratified by self-reported gender.

RESULTS

Compared to those with no intentions, girls who intended to lose weight reported higher symptoms of depression (B = 0.52, p < 0.001) and anxiety (B = 0.41, p < 0.001) and poorer self-concept (B = 2.06, p < 0.001). Girls who intended to gain weight also reported higher symptoms of depression (B = 0.54, p < 0.001), anxiety (B = 0.50, p < 0.001) and self-concept (B = 1.25, p < 0.001). Boys who intended to lose weight reported greater symptoms of depression (B = 0.26, p < 0.001) and anxiety (B = 0.33, p < 0.001) and poor self-concept (B = 1.10, p < 0.001). In boys, weight-gain intentions were associated with greater symptoms of anxiety (B = 0.17, p < 0.05), but not depression or self-concept.

CONCLUSION

Intentions to gain or lose weight were associated with symptoms of mental disorder and poor self-concept in our large sample of adolescents, and these relationships differed in boys and girls. These findings have important implications for school-based programs promoting healthy weight and body image.

Body image disturbance in children and adolescents with anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa: a systematic review

PURPOSE

While several meta-analyses and reviews revealed a worse body image disturbance (BID) in adults with anorexia nervosa (AN) or bulimia nervosa (BN) than in controls, no systematic evidence is available on BID in children and adolescents. Since the usual onset of AN and BN is before the age of 21 years, being aware of BID in children and adolescents is crucial for preventing and treating eating disorders. This systematic review aims to provide an initial overview of differences in the BID components perception, global subjective satisfaction, affect/cognition, and behavior between children and adolescents with AN and BN and healthy controls.

METHODS

We conducted a systematic data search in PubMed and PsycINFO based on a priori eligibility criteria (AN or BN group; gender-matched healthy control group; each group n ≥ 20; maximum age 19 years; BID outcome compared between groups; published in English or German).

RESULTS

We were able to include k = 8 records. Compared to healthy controls, children and adolescents with AN and BN scored higher in the BID components perception, global subjective satisfaction, affect/cognition, and behavior.

CONCLUSIONS

As previously found in adults, BID in children and adolescents is associated with AN and BN. Interventions and treatments are needed to alleviate BID in children and adolescents with BN and AN. We also noted that we need more investigations on BID differences in children and adolescents to improve the database.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

Level I, Systematic review.

Translation, Adaptation and Psychometric Properties of SATAQ-4R for Brazilian Children

BACKGROUND

The Sociocultural Attitudes Towards Appearance Questionnaire (SATAQ) is one of the most investigated instruments for the evaluation of sociocultural pressure and internalization of the beauty standard, and it is considered to be one of the most robust instruments for this purpose. The most recent version of this questionnaire is the SATAQ-4R, originally designed for adults and teenagers, which has been used in different countries, contexts, and populations. The cross-cultural adaptation and validation of the SATAQ-4R for Brazilian children are appropriate and necessary.

OBJECTIVE

The general objective of this study was to translate, adapt, and verify the psychometric qualities of the SATAQ-4R for Brazilian girls and boys aged between 7 and 11 years old.

METHODS

Study 1 describes the cross-cultural adaptation, from the translation stage to the pretest in children of both sexes (n = 36, M = 8.76, SD = 1.59 years). SATAQ-4R has been demonstrated to be easily understood by Brazilian children. Studies 2 and 3 analyze the psychometric qualities of such an instrument in 566 girls (M = 9.18, SD = 1.23 years) and in 592 boys (M = 9.18, SD = 1.23), respectively. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses have been performed with independent samples.

RESULTS

Both instruments presented factor structures composed of five factors, good reliability, and convergent validity.

CONCLUSION

We concluded that SATAQ-4R-Female and SATAQ-4R-Male are useful tools for evaluating the internalization of beauty standards and of sociocultural pressure on Brazilian children.

Examining Body Satisfaction and Emotional-Social Intelligence among School Children: Educational Implications

In childhood, the perception of body image is in the construction phase and emerges linked to the aesthetic ideals of society, which is well differentiated according to gender. In this way, according to people's interpretations of the environment and how to manage it emotionally, greater or lesser body satisfaction may be generated, which could have irreversible consequences for children. Therefore, our interest lies in how body image satisfaction and gender can act as modulating variables of emotional intelligence in childhood, analyzing differences in the intrapersonal, interpersonal, stress management, adaptability, and mood dimensions of emotional intelligence, according to the degree of body image satisfaction and the child's gender. A total of 944 Primary Education students selected by multistage cluster sampling, 548 boys and 396 girls aged between 9 and 12 years from different schools in Extremadura (Spain), participated in the research. The study design was descriptive, and questionnaires to measure emotional intelligence, self-perception, and body image satisfaction were used. An analysis of descriptive statistics, a Chi-square test to measure the variance/invariance of the participants' distribution according to their satisfaction with body image and gender, and a MANOVA to determine the possible effects of satisfaction with body image as well as of gender on emotional intelligence were conducted. Regardless of gender, children who were satisfied with their body image showed higher interpersonal intelligence, greater adaptability, and better mood. With respect to gender, girls showed higher stress management than boys. Throughout Compulsory Education, it is necessary to promote campaigns imparted by specialists to prevent body image dissatisfaction, so that the benefits can reach the entire educational community (students, teachers, and parents). In this work, several possibilities are described to meet the demands of contemporary society.

Characteristics of Males Who Obtained a Voluntary Penectomy

We report here on survey data from 11 genetic males, who had voluntary penectomies without any explicit medical need, yet did not desire testicular ablation. This group was compared to a control group of men who completed the same survey but had no genital ablation. The penectomy group was less likely to identify as male than the control group. They were also more likely to have attempted self-injury to their penis (at a median age of 41.5 years), been attracted to males without penises, and felt that they were more physically attractive without a penis than the controls. Motivations for voluntary penectomy were aesthetics (i.e., a feeling that the penile removal made them more physically attractive) or eroticism (i.e., at least two individuals thought that a penectomy would make them a better submissive sexual partner). In terms of sexual function, the penectomized and control groups reported comparable sexual function, with six penectomized individuals claiming to still be able to get and keep an erection, suggesting possible incomplete penile ablation. In their childhood, penectomized individuals were more likely than the controls to have pretended to be castrated and to have involved the absence of genitals of their toys in their childhood play. We discuss characteristics and sexual outcomes for individuals who have had a voluntary penectomy. A future study with a larger sample size on men who desire penectomies is warranted.

You can buy a child a curvy Barbie doll, but you can't make her like it: Young girls' beliefs about Barbie dolls with diverse shapes and sizes

This study utilized Mattel's new line of Fashionista Barbie dolls to examine attitudes about body shape and size in a sample of young girls. A total of 84 girls, 3-10 years of age, were asked to assign positive or negative traits to Barbie dolls which varied in size and shape (original, tall, petite, and curvy). Participants also answered questions about their preferences for the dolls and completed measures of body dissatisfaction. Results generally demonstrated greater negative attitudes towards the curvy Barbie doll and more positive attitudes towards dolls with a thinner body size/shape (i.e., original, tall, and petite dolls). Girls identified the curvy Barbie as the doll they least wanted to play with. Additionally, girls with higher levels of body dissatisfaction demonstrated less negative attitudes towards the original doll. Overall, findings demonstrate a preference for thin bodies and aversion towards larger bodies among young girls. Further, findings suggest that the simple availability of body-diverse dolls may not be a powerful enough intervention to overcome harmful weight attitudes, and highlight the importance of continued efforts to encourage exposure to and acceptance of diverse body shapes and sizes in young children.

Barbie's new look: Exploring cognitive body representation among female children and adolescents

The original Barbie doll’s unrealistic body shape can negatively affect young girls’ body image. Mattel produced new Barbie dolls with “tall”, “curvy”, and “petite” body types, yet how girls perceive and evaluate the three new Barbie body types remains unknown. This study investigated whether young girls engage in an automatic “self-other matching” process when viewing the different Barbie doll representations. Female children and adolescents (N = 38; M_age = 10; 6–14 years old; SD = 2.24 years) completed a body-part compatibility task to provide an index of how they implicitly relate cognitive representations of their own body to the different doll images. Significant (p < .05) body-part compatibility effects emerged for the original, curvy and petite dolls, but not for the tall Barbie. These findings indicate that girls engage in a self-other body matching process when viewing Barbie, but that the strength of this matching is influenced by the doll’s body type. Results provide new evidence on the underlying cognitive mechanisms that occur when girls are exposed to physique-salient toys, and may have implications for young girls’ body image development and use of appearance-based social comparisons.

Automatic social comparison: Cognitive load facilitates an increase in negative thought accessibility after thin ideal exposure among women

Women are routinely exposed to images of extremely slim female bodies (the thin ideal) in advertisements, even if they do not necessarily pay much attention to these images. We hypothesized that paradoxically, it is precisely in such conditions of low attention that the impact of the social comparison with the thin ideal might be the most pronounced. To test this prediction, one hundred and seventy-three young female participants were exposed to images of the thin ideal or of women’s fashion accessories. They were allocated to either a condition of high (memorizing 10 digits) or low cognitive load (memorizing 4 digits). The main dependent measure was implicit: mean recognition latency of negative words, relative to neutral words, as assessed by a lexical decision task. The results showed that thin-ideal exposure did not affect negative word accessibility under low cognitive load but that it increased it under high cognitive load. These findings are consistent with the hypothesis that social comparison with the thin ideal is an automatic process, and contribute to explain why some strategies to prevent negative effects of thin-ideal exposure are inefficient.

Thin and sexy vs. muscular and dominant: Prevalence of gendered body ideals in popular dolls and action figures

We examined the extent to which popular dolls and action figures were portrayed with gendered body proportions, and the extent to which these gendered ideals were associated with heterosexual "success." We coded internet depictions of 72 popular female dolls and 71 popular male action figures from the websites of three national stores in the United States. Sixty-two percent of dolls had a noticeably thin body, while 42.3% of action figures had noticeably muscular bodies. Further, more thin dolls were portrayed with more sex object features than less thin dolls, including revealing, tight clothing and high-heeled shoes; bodies positioned with a curved spine, bent knee, and head cant; and with a sexually appealing facial expression. More muscular male action figures were more likely than less muscular ones to be shown with hands in fists and with an angry, emotional expression, suggesting male dominance.

Self-Concept in Childhood: The Role of Body Image and Sport Practice

The purpose of this study was to explore the differences in satisfaction with body image depending on whether the subject practices organized sport or not, as well as the gender of the children. In addition, the study aims to examine the role of body image and the practice of organized sport on the process of building the academic, social, emotional, family and physical dimensions of self-concept in childhood. To do so, a sample of 944 pupils was used. These children were attending primary school in different centers of the Autonomous Community of Extremadura (Spain) and were between 9 and 12 years of age. The main results of the study show that three out of every four children participating in this study were not satisfied with their figure and one out of every five was very dissatisfied. The satisfaction or dissatisfaction with the figure was similar in boys and girls, although it could be appreciated that the ideal body image is partly conditioned by gender stereotypes. The children most satisfied with their body image had a greater academic and physical self-concept. The children that practiced organized sports had a greater physical and emotional self-concept. The children most dissatisfied with their body image and practiced organized sports had a lower family self-concept. All these findings are discussed with reference to previous research literature.

More than Just Child's Play?: An Experimental Investigation of the Impact of an Appearance-Focused Internet Game on Body Image and Career Aspirations of Young Girls

In recent years, elements of the modern environment (such as television, Internet, toys and clothes) have been criticized for having an increasingly sexualized or appearance focus, which has been suggested to be detrimental to girls’ development. The current study examined the impact of an appearance-focused Internet game on young girls’ body image and career cognitions and aspirations. Eighty British girls aged 8–9 years were randomly assigned to play an appearance-focused or a non-appearance focused game for 10 minutes. Girls in the appearance-focused game condition displayed greater body dissatisfaction compared to the control condition. Type of game did not impact girls’ perceived capacity to do various jobs. However, girls who played the appearance-focused game reported a greater preference for feminine careers compared to the control group. This provides preliminary evidence that appearance-focused Internet games may be detrimental to young girls’ body image and aspirations. Internet games should be included in our consideration of influential messages for young girls.

Emaciated mannequins: a study of mannequin body size in high street fashion stores

BACKGROUND

There is concern that the body size of fashion store mannequins are too thin and promote unrealistic body ideals. To date there has been no systematic examination of the size of high street fashion store mannequins.

METHODS

We surveyed national fashion retailers located on the high street of two English cities. The body size of 'male' and 'female' mannequins was assessed by two blinded research assistants using visual rating scales.

RESULTS

The average female mannequin body size was representative of a very underweight woman and 100% of female mannequins represented an underweight body size. The average male mannequin body size was significantly larger than the average female mannequin body size. Only 8% of male mannequins represented an underweight body size.

CONCLUSIONS

The body size of mannequins used to advertise female fashion is unrealistic and would be considered medically unhealthy in humans.