Media images and women's self-evaluations: Social context and importance of attractiveness as moderators

The current research examines the effects of exposure to ideal images on wo men's self-evaluations, taking into account the moderating influence of soc ial contextual and individual difference factors. In Study 1, women were ex posed to either ideal images of women or neutral images. Participants viewe d these images in a context in which (a) men were not present, (b) men were present, or (c) men were present and made comments about some of the image s. Results indicated that participants' weight esteem was negatively affect ed in the ideal image/men present condition but that those in the ideal ima ge/men comment condition actually exhibited higher Levels of weight-esteem. A second study replicated the results of Study 1 and also showed that the importance participants placed on physical attractiveness influenced the ef fects of viewing ideal images.