Skinny Models Influence On Women

The Impact of skinny models on Eating Disorders and Women's Purchasing Behaviour

Literature Review

The literature review focuses on literature regarding the links between the use of skinny models in advertising, the purchase decision, women's feelings of self worth, dissatisfaction with their own body and eating disorders.

Models and the Ideal Body Shape

Research in an article by Fay and Price (entitled "Female Body-shape in Advertisements") found that the body shape of contemporary models in advertisements has reduced since the 1950s. Over the past 15 years the media had represented a very thin body, which was found to be clinically underweight.

They point out that "The particular set of physical characteristics perceived
as beautiful and desirable is a social construct that can vary dramatically across cultures and across time within a culture."

In the journal "in pursuit of identity" reference from Gordon 2000 states "the proliferation of photographic and electronic media images of thin and in most cases emaciated looking women has in the last decade been and increasingly powerful factor in promoting contemporary body ideals to the female audience"

Impact on Advertising Effectiveness

Research by Sharron J. Lennon (physical Attractiveness, Age And Body type) recorded sixty college aged students responses to photos of female models who varied in body type and found that the thinner models were seen as more attractive than heavier models.

Dittmar & Howard 2004 cite (Kathle & Holmer, 1985) who found that the physical attractiveness of a model in an advertisement "increases consumer's positive attitude toward the product and their willingness to purchase"

Dittmar & Howard in their journal investigating the impact of model's body size in advertising effectiveness make the point that social comparison theory suggests that exposure to idealised images leads consumers to compare themselves with models often leading to discontent. Advertising then provides the remedy as it attempts to associate the "purchase of the goods with the consumer becoming more like the idealised image".

(Clayton, Lennon & Larkin, 1987) examined the effects of age and body type or the wearer of garments and the fashion detail of the garment on perceived fashionablity, using 90 college aged female respondents, the results indicated that age and body type did influence judgements of garment fashionability.

Recent research from the University of Bath carried out by Professor Brett Martin showed that two thirds of women preferred thin models. They tended to think the thinner models were more "elegant", "interesting", "likeable" and "pleasant" and therefor were more likely to approve of the product the models were advertising.

However Dittmar and Howard 2004 in their study compared advertising effectiveness between adverts showing thin, average sized and no models and found them all to be equally effective.

And more recently the company Dove ran an ad campaign, using real women as models representing larger body shapes the BBC reported that the ad boosted sales by 700% "suggesting women are tired of skinny models"

Thus the research is contrasting, perhaps indicating changing ideals to include a healthier body image
Research by Wagner et all showed it was possible using "education intervention to reframe media norms and weaken the credibility of ads that "glorify the ultra thin female body"
Suggesting that is would perhaps be possible for marketers to easily influence the beliefs about the ideal body, by simply changing the media norms relating to how the female body is portrayed.

Image Congruency

Another factor that may explain the contrasting research finding is image congruency theory

Brett 1995 also suggests a factor that affects the consumers perception of the models weight as women who preferred thin models tended to be thinner.

Those who believed that weight was not controllable – who were themselves more likely to be larger – were less likely to see the slim model as an ideal, and were less impressed with the product advertised. (http://www.bath.ac.uk/news/articles/archive/models200906.html)

So the consumers own self-image and its congruence with the ideal appears to have an effect on the role that images of skinny models have on the purchase decision.

(Ataman & Ulengin, 2003) found preference may develop for certain brands if the consumer perceives them as reflecting his/her own self image or it is projecting an image he/she aspires to.
And (Alreck & Settle, 1999, Strategies for building consumer brand preference) suggest success of an advertisement can depend "on the audience's ability and willingness to emulate the model presented in the ad"

The Impact of a Thin-Ideal on Women's Self Perception

Much research has focused on the negative effect skinny models on women's body satisfaction and self-esteem

Dove Company found that only 13% of women were very satisfied with their body shape and 68 per cent agreed that "the media and advertising set an unrealistic standard of beauty that most women can't ever achieve". The dove research found that three quarters of women called for female beauty to be portrayed in the media in a way that consisted of more than just physical attractiveness, and that the media did a better job of portraying women of diverse ages, shapes and sizes.

(Cafri et al, 2005), studied the influence of Sociocultural factors on Body image found that three constructs were important in the development of body image dissatisfaction "awareness of a thin ideal, internalisation of a thin ideal and perceived pressures to be
thin".

(Park, 2005) found pressure to be thin was caused both directly and indirectly, i.e., the use of skinny models increased the individuals desire to be thin directly, but also indirectly through the presumed influence it would also have on others.
So the individual also felt they would be expected by others to be thin.

Influence on Eating Disorders

As well as effects on body image and self-esteem research has focused on relating a link between the use of skinny/underweight models and eating disorders in young women,
The Guardian (http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk_news/story/0,3604,326440,00.html) reports that The British medical Association report on the impact of skinny models on eating disorders found that research suggested that the use of underweight fashion models has contributed to the growth of eating disorders among young girls.

Summary

In summary, previous research indicates that the use of underweight fashion models does appear to have a negative effect on women's perception of their own bodies, and the media does portray an unrealistic and unhealthy ideal of the ideal body shape/weight.

There seems to be a general desire to see wider variety of body shapes portrayed, as shown by the extensive research carried out by dove, but what effect this would actually have on the purchase decision is
unclear.

Generally two issues have emerged, the ethical issue of the negative impact the use of skinny models has on women and the perception of their own bodies and the link to eating disorders and the impact of the models weight on the actual purchase decision. Most of the past research seems to focus on the ethical issues but as pressure and evidence builds on the first issue marketers may in the future be forced by legislation into representing a more realistic ideal. In 2000 the labour government were in debate about possible legislation to that effect and in September 2006 Madrid's fashion week banned the use of underweight models in a catwalk show.

Thus it may become of great importance for markets to gauge exactly what kind of impact this would have upon the consumers purchase decision. Are aspirational images more powerful? Or could the use of images showing models women can relate to actually have a positive effect on the purchase decision.