Psychology of Women
Catalina Woldarsky
May 9 th , 2007

 Natural beauty?
 The Western ideal of beauty
 Depictions of women in print media
 The psychological impact of ‘thin media’
 Women in music

 All images portrayed in the mass media are constructions & serve as a form of communication
 Images shown in mass media act as socializing agents that influence our attitudes, beliefs, values & behaviours
(Kang, 1997).
 The ideal woman has been described by adolescent girls as being 5’7” tall, 100 lbs., a size 5, with long blonde hair and blue eyes
(Nichter & Nichter, 1991)

 Objectification refers to portrayals of women that suggest their major function or purpose is to be looked at
(Fredrickson & Roberts, 1997; Linder,
2004)
 Women are decorative objects
– men watch women & women watch men watching women
 Males are socialized to use their bodies as a means to master their space, whereas females are socialized to use their bodies to attract others
(Stephens, Hill, & Hanson, 1994)

 Women are not just objects – they are sexual objects that exist for the satisfaction of men’s sexual pleasure
 The message being conveyed is that women should always be sexually available, have sex on their minds, be willing to be dominated
& even sexually agressed against
(Merskin, 2004).

 Women in ads are often depicted as vulnerable and in need of protection
 They are often shown as being uninvolved or withdrawn from the social situation by covering their mouths, faces or gazing at some unidentifiable object outside the picture frame
(Linder, 2004).
 This is also apparent in images that include feminine touch, ritualization of subordination, licensed withdrawal
(Kang, 1997).

 In order to understand the impact that media has on us, we must first consider the message(s) being conveyed…
 Now what is the conclusion?

 There must be something wrong with you!
 Feelings of shame & inadequacy triggered
 Heightened self-monitoring & objectification
 Shift between being a subject to being an object
– linked to poor interoceptive awareness
 Social Comparison Theory
(Festinger, 1954)

 ‘Contrast effect’ that includes body dissatisfaction, lowered self-esteem & mood, as well as eating disorder symptomatology
(Stice et al., 1994; Thorton & Maurice, 1997; Groesz, Levine, &
Murner, 2002; Huon & Munro, 2006).
 Exposure to TV programs glamorize thin ideal
(i.e., music videos & soap operas) has also been correlated with body dissatisfaction, perceptions of overweight & dieting
(Schupak-Neuberg et al., 2000; Tiggemann, 2005)
 BUT… positive effects have been documented for thin women who are dieting
(Henderson-King &
Henderson-King ,1997; 2001; Mills et al., (2000)).


How are women portrayed in popular music?

Find the lyrics of a popular song (any genre)

Discuss the song by identifying main themes
 What’s the song about?
 What’s the message about women? Men?

How does this impact you?

Using the lyrics of the song re-write the song so that it critiques the message about women & offers an alternative view