Does Thinness sell?

Abstract The influence of exposure to media images (advertisements) featuring models of different body sizes on teen-age female consumers’ self-evaluation and attitude towards the product advertised is examined, thereby including the potential role of the consumer’s body size and the type of product advertised. The hypotheses are tested in an experimental post-test only design. Participants are exposed to booklets with advertisements featuring models whose body size is manipulated. Afterwards, their response to these images in terms of self-evaluation and product attitude is measured by a questionnaire. The results suggest the model’s body size has no influence on the consumer’s self-evaluation. However, the consumer’s body size does have an influence on the consumer’s self-evaluation. Girls with a small body size evaluate themselves significantly less positive than girls with an average body size, and marginally significant less positive than girls with a large body size. A marginally significant interaction effect has been found for the model’s body size and the consumer’s body size on the consumer’s self-evaluation. This interaction effect is largely due to small sized girls who evaluate themselves more positively after exposure to advertisements featuring small sized models than after exposure to advertisements featuring average or large sized models, and to large sized girls who evaluate themselves less positively after exposure to advertisements featuring small sized models. The consumer’s self-evaluation has an influence on the consumer’s attitude towards the product. The more negatively the participant evaluates herself, the more positively her attitude towards the product will be. No interaction effects for the type of product advertised have been found. The relationship between the consumer’s self-evaluation and the consumer’s attitude towards the product was not moderated by the type of product advertised. A significant effect of the model’s body size on the consumer’s attitude towards the product has been found. Participants exposed to advertisements featuring small sized models report a significantly more positive attitude towards the product than after exposure to advertisements featuring average sized models, and a marginally significant more positive attitude towards the product than after exposure to advertisements featuring large sized models. A significant interaction effect has been found for the model’s body size and the consumer’s body size on the consumer’s attitude towards the product. Small sized consumers have a more positive attitude towards the product after exposure to advertisements featuring small sized models than after exposure to advertisements featuring large and especially average sized models. Average sized consumer have a more positive attitude towards the product after exposure to advertisements featuring small sized models than after exposure to advertisements featuring average or large sized models. Large sized consumers have a more positive attitude towards the product after exposure to advertisements featuring large sized models than after exposure to advertisements featuring small or average sized models.