The effects of the ideal of female beauty on mood and body satisfaction

Objective: The present study examined changes in women's mood states result ing from their viewing pictures in fashion magazines of models who represen t a thin ideal. Method: Female university students completed the Profile of Mood States (POMS), the Body Parts Satisfaction Scale (BPSS) and the Eatin g Disorder Inventory (EDI). They were then exposed to 20 slides; the experi mental group (N = 51) viewed images of female fashion models and a control group (N = 67) viewed slides containing no human figures. All subjects then completed the POMS and the BPSS again. Results: Women were more depressed (R-2 = 0.745, p <.05) and more angry (R-2 = 0.13, P <.01) following exposur e to slides of female fashion models. Discussion: Viewing images of female fashion models had an immediate negative effect on women's mood. This study , therefore, supports the hypothesis that media images do play a role in di sordered eating. (C) 1999 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.