Watching Televised Counter-Stereotypes Alone or with Mom: Studying the Effects on Preadolescents' Gender Attitudes and Beliefs.

Despite the dominant presence of traditional gender portrayals on television, there is a growing effort to incorporate more diverse gender representations, including in youth television series. The impact of such counter-stereotypical portrayals on preadolescents' gender attitudes and beliefs remains largely unexplored. This mixed-design experimental study among 75 mother-child dyads (Mage child = 10.69, SD = 1.37) examined the effects of watching an episode of an entertainment television program that positively portrays a transgender character, either alone or with the mother. The findings indicated that watching the episode lowered preadolescents' gender essentialism, but did not increase acceptability of and willingness to befriend gender-nonconforming peers. Maternal presence did not further impact the findings. Perceived similarity to and liking of the transgender character did not act as moderators, but had a direct impact on preadolescents' gender attitudes and beliefs. In conclusion, the results suggest that exposure to counter-stereotypes in entertainment television can influence components of preadolescents' gender attitudes and beliefs. Gender-diverse television characters who are perceived as highly similar and likeable appear to be particularly influential.

Longitudinal Associations among Identity, Internalization of Appearance Ideals, Body Image, and Eating Disorder Symptoms in Community Adolescents and Emerging Adults: Adaptive and Maladaptive Pathways.

Previous research examined the role of identity confusion and body dissatisfaction in eating disorder symptoms, but an integrative perspective including identity synthesis and positive body image is lacking. The current study used three-wave longitudinal data (T1: N = 403; 52.1% female; Mage = 14.85, SD = 0.89) spanning two years to examine the directionality of effects among identity, internalization of appearance ideals, body image, and eating disorder symptoms, with attention to adaptive mechanisms. Results revealed a maladaptive pathway in which internalizing appearance ideals posed a risk for body dissatisfaction and eating disorder symptoms. Conversely, an adaptive pathway highlighted the potential protective role of positive body image regarding identity formation and internalization of appearance ideals. This study provides further insight into the critical role of appearance ideal internalization in the development of eating disorders and the potential value of positive body image. Future research and prevention/intervention efforts should focus on promoting resilience to appearance ideal internalization and enhancing positive body image in the context of identity struggles and eating disorder symptoms.

Pornography Use and the Acceptance of Gender Norm Violation in a School Context.

Although media effect studies have quite extensively investigated the association between pornography use and gendered attitudes, some questions remain. The present study aimed to address two of these questions by exploring how gendered attitudes and gender beliefs may be influenced by gender typicality and pornography use. First, the literature has not yet accounted for individual differences based on gender typicality. Second, the influence of pornography use on gender beliefs going beyond pornography's script application is understudied. This online cross-sectional study (N = 1,440, Mage = 23.86, SD = 4.79) contributes to the field by investigating the indirect association between pornography use and acceptance of gender norm violation through gendered attitudes and the moderating role of gender typicality. Acceptance of gender norm violation was measured via vignettes describing a school context in which a teacher and a student violated gender norms. Findings indicated that gendered attitudes negatively relate to the acceptance of gender norm violation. Moreover, compared to women, men's pornography use indirectly relates to lower acceptance rates through gendered attitudes. Additionally, for men, specific levels of gender typicality and atypicality form a strengthening and buffering role, respectively. This applies to the association between pornography use and gendered attitudes as well as to the indirect relationship of pornography use with acceptance of gender norm violation. These findings suggest that pornography use may also affect gender beliefs that are unrelated to the scripts present in pornography. Future studies should take into account the type of preferred pornography and unravel the specific impact of women's pornography use.

Experimental research on non-idealized models: A systematic literature review.

Current literature on non-idealized models seems to offer mixed evidence on whether such models generate a positive body image and increase advertising effectiveness. To closely investigate this claim, we conducted a systematic review to summarize the empirical findings on the effects of non-idealized models on body image, well-being, and advertising outcomes among men and women. To contextualize these results, we also synthesized (1) the conceptualization of a non-idealized body size (i.e., labelling and operationalization), (2) the message accompanying the model (i.e., medium type and marketing intent), and (3) individual traits of participants tested as potential moderators. Three databases in different disciplines (i.e., ProQuest Psychology, Communication and Mass Media Complete, and Web of Science) were searched, and 86 unique studies were included in the review. While most studies found positive or null effects of non-idealized models on body image, well-being, and advertising outcomes, a small number of studies obtained negative results. These inconsistent findings could be explained by the large variety of labels and unclear operationalizations identified within our review. The conclusions of this review call for a clearer definition and measurement of non-idealized models.

Inhabiting the body: Exploring the link between embodiment and identity in community adolescents.

The intricate relationship between the body and identity has been highlighted in previous studies. However, a holistic approach to the body that focuses on embodiment is lacking in research examining body - identity linkages. The current study (N = 917 adolescents; 58% female; Mage = 16.17, range = 14-19 years) examined the psychometric properties of a Dutch translation of the Experience of Embodiment Scale (EES) and explored the link between embodiment and personal identity. First, confirmatory factor analysis revealed a second-order factor structure for the EES and adequate reliability coefficients were obtained. Metric invariance across gender was demonstrated for the first- and second-order factors. Second, path analysis demonstrated that experiencing embodiment was positively associated with adaptive identity work. Third, five identity statuses emerged using cluster analysis. Adolescents in statuses reflecting less adaptive identity functioning displayed lower levels of embodiment. The EES shows promising indications of reliability and factor structure for assessing adolescents' Experience of Embodiment, and the present study demonstrates that embodiment is meaningfully related to identity functioning. These findings support the call for the adoption of a positive psychology framework within this research field, with attention given to more broadly defined body-related concepts such as embodiment.

Pathways to Depressive Symptoms in a Digital Environment: The Role of Trait Affectivity and Mediation of Media Response Styles in Adolescence.

Trait negative affectivity and trait extraversion/positive affectivity are predictive of both responses to affect and depressive symptoms in adolescence. Furthermore, differences in the use of responses to affect are associated with different levels of depressive symptoms. Despite the central role of media content in adolescents' daily lives, responses to affect have not yet been extended to affect in this media content. It is thus unclear whether trait affectivity is predictive of responses to affective media content, and whether such media response styles are predictive of depressive symptoms. A 3-wave longitudinal panel study with 3-month intervals among 318 adolescents (Mage = 16.5 years, SDage = 1.11, 72.5% boys) investigated the mediating role of media response styles in associations between trait affectivity and depressive symptoms. Trait negative affectivity predicted media rumination and media dampening, yet only media rumination predicted greater levels of depressive symptoms over time. Trait positive affectivity was associated with concurrent media distraction and media-enhancing. The media response styles did not mediate the associations between trait affectivity and depressive symptoms over time. These findings suggest that individuals higher in trait negative affectivity tend to engage in maladaptive emotion regulation strategies during sad media content consumption, whereas adolescents higher in trait positive affectivity turn to more adaptive strategies during sad or happy media content consumption. Yet, media response styles are not robustly associated with depressive symptoms over time.

Intercultural insights on the impact of different non-idealized models on men's body image and advertising perceptions.

This experiment with 363 Irish and Flemish men aged 19 to 30 years (M = 23.56, SD = 2.36) investigated exposure to different male model ads (i.e. muscular, slim, plus-size, overall diversity, and no models) on well-being (i.e. body image, low body fat and muscularity attitudes, self-objectification, and self-esteem) and advertising outcomes (i.e. ad attitudes, brand attitudes, and purchase intent). Moderation effects of country and masculinity (i.e. dominance, winning) were investigated. The diversity condition generated more positive effects for low body fat attitudes than the muscular, slim, and no model conditions. Yet, no differences appeared for this outcome between the diversity and plus-size condition. No effects for the other well-being and advertising variables were found. Moderation analyses revealed higher purchase intent in the slim condition for men high in dominance. No effects were found for country and winning. Findings suggest that non-idealized models have protective effects for some men.

Identity Formation, Body Image, and Body-Related Symptoms: Developmental Trajectories and Associations Throughout Adolescence.

Emerging evidence highlights the intricate link between identity and one's body, however, integrative longitudinal research on this identity-body interplay is lacking. The current study used three-wave longitudinal data (Time 1: N = 403; 52.1% female; Mage = 14.85, SD = 0.89, range = 13-19 years) spanning two years (2019-2021; T1 and T2 being pre-pandemic, T3 peri-pandemic) to identify identity trajectory classes and examine their co-development with negative and positive body image and various body-related variables (i.e., sociocultural pressures, internalization of appearance ideals, self-objectification, appearance comparison, and eating disorder symptoms). First, four identity classes emerged using latent class growth analysis (achievement, moratorium, carefree diffusion, and troubled diffusion). Second, using multigroup latent growth curve modeling, adolescents in less adaptive identity trajectory classes (i.e., engaging less in pro-active processes and more in ruminative processes) displayed higher levels of negative body image and body-related symptoms. The current study testified to the clinically meaningful associations linking identity formation to adolescents' body image and other body-related symptoms.

Framing real beauty: A framing approach to the effects of beauty advertisements on body image and advertising effectiveness.

Current literature is inconsistent about the effects of idealized (i.e., thin) vs. non-idealized (i.e., average or plus-size) models on young women's well-being. This inconsistency may be explained by different frames (i.e., passive body, active body, and subject) surrounding beauty ad models. The current experimental study among 568 women aged 18-30 years (M = 21.45, SD = 1.84) tested the effects of differently framed ads featuring idealized vs. non-idealized models on well-being and ad effectiveness while taking into account the mediating role of cognitive schemas and moderating role of thin-ideal internalization. Results showed that a passive body frame generated more appearance schemas compared to a subject frame. The effects of framing on body functionality schemas operated differently for idealized vs. non-idealized models. The passive body frame also induced inferior ad outcomes (i.e., lower attitudes to the advertisement and brand and lower purchase intent) compared to an active body frame. No other main framing effects nor moderating effects of thin-ideal internalization were found. These results for advertising outcomes can encourage beauty brands to stop using typical objectifying ads.

Does Adolescent Media Use Predict Sexual Stereotypes in Adolescence and Emerging Adulthood? Associations with Music Television and Online Pornography Exposure.

Entertainment media consumed by adolescents have been criticized for their stereotyped depictions of sexual relationships. This longitudinal study among 182 boys and 218 girls from Belgium tests reciprocal relationships between adolescents' acceptance of gendered sexual roles and their exposure to music television and online pornography over three waves. The study innovates by including a fourth wave, approximately 5 years after Wave 3, when the participants had reached emerging adulthood, allowing to study long-term associations across the two developmental stages. Results first showed that adolescents who watched more music television than their same-aged peers reported a stronger acceptance of rape myths in emerging adulthood. Second, the link between adolescents' music television viewing and acceptance of rape myths in emerging adulthood was an indirect relationship through adolescents' acceptance of gendered sexual roles during adolescence. Third, adolescents' exposure to online pornography relative to their same-aged peers did not predict their acceptance of gendered sexual roles or rape myths in emerging adulthood. Fourth, gender and age differences could not be investigated due to model fit problems and are suggested to be examined in future research. Implications of the long-term consequences of adolescents' media use are discussed.

The reciprocal relations between facebook relationship maintenance behaviors and adolescents' closeness to friends.

INTRODUCTION: Scholars suggest that social networking sites such as Facebook offer adolescents an ideal setting for engaging in relationship maintenance behaviors. Despite these suggestions, it remains an open question whether adolescents' online relationship maintenance behaviors can improve aspects of positive friendship quality, such as feelings of closeness. Additionally, it is unclear whether adolescents' feelings of closeness can motivate them to engage in online relationship maintenance behaviors. The aim of this two-wave longitudinal panel study was to investigate the reciprocal relations between Facebook relationship maintenance behaviors (FRMB) and adolescents' closeness to friends. METHOD: A sample of 12- to 18-year-old Flemish adolescents (NTime1 = 1840) filled out a paper-and-pencil survey twice within a six month-interval. We estimated cross-lagged structural equation models in AMOS to test the reciprocal relations between FRMB, closeness to friends, and receiving positive Facebook reactions. To test whether the hypothesized relations were moderated by gender and/or age, we conducted multiple group comparison tests. RESULTS: Findings revealed that FRMB and adolescents' closeness to friends were reciprocally related over time: FRMB positively predicted adolescents' closeness to friends and closeness to friends positively predicted FRMB. In addition, receiving positive Facebook reactions mediated these reciprocal relations. CONCLUSION: By revealing that receiving positive Facebook reactions mediates the reciprocal relationships between FRMB and adolescents' closeness to friends, we now better understand how FRMB can increase adolescents' closeness to friends and how increased closeness to friends can enhance adolescents' FRMB. The discussion focuses on the understanding of these findings, directions for future research, and key limitations.

Active public Facebook use and adolescents' feelings of loneliness: Evidence for a curvilinear relationship.

Inconsistent results have been reported concerning the relationships between SNS usage and loneliness. The current two-wave panel study with a one year interval examined the possibility of reciprocal and curvilinear relationships between active public Facebook use and adolescents' social/emotional loneliness. Belgian adolescents from fifteen high schools participated (N = 1188, 55% male). The results showed a U-shaped relationship between (1) active Facebook use and social/emotional loneliness and (2) emotional loneliness and active Facebook use. Specifically, active Facebook use predicted decreased social/emotional loneliness among low to moderate users, while among heavy users, increased levels of social/emotional loneliness were predicted by active Facebook use. Emotional loneliness predicted higher active Facebook use among lonely adolescents. At the same time, emotional loneliness predicted decreased active Facebook use among adolescents who did not feel lonely. These findings stress to consider different types of loneliness, and reciprocal and curvilinear relationships in future social media research.

The multidimensional self-objectification process from adolescence to emerging adulthood.

This longitudinal study (N = 400, 54.5% female) explores the relationships between three components of self-objectification: the internalization of the media's appearance ideals, the valuing of appearance over competence, and body surveillance. The study adds to the self-objectification literature by taking a long-term, developmental approach. The relationships are examined over 6-month intervals during adolescence and a 5-year interval from adolescence to emerging adulthood. Furthermore, this study is the first to examine relationships between different components of self-objectification at the within-person level and, thus, study personal changes over time. Most notably, an increase in internalization during adolescence predicted subsequent increases in valuing appearance over competence and body surveillance five years later, when the respondents had reached emerging adulthood. No evidence for gender differences was found. Implications for the development of self-objectification from adolescence to emerging adulthood and the difference between within- and between-person effects are discussed.

Media ideals and early adolescents' body image: Selective avoidance or selective exposure?

The present study combines selective exposure theory with body image coping literature to study effects of media internalization in early adolescence. The main objective was to explore how early adolescents selectively internalize media body ideals to manage their body image. To examine the role of media internalization in early adolescents' body image management, we used two-wave panel data (NWave1 = 1986) gathered among 9- to 14-year-olds. Structural equation analyses indicated that media internalization (Wave 1) positively related to body surveillance (Wave 2). Body surveillance (Wave 2), in turn, was associated with more body image self-discrepancy (Wave 2). In addition, body image self-discrepancy (Wave 1) related to higher body surveillance (Wave 1). Body surveillance, in turn, related to more media internalization cross-sectionally, but less media internalization six months later. Taken together, these results suggest a role for media internalization in early adolescents' body image management. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

Feasibility and impact study of a reward-based mobile application to improve adolescents' snacking habits.

OBJECTIVE: Adolescents' snacking habits are driven by both explicit reflective and implicit hedonic processes. Hedonic pathways and differences in sensitivity to food rewards in addition to reflective determinants should be considered. The present study evaluated the feasibility and impact of a mobile phone-delivered intervention, incorporating explicit reflective and implicit rewarding strategies, on adolescents' snack intake. DESIGN: Adolescents (n 988; mean age 14·9 (sd 0·70) years, 59·4 % boys) completed a non-randomized clustered controlled trial. Adolescents (n 416) in the intervention schools (n 3) were provided with the intervention application for four weeks, while adolescents (n 572) in the control schools (n 3) followed the regular curriculum. Outcomes were differences in healthy snacking ratio and key determinants (awareness, intention, attitude, self-efficacy, habits and knowledge). Process evaluation data were collected via questionnaires and through log data of the app. RESULTS: No significant positive intervention effects on the healthy snack ratio (b=-3·52 (se 1·82), P>0·05) or targeted determinants were observed. Only 268 adolescents started using the app, of whom only fifty-five (20·5 %) still logged in after four weeks. Within the group of users, higher exposure to the app was not significantly associated with positive intervention effects. App satisfaction ratings were low in both high and low user groups. Moderation analyses revealed small positive intervention effects on the healthy snack ratio in high compared with low reward-sensitive boys (b=1·38 (se 0·59), P<0·05). CONCLUSIONS: The intervention was not able to improve adolescents' snack choices, due to low reach and exposure. Future interventions should consider multicomponent interventions, teacher engagement, exhaustive participatory app content development and tailoring.

How Social and Mass Media Relate to Youth's Self-Sexualization: Taking a Cross-National Perspective on Rewarded Appearance Ideals.

Although media exposure has been related to cognitive preoccupation with appearance, research rarely investigated adolescents' behavioral self-sexualization. To address this gap, the present study among 12- to 16-year-olds (N = 1527; 50.2% girls) in Austria, Belgium, Spain, and South-Korea (1) investigates whether different types of media use relate to self-sexualization, (2) explores the explanatory value of rewarded appearance ideals, and (3) considers culture and gender as moderating factors. Despite cultural variation, a general trend of increasing self-sexualization with social media use and magazine reading appeared across the countries. Moreover, women's magazine reading and rewards were related to self-sexualization among all the girls across the countries, which suggests that girls may be more vulnerable to the examined effects. Overall, this study provides a better understanding of the unique contribution of specific media genres to youth's self-sexualization and points at the importance of social media use in girls' and boys' engagement in sexualizing appearance behaviors across four countries.

"I Can/Should Look Like a Media Figure": The Association Between Direct and Indirect Media Exposure and Teens' Sexualizing Appearance Behaviors.

Prior research has examined the influence of media exposure on adolescents' sexualized self-concept, but engagement in sexualizing appearance behaviors remains understudied, especially among a younger age group (i.e., early adolescents). This three-wave panel study among 971 nine- to 14-year-olds (Mage = 12.99, SD = 1.03) showed that discussing media content with friends (i.e., indirect media exposure) was indirectly related to sexualizing appearance behaviors through perceived attainability of the appearance ideal. Direct media exposure was not significantly related to sexualizing appearance behaviors, nor to perceived pressure or perceived attainability. Direct and indirect media exposure influenced boys and girls in similar ways, although the model showed a better fit among the girls. In addition, reward sensitivity did not moderate the examined relations.

Tween Television and Peers: Reinforcing Social Agents in Early Adolescents' Body Surveillance and Self-Objectification.

Sociocultural models of body image posit that the media and peers play a role in early adolescents' body dissatisfaction. Introducing a sociocultural perspective on youth sexualization, the present three-wave panel study (N = 968, Mage  = 11.30) sought to examine the role of tween television and peer appearance conversations in early adolescents' body surveillance and self-objectification over time. Special attention was given to the mediating role of media internalization in these relationships. The results showed evidence for a reciprocal interaction between media internalization and peer appearance conversations and identified this reciprocal interaction as the underlying mechanism linking tween television exposure to higher levels of body surveillance and self-objectification 1 year later. Implications for body image and media literacy programs are discussed.

Linking Magazine Exposure to Social Appearance Anxiety: The Role of Appearance Norms in Early Adolescence.

Early adolescents (N = 1,591; Mage  = 11.698; SD = 0.892) participated in a two-wave panel study (6-month interval) to examine the longitudinal association between appearance-focused magazine exposure and social appearance anxiety. We revealed that magazine exposure positively correlated with the internalization of appearance ideals and the attribution of social rewards to attractiveness which, in turn, related to social appearance anxiety. Internalization and attribution of social rewards formed a reinforcing spiral; once internalized, early adolescents associate positive things with appearance ideals (e.g., peer acceptance) and the perception of rewards increases early adolescents' inclination to internalize ideals. Given the adverse consequences of social appearance anxiety, the findings warrant research on the role of media in the occurrence of social appearance anxiety.