Can realistic dolls protect body satisfaction in young girls?

Boothroyd, L.G.; Tovée, M.J.; Evans, E.H.

Abstract

Ultra-thin fashion dolls may represent a risk factor for thin-ideal internalisation and body dissatisfaction amongst young girls. We asked thirty one 5- to 9-year-old girls to engage in interactive play with commercially available dolls which were either ultra-thin (Barbie and Monster High) or represented a putative realistic childlike shape (Lottie and Dora) and to indicate their perceived own-body size and ideal body size on an interactive computer task both before and after play. There was a significant interaction between testing phase and doll group such that playing with the ultra-thin dolls led to the girls’ ‘ideal self’ becoming thinner. A further 46 girls played with the ultra-thin dolls and then played with either the same dolls again, the realistic childlike dolls, or with cars. Initial play with the ultra-thin dolls again produced a drop in perceived ideal own body size; however, no group showed any significant change in their body ideals during the additional play phase. These data indicate the potential benefit of dolls representing a realistic child body mass to young girls’ body satisfaction and do not support the hypothesis that the negative impacts of ultra-thin dolls can be directly countered by other toys.

Citation

Boothroyd, L., Tovée, M., & Evans, E. (2021). Can realistic dolls protect body satisfaction in young girls?. Body Image, 37, 172-180. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bodyim.2021.02.004

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Feb 11, 2021
• Online Publication Date: Mar 11, 2021
• Publication Date: 2021-06
• Deposit Date: Mar 11, 2021
• Publicly Available Date: Apr 26, 2021
• Journal: Body Image
• Print ISSN: 1740-1445
• Electronic ISSN: 1873-6807
• Publisher: Elsevier
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 37
• Pages: 172-180
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bodyim.2021.02.004
• Public URL: https://durham-repository.worktribe.com/output/1245632