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What Did She Say? An Examination of the Influence of Conversation and Media Exposure on Participants’ Body Objectification and Anxiety
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by Annie L. Cory - Morningside College
Category: Sensation/Perception
The present study was conducted to determine whether exposure to media photographs and overheard conversation, including fat-talk or good-looking talk, affected women’s self-objectification and anxiety levels. Forty-nine female participants were asked to complete anxiety and self-objectification questionnaires following exposure to media/no media and fat talk/good-looking talk. Three hypotheses were proposed: (a) participants who viewed media photographs of female models would be more self-objectifying and anxious than those who did not view the photographs; (b) women exposed to fat talk would be more self-objectifying and anxious than those exposed to good-looking talk; and (c) women who experienced the media exposure with fat talk would report the highest self-objectification scores and anxiety levels. Results indicate mixed support for these hypotheses.
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Faculty Supervisor: Susan R. Burns, Morningside College