Does Exposure to Sexualized Media Lead to Boys’ Objectification
of Girls and Women?: A Preregistered, Longitudinal Reanalysis
of Rousseau et al. (2019)

Christopher   J.   Ferguson

doi:10.2174/2210676612666220414095544

Abstract

Background: The issue of whether fictional media can socialize male attitudes toward women remains hotly contested. One recent longitudinal study concluded that exposure to sexualized TV was associated with viewing women as sex objects as well as the objectification of women. However, it was unclear whether these findings were robust.

Methods: Original data was obtained. In a preregistered regression design, the association between sexualized television and music videos was longitudinally examined with male sexual dominance, viewing women as sex objects and objectification, controlling for T1 outcome scores and other control variables. The sample included 487 adolescent males from Belgium.

Results: No longitudinal association was found between sexualized media variables and any of the outcome variables with proper controls in place.

Conclusions: Longitudinal analyses do not support long-term associations between sexualized media and adolescent male objectification of women.

Keywords: Sexualization, sexy media, objectification, sexism, misogyny, masculinity.

« Previous

Brown, J.D., L’Engle, K.L., Pardun, C.J., Guo, G., Kenneavy, K., Jackson, C. (2006). Sexy media matter: Exposure to sexual content in music, movies, television, and magazines predicts black and white adolescents’ sexual behavior. Pediatrics,  117(4), 1018-1027.
[http://dx.doi.org/10.1542/peds.2005-1406] [PMID:  16585295] 

Chandra, A., Martino, S.C., Collins, R.L., Elliott, M.N., Berry, S.H., Kanouse, D.E., Miu, A. (2008). Does watching sex on television predict teen pregnancy? Findings from a national longitudinal survey of youth. Pediatrics,  122(5), 1047-1054.
[http://dx.doi.org/10.1542/peds.2007-3066] [PMID:  18977986] 

Cohen, S. (1972). Folk devils and moral panics.. London: MacGibbon and Kee.

Ferguson, C.J. (2020). One less reason why: Viewing of suicide-themed fictional media is associated with lower depressive symptoms in youth. Mass Commun. Soc.,  20201756335
[http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/15205436.2020.1756335] 

Ferguson, C.J., Heene, M.  Providing a lower-bound estimate
  for psychology’s “crud factor”: The case of
  aggression. Prof. Psychol. Res. Pr. [Epub ahead of
  print]. 
[http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/pro0000386] 

Ferguson, C.J., Nielsen, R.K.L., Markey, P.M. (2017). Does sexy media promote teen sex? A meta-analytic and methodological review. Psychiatr. Q.,  88(2), 349-358.
[http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11126-016-9442-2] [PMID:  27356986] 

Hayes, S., Tantleff-Dunn, S. (2010). Am I too fat to be a princess? Examining the effects of popular children’s media on young girls’ body image. Br. J. Dev. Psychol.,  28(Pt 2), 413-426.
[http://dx.doi.org/10.1348/026151009X424240] [PMID:  20481395] 

Holmstrom, A. (2004). The effects of media on body image: A meta-analysis. J. Broadcast. Electron. Media,  48, 186-217.
[http://dx.doi.org/10.1207/s15506878jobem4802_3] 

Kühn, S., Kugler, D.T., Schmalen, K., Weichenberger, M., Witt, C., Gallinat, J. (2019). Does playing violent video games cause aggression? A longitudinal intervention study. Mol. Psychiatry,  24(8), 1220-1234.
[http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41380-018-0031-7] [PMID:  29535447] 

Lindner, D., Trible, M., Pilato, I., Ferguson, C.J. (2020). Examining the effects of exposure to a sexualized female video game protagonist on women’s body image. Psychol. Pop. Media Cult.,  9(4), 553-560.
[http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/ppm0000251] 

McKenzie, S.K., Jenkin, G., Steers, D., Magill, R., Collings, S. (2021). Young people’s perspectives and understanding of the suicide story in 13 Reasons Why: A qualitative study. Crisis,  42(1), 64-70.
[http://dx.doi.org/10.1027/0227-5910/a000688] [PMID:  32366169] 

Przybylski, A., Weinstein, N. 2019 Violent video game
  engagement is not associated with adolescents'
  aggressive behaviour: Evidence from a registered
  report. Available from:. https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rsos.171474

Rousseau, A., Rodgers, R.F., Eggermont, S. (2019). A short-term longitudinal exploration of the impact of TV exposure on objectifying attitudes toward women in early adolescent boys. Sex Roles,  80(3-4), 186-199.
[http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11199-018-0925-5] 

Steinberg, L., Monahan, K.C. (2011). Adolescents’ exposure to sexy media does not hasten the initiation of sexual intercourse. Dev. Psychol.,  47(2), 562-576.
[http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/a0020613] [PMID:  20677858] 

Rights & Permissions Print Cite

Article Metrics

55

4

1

Journal Information

For Authors

For Editors

For Reviewers

Explore Articles

Open Access

Open Access Articles

For Visitors

DOI https://dx.doi.org/10.2174/2210676612666220414095544	Print ISSN 2210-6766
Publisher Name Bentham Science Publisher	Online ISSN 2210-6774

Adolescent Psychiatry

Does Exposure to Sexualized Media Lead to Boys’ Objectification of Girls and Women?: A Preregistered, Longitudinal Reanalysis of Rousseau et al. (2019)

Abstract

Related Journals

Related Books