Real ideal: Investigating how ideal and hyper-ideal video game bodies affect men and women. (June 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Matthews, Nicholas L.; Lynch, Teresa; Martins, Nicole
• Is Part Of: Computers in human behavior. Volume 59(2016)
• Page Start: 155
• Page End: 164
• Publication Date: 2016-06
• Subjects: Body image dissatisfaction -- Video games -- Social comparison; Interactive computer systems -- Periodicals; Man-machine systems -- Periodicals; 004.019
• DOI: 10.1016/j.chb.2016.01.026
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0747-5632

Abstract

Abstract: Media commonly feature imagery that celebrates idealized bodies and researchers have observed the adverse effects of such depictions. Although video games commonly feature idealized bodies, experimental work investigating the effects of game characters on body image disturbance remains underrepresented. This trend is surprising as the preponderance of hyper-muscular male and hyper-sexualized female characters speaks to the heteronormative, masculine fantasies often given prominence in game content. Using social comparison theory, the current work investigated how ideal and hyper-ideal video game bodies affected women's (study 1) and men's (study 2) body image dissatisfaction. The study also compared these outcomes to a non-exposure control condition. Generally, the data provided evidence that hyper-idealized game characters negatively affected men but positively affected women. Highlights: Tested how ideal and hyper-ideal bodies affected body image dissatisfaction. Conducted separate experiments for men and women. Hyper-ideal bodies reduced body image dissatisfaction for women. Hyper-ideal bodies increased body image dissatisfaction for men.