Can Pretty Pictures be Harmful?: Depression, Body Esteem, and Career Aspirations

UNCP Author/Contributor (non-UNCP co-authors, if there are any, appear on document)
Dr. Shilpa Regan, Professor (Creator)
Dr. Kelly Charlton, Associate Professor (Contributor)
Institution
The University of North Carolina at Pembroke (UNCP )
Web Site: http://www.uncp.edu/academics/library

Abstract: Today’s media is saturated with sexualized images of women. Women in revealing clothing and suggestive poses are used to sell items as diverse as perfume to cars. This issue has been widely studied, with sexualized content having been found in advertisements, television shows, movies, music videos, video games, and even children’s toys. The effect of such content has likewise been researched widely. Objectification of women in such a manner has been related to lowered self-esteem and body esteem (Groesz et al., 2002; Turner et al., 1997), higher levels of depression (Durkin & Paxton, 2002; Mills et al., 2002; Rivadeneyra et al., 2007), and even decreased cognitive resources (Frederickson et al., 1998). This media portrayal of women also severely limits women’s conceptualizations of themselves as anything more than a sexualized being. Results indicated that attractive images of women influenced future career perceptions.

Additional Information

Publication
UNCP Research and Creativity Showcase
Language: English
Date: 2017
Keywords
Pretty Pictures, Harmful Media Influence, Objectification of Women, Depression, Body Esteem, Career Aspirations, Faculty Research, Poster Presentations, University of North Carolina at Pembroke

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