Dan Hamilton Rice

For Shame! How Goal Attainability, Goal Orientation, Model Size, and Emotions Shape Female Consumers’ Self-Perceptions: An Extended Abstract

Advertisements for beauty-enhancement products commonly feature unrealistically thin models as the ideal point for which female consumers should strive. Unfortunately, many of these campaigns negatively impact the self-perceptions of the consumers that they are purportedly able to aid in achieving their goals. Some brands (e.g., Dove) have responded to this issue by using heavier models in their ads. However, the brands and advertisements are generally better received with thin models, making this a difficult path to follow for many marketers. This paper further develops our understanding of consumer response to such advertisements by integrating goal-striving and social comparison theories to explain how goal attainability may diminish the negative impacts of the thin ideal on female consumers. The paper further explores the mechanism through which the advertisements affect consumers by proposing shame as an emotional mediator and promotional focus as moderator of the effects. The results of two experimental studies provide evidence that support these propositions.