Kimberly Bissell

Real women on real beauty

This experiment tested the effectiveness of manipulated images of a Dove model, of varying shapes and sizes, to assess how or if exposure to an average or plus-size model would decrease women’s short-term internalisation of body image ideals. The objective of this study was to assess adult women’s beliefs about beauty and attractiveness in themselves and in others using several variables as possible predictors: exposure to thin-ideal or plus-size models, social comparison and societal views of thinness. Using an image of a model from the Dove Campaign for Real Beauty and three manipulated images of the same model, this study tested participants’ evaluations of each model’s attractiveness and thinness, and further tested participants’ level of self-discrepancy and societal views of thinness to assess if the campaign was at all effective in influencing the way women perceive beauty and attractiveness in themselves and in others. While exposure to the Dove model versus an ultra-thin model was not related to decreased levels of self-discrepancy across experimental groups, numerous other statistically significant relationships emerged based on exposure to the Dove or plus-size model. These and other findings are discussed.

Social Media, Social Me: A Content Analysis of Beauty Companies’ Use of Facebook in Marketing and Branding

This paper initiated an investigation on how beauty brands employ social media, particularly Facebook, to increase brand awareness and reinforce brand loyalty. It is no doubt that changes in the consumptive patterns of media have led companies to shift their focus from products to people and from information delivery to information exchange. Few studies, to our knowledge, exist that examine beauty brands and/or beauty companies’ use of social media as a means of engaging with or interacting with their current and potential consumers. Thus, the present study represented findings from a content analysis of Facebook posts from Estée Lauder, MAC cosmetics, Clinique, L’Oreal, Maybelline, and CoverGirl to see what types of social media tools were used more frequently by these brands to connect with their fans and users. Specifically, the study focused on the theoretical and practical implications of viral marketing in the branding strategies of the six beauty and/or makeup brands. Additionally, the study examined the way “high-end” brands used Facebook compared to the department store counterparts. These and other findings are discussed.

(Re)Calling London The Gender Frame Agenda within NBC’s Primetime Broadcast of the 2012 Olympiad

All sixty-nine hours of National Broadcasting Company’s (NBC) 2012 primetime Summer Olympic telecast were analyzed, revealing significant gender trends. For the first time in any scholarly study of NBC’s coverage of the games, women athletes received the majority of the clock-time and on-air mentions. However, dialogues surrounding the attributions of success and failure of athletes, as well as depictions of physicality and personality, contained some divergences by gender.

What do these Messages Really Mean? Sports Media Exposure, Sports Participation, and Body Image Distortion in Women Between the Ages of 18 and 75:

Thin-ideal media content is said to be one of the factors responsible for promoting distorted body image perceptions in young girls and college women. This study examined the relationship between sports media exposure during the Olympic Games, overall sports media exposure, and sports participation to body image attitudes in women between the ages of 18 and 75. Age was directly related to sports participation and sports exposure, and, more important, many older women were found to be as unhappy with their body shape as younger women. Both sports media exposure and sports participation were related to more positive body image attitudes; however, exposure and participation in lean sports were related to more negative attitudes in women.

Confidence and Competence among Community College Students: Self-Efficacy and Performance in Grammar.

Proper grammar is crucial for effective communication. Two surveys of students in an introductory writing course sought to identify predictors of grammar ability. Students demonstrated a limited grasp of the language, struggling with such issues as the distinction between “its” and “its.” Women performed better than men at the beginning of the semester, but the gap later narrowed. There was a correlation between self-efficacy (confidence in ones ability to perform a particular task) and grammar ability at the end of the semester. To the knowledge of the authors, this is the first study to empirically link grammar self-efficacy and grammar performance. High school grade point average also predicted grammar ability at the end of the semester.

I want to be thin, like you: Gender and race as predictors of cultural expectations for thinness and attractiveness in women

Abstract Research in the area of body image distortion and eating‐disordered attitudes suggests the media contribute to the growing number of eating disorders among college women and adolescent girls because of the propensity of media messages promoting the “thin ideal.”; Research in this same area has found different media effects based on gender and race. While substantial literature exists documenting the behavioral effects of the mass media on these disordered‐eating patterns, a smaller band of literature examines the gender and ethnic differences in perceptions and evaluations of thinness and beauty in women. This study tests 163 undergraduate students ‘ evaluations and expectations for thinness in women, based on the evaluation of 10 models in photographs. Results indicate that African American women and men do respond differently to images of women and do evaluate models differently than their European American counterparts.

Competing Separately, Medaling Equally: Racial Depictions of Athletes in NBC's Primetime Broadcast of the 2012 London Olympic Games

Analysis of NBCs 2012 London Summer Olympic broadcast revealed significant differences between athletes of different ethnic backgrounds. Regarding athletic mentions, White athletes were more likely to be mentioned (64.3%) than all other athletes combined, with significant differences found in the reporting of an athlete from differing ethnic backgrounds depending on the venue where the mention is made. Regarding descriptions ascribed to the Olympians, significant differences were found when comparing the commentary for White, Black, Latino, Asian, and Middle Eastern athletes, including differences in the discussion of successes and failures of athletic strength, athletic ability, experience, and intelligence. Implications on the dialogue divergences are offered at the theoretical level, with heuristic impact being discussed in a variety of contexts.

Where the Gender Differences Really Reside: The “Big Five” Sports Featured in NBC's 2012 London Primetime Olympic Broadcast

This study analyzed all 69 hours of NBCs primetime coverage of the 2012 London Summer Olympics to determine which sports were most likely to contain divergences in dialogue by gender of athlete. Coding over 14,000 descriptors, 23 significant differences were detected: 11 attributions of athletic success and failure and 12 depictions of personality and physicality. Swimming was found to have the most dialogue differences (seven), while beach volleyball only contained one. Ramifications and implications for the study of gender in sports media are offered.

Nice Dig! An Analysis of the Verbal and Visual Coverage of Men’s and Women’s Beach Volleyball During the 2008 Olympic Games

This study represents a content analysis of 10 beach volleyball games for the men’s and women’s team USA during the 2008 Summer Games. Play-by-play commentary and between-play commentary were analyzed for all 10 games, and all court shots and camera angles were coded. Using earlier work examining the existence or presence of gender inequities in mediated coverage of sport in general, the goal was to identify how or if coverage of beach volleyball might still reinforce gender inequities. Findings from the coded visual and verbal coverage suggest that gender difference was not evident in the manifest content of the 2008 Olympic Games. Additional findings and implications are discussed.

Changing the Face of Health Education via Health Interventions: Social Ecological Perspectives on New Media Technologies and Elementary Nutrition Education

ABSTRACT The relationship between media use, family dynamics, and school environments on a child’s likelihood to be overweight or obese is an area of research with limited empirical evidence; however, reports have indicated that children are increasingly developing more negative habits related to their health. The purpose of the present study was to employ a social ecological perspective in determining the effectiveness of a longitudinal health literacy/health intervention program on children’s nutritional knowledge, attitudes toward healthy eating and exercise, food preferences, and eating behavior. Using a sample of elementary school children initially in Grades 2 and 3 and then in Grades 3 and 4, a field experiment was conducted using a new media technology to record their food intake at home and at school. Results from the study suggest that the health literacy program was successful with positive increases observed for cognition, attitudes, and behavior. From a perspective of social ecological model, the findings suggest that children’s eating behaviors need to be considered at the intersection of children’s health literacy/attitudes, community efforts, and media/screen time use.