Internalizing Television’s Ideal Male Body Type Exploring the Link Between Television Consumption and Male Body Image Insecurities Meelyn Hecox Elyse Sandberg Abby Schogel Key words: male body image, mediated messages, self-esteem, muscularity, internalization at vibereching topic — A ne paki boyd thes Low» - 7 seen fe ee m Co herent atruckure Lite review ier Westitesiucin gt wos | sol ier Our increasingly media-saturated society alters individuals? acetone ETE rma “port bodies by providing media consumers swith limited and skewed messages about reality. While the ee majority of studies that explore the media's effect on Body image focus on women, our research | Sch contributes to the under-researched topic of male body image issues caused by media O or consumption (Diedrichs, 2012). This study defines body image as, “the intemal, subjective yche representations of physical appearance and bodily appearance; a multidimensional phenomenon > prel bl. eras b which plays a vital role in dramatically influencing quality of life” (Leone et al., 2010). “Using focus-groupsas our research method, we explore the correlation between increased ~~’ et is This television intake and body image insecurities. Based on the literature we reviewed, we ph hypothesize the following: hire ane ° oe 26tf 1, Intemalization is wis key y tinier between television come en and male body image dissatinfnction. nels 4 (the hows op 4 pronouns, 2. The more television(one watches, the . mée likely they are to internalize the mesomorphic body type displayed in television content. A brief look into the historical context of this issue explains the relevance and importance of studying the link between male body image issues and media consumption. Since the ‘mid-1980s, British and American cultures have indicated a shift toward men growing more concerned with their body image due to changes in popular media (Grogan & Richards, 2002). Female bodies were typically used in advertisements prior to the 1980s, but mass media began featuring more male bodies, causing society to look to the young, lean, and muscular male bodies shown in the media as the new cultural standard for male physical appearance. The media'sstandards for male body image were subsequently reinforced in reality as men’s clothing styles underwent significant changes to accommodate and accentuate a more muscular and trim body wl, bet js vty we (Grogan & Richards, 2002). Good r? ot : ee of bo Another trend to consider when exploring this issue involves a cultural shift from je ae spending time with others to spending time on electronic devices, such as mobile phones, oe By — new computers, tablets, and t vision, Over the past 30 years, normative group interactions, such as ne id activities, have declined and been replaced by media consumption. This Let isotaiowreauses males to interact more with individuals featured on television shows _ — This Se parlor the rather than with other peers. As a result boys and men are ols, to eens, Ie. Rew Stud, concentration of séGiocultural influencés, which has been proven to play a significant role in ts tus forming negative perceptions of one’s own body (Leone ef ai, 2010). Researchers have discovered that si intelevision content and our increased # ts ide i ry, involvement with medigfiave drastically altered the ways in which men perceive their own ; bodies. Cultivation theorists suggest that exposure to television skews the audience’s view of reality. As a result, television viewers will perceive reality “in ways that reflect the common and recurrent messages of the television world” (Dallesasse & Kluck, 2013), Men often endorse the mesomorphic body type (“*well-proportioned, average build, well-developed chest and arms, wide shoulders, narrow waist”) as the ideal (Leone e/ al., 2010), and previous studies indicate that 90% of young men desire a more muscular physique and experience “decreased muscle satisfaction, body satisfaction, and body esteem” (Dallesasse & Kluck, 2013). Other studies report that men who spend more time watching television content that feature the mesomorphic body type possess higher levels of drive for muscularity, more eating problems, reliance ondietary supplements to increase muscle mass, and more exercise than those who do not consume as much media (Hatoum & Belle, 2004). Literature Review ‘Male Accounts of Body Image Insecurity 1, Body Image: Focus Groups with Boys and Men uve * © Men's health and appearance has become a more popular topic over the past decade © An increase in men’s body consciousness can have positive and negative effects: © Positive effects include more exercise and better cardiovascular fitness © Negative effects include ingesting steroids and human growth hormones, lowered ‘mental health effects such as low self-esteem and self-worth, and development of cating disorders > tvulh this chescubles outcomes . Results jude importance of muscularity, fear of fat, drive to exercise more, and Jeelings of greater power and self-confidence with a toned and muscular body gee Adolescent Male Body Image Dissatisfaction By 2 ? Body image ‘Rdefined as-ttre internal, Subjective representations sb physical appearance and bodily appearance: a multidimensional phenomenon which plays a vital role in / dramatically influences quality of life” / © Body image is impacted most at adolescence and personal identity forms and individuals use others’ reactions as a primary way for understanding their own identity 4 © “Idealized body images are constantly presented in the media and have a strong impact ‘on how adolescents relate to their physical and psychological environments” ? © “Pressure to conform to socially idealized standards of beauty often drives adolescents to alter their physical appearance, some with long-term consequences” Sure 7 - ‘© Over the past 30 years, normative group interactions, such as social gatherings and / activities, have declined and been replaced by mediated communication. Yo] © Social isolation causes adolescents to interact more with individuals featured on | ix television shows, movies, and video games rather than with a, ; adolescents oy dni. sTyie Ree ai dew Gere +4 the 7 , pred A ™ 6?3. Ealing Disorders and Body Image of Undergraduate Men db pere © Young males, especially ranging from adolescence to mid-twenties, experience body image issues differently than their female counterparts, which requires mental health professionals and educators to be trained specifically to meet the special needs of males who struggle with a negative perception of self on cl Sorice: © Because television promotes average to thin sized people- overweight male characters afe 7 strongly underrepresented and even less likely be shown in a romantic setting. © According to a study‘by Herboz0 (2004) atractive males are portrayed as muscular and friendly while overweight characters are depicted as unfriendly, disliked, or evil. © Books follow a similar trend ‘© Acultural ideal is formed © Forchildren and adults, male attractiveness emphasizes muscularity and youth eke is 2 Consumers desire to obtain such an ideal through th Objectfied presentation > the © Factors that influence the relationship between media exposure and body image: ik eo © Exercise motivation te © Prior body/muscle satisfaction ¢ Fe are © Level of appearance orientation (actions based on physical goals) © Conflicting studies are reported about the relationship between prior body image and internalization of media-presented ideals Television’s Impact on Male Body Image 4, Reality Television and the Muscular Male Ideal Men and women differ in what they consider as the ideal body. Females tend to achieve a thin body whereas men generally prefer greater muscle mass SQUICe 7 Men often endorse the mesomorphic body type (“well-proportioned, average build, __well-developed chest and arms, wide shoulders, narrow waist”) as the ideal Previous studies indicate that 90% of young men desire a more muscular body. © Research on human body dissatisfaction revealed that media influences how men and women view their bodies, and the muscular male ideal presented in popular media leads men to experience “decreased muscle satisfaction, body dissatisfaction, and body esteem”As a result, television viewers will perceive reality “in ways that reflect the common and recurrent messages of the television world” © Reality television contributes to the notion that there is only one attractive and socially acceptable body type: the mesomorphic type 5. Imitation, Impersonation, and Transformation: Using Male Role Models Promote — defn. “this Moca ina helps young males better understand who they are and know who they want to become © Role modeling manifests itself through imitation, impersonation, and tansformation: © Imitation involves the viewer attempting to copy the behavior of the model © Impersonation involves the viewer adopting some of the model’s characteristics/personality into their own life © Transformation involves valuing and adopting some of the qualities of the character while still being separated from the role model © Adopting the attitudes of behaviors of role models can lead to positive or negative consequences. © Counselors can use this research to suggest films with positive role models to young men who are still developing their characters and identities. 6. Media Internalization and Conformity to Traditional Masculine Norms in Relation to Body Image Concems Among Men © Traditionally, body image issues were thought to be problems pertaining primarily to women. However, increasing evidence has shown that men also experience significant body image concerns. © Especially the rising prevalence of men diagnosed with eating disorders and body dysmorphic disorders, such as anorexia nervosa and muscle dysmorphia. . (‘isady examines men’s desire for muscularity, thinness, and/or leanness. \Yelw - de * 4 peer 6© “Male gender role norms are important because they reflect and reinforce social and cultural expectations for men to conform to particular behaviors and attitudes (Levant, 2011 and Thompson and Pleck, 1986). In addition, these gender role norms are viewed as being reinforced by powerful social agents, such as the media, which are then adopted or imemalized by men.” © The media displays social dominance with ideals that promote drive for muscularity © Studies have shown that men’s desire to be more muscular is closely associated with male gender role norms, particularly involving masculinity © Hard work is not shown by the media, but both still relate to drive for thinness. © Results of this study showed that in the case of drive for muscularity and leanness, the internalization of idealized appearance-related messages from the media mediated conformity to masculine norms. det 7. Media's Influence on the Drive for Muscularity in Undergraduates core 70% of U.S college men reported body dissatisfaction Pe fel to women, men’s self-esteem decreases aller viewing images of men who possess the ideal male body ho? © Watchifg image-focused television felated to a higher drive for muscularity in men. © Total television viewing hours significantly predicted drive for muscularity. ee ee ° Warching te€ sion was related increased drive for muscularity in both men and women, whereas ling men’s health magazines was related to drive for musculerity in men, Wat stud, 7 ‘* _Intemalization of media ideals has been pinpointed as the strongest predictor of drive for muscularity in men. Thus, as men engage in more media use, the more they may internalize attitudes towards appearances and body shape ideals, which can lead to increased drive for muscularity. 8. Television Viewing and Self-Perceived Health, Weight, and Physical Fitness: Evidence for the Cultivation Hypothesis, © Social Leaming Theory asserts that people imitate behaviors modeled on TV hs 18" yoo died©. Positive or negative reactions (reward/punishment) imply whether the action will reoccur © Cultivation Theory in regards to health ‘Those who watch a lot of TV assume the are less healthy than the average person = They get ill more often than the average TV character © TV isused as information-gathering to gauge the viewer's level of physical fitness © The viewer's value of TV entertainment associate with levels of comparison oe duckies some ft” dently Relational Factors in Body Satisfaction _— wh, ae eee } ‘9, From Grace Alone to Grace Alone: Male Body Image and Intimacy at Princeton Seminary gw or ts at Harvard and Brown developed the Adonis Complex: f rot : © Male’s desire for the ultimate male physique; muscles for the sake of strength and, Psy isfaction can be linked to neglect in gender studies and the repressive standard of not vocalizing their insecurities © Steroid use has increased significantly due to images presented to men that are altered through drugs or Photoshop and men realize that the ideal body is not obtainable naturally © By utilizing surveys that asked seminary students about their satisfaction with their bod} and their standard of the ideal, the researchers found: © Youth is of the utmost in body standards © Every man had something they admitted to want to change © Adolescent experiences with body insecurity have a lasting impact © Experiences with women indicate how they feel about their bodies © Deep friendships have a strong correlation with good emotional health and are neces: for men to avoid the new obsession with body perfection / / 10, Communication With Parents and Body Satisfaction in College Students© Strong relationships and open communication with parents often indicates a child’s satisfaction with their body ‘© Surveys found that parental relationships with cross-sex parents indicate a positive view of self © Two separate surveys were conducted = One gauged the student's overall satisfaction with their body a The other gauged levels of communication that student perceived with their parents Sons who have have positive communication and relationships with their mother indicate high self-esteem, while negative communication indicates higher body dissatisfaction Son’s relationship with their fathers had no effect on body satisfaction ote Method ste courte Focus Group Methodology common experiences can be talked about and elaborated upon. Using focus groups will help to Meaning Ahi * generate interactive data, In such groups, participants talk mostly with each other, while the l v researcher facilitates conversation. This creates the best way to access “natural language,” as. well as common, shared experiences among males. Research on focus groups has shown that (poe participants are more likely to self-disclose and share personal experiences than they are in ‘one-on-one interviews, They are especially more likely to disclose when they are grouped with other people they see as being similar to themselves, because they feel empowered and supported bby these groups. This specific type of interview is especially useful when interviewing males, asit was found that men talk more freely and openly in a group than in one-on-one situations. Focus groups were also shown to be most effective when investigating sensitive issues, such as male body image (Grogan & Richards, 2002). tall ie Procedure and Participants fenel We will set up ten different focus groups consisting of four college-aged men wS researcher each. The size of these focus groups are limited to four men, as studies have suggested that fewer men in a focus group will foster more discussion and participation from the men “These men will be selected on a volunteer basis from males at Wheaton College, in hopes that ok men who volunteer will be willing to openly discuss this issue. The focus group will be led by @ female researcher, as studies have confirmed that males fecl less threatened by women and more willing to disclose information when a woman led the discussion group. These groups will take place in quiet, smaller rooms at Wheaton. They will begin with informal chatting to help the We will turn on the tape recorder and begin discussion. This discussion will be centere around television, body image, body ideals, and internalization of ideals seen on television. These conversations will end when the topics have been exhausted and conversation seems td die out. Participants identity will be kept Ltd will gem Beans his ? An interview guide containing a set of themes will be used in the focus groups for confidential in the study. Materials discussion, These themes include television consumption rates, types of television being viewed, specific actors/characters they look up to, ideal body shapfs, body image dissatisfaction, drive L kp ensthel 10for muscularity, and internalization/f television’s ideal male body. We will usc a tape recorder to record the interviews, Research has suggested that internalization may be the link between television consumption and male body dissatisfaction. This study, using focus groups, will enable us to confirm that internalization is the key link, and to expand research knowledge on this particular topic of internalization. Through focus group interviews, we plan to deepen our understanding of internalization as the link between consumption and negative body image, and connect with ongoing discussions about how television cultivates societal body standards. Looe Himifsinb?90U"Ce Although, ‘h has proven focus groups to be among the most effective interview style for malgs, limitations with this type of research must be acknowledged. While focus groups most often increase disclosure from participants, Participants may not be honest when talking with their peers, This may limit our findings, as participants would not disclose accurate representations of their realities. An additional limitation to this study is the inability to determine what sso ‘men to internalize ideals seen on television, while other men do not. While our restarch seeks to explore the cause of internalization, the nature of our study is unable to prove a firm causal relationship. rtBibliography Carlin, N. (2008). From Grace Alone to Grace Alone: Male Body Image and Intimacy at Princeton Seminary. Pastoral Psychology, 56(3), 269-293. doi:10.1007/s11089-007-0114-x Cramblitt, B., & Pritchard, M. (January 01, 2013). Media's influence on the drive for muscul i J, Ly) : , , Di in undergraduates. Eating Behaviors, 14, 4, 441-6, how * 1S “fore Paes S.L., & Kluck, A. S. (June 01, 2013). Reality television and the muscular male ideal. pow Body Image, 10, 3, 309-315. on De, J. A. Y., Ricciardelli, L. A., Frisén, A., Smolak, L., Yager, Z., Fuller-Tyszkiewicz, M., Diedrichs, P. C., .. Gattario, K. H. (August 01, 2015). Media intemalization and conformity to traditional masculine norms in relation to body image concems among men. Eating Behaviors, 18, 137-142, Gladding, S. T., & Villalbe, J. January 01, 2014). 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