Journals

BJDP Paper Hits the Headines!

A paper entitled 'Am I too fat to be a princess? Examining the effects of popular children's media on young girls' body image', written by Sharon Hayes and Stacey Tantleff-Dunn and recently published in the British Journal of Developmental Psychology, has received worldwide media coverage this week.

The authors asked 121 girls aged three to six how they felt about the way they look. Half of the girls then watched parts of animated children's films that featured young, beautiful characters and appearance-focused comments, such as Gaston telling Belle in Beauty and the Beast that she is 'the most beautiful girl in town, and that makes her the best'. The second group watched parts of animated children's films that did not contain any appearance-related messages, such as Dora the Explorer. The researchers then asked questions about what a real princess is, and their behaviour was monitored as they played in a room that featured fancy dress costumes, a mirror and other toys.

During the initial conversation, 31% of the girls indicated they almost always worry about their appearance, while another 18% said they sometimes worry about it. However, exposure to the Disney films and appearance-focused comments did not affect the girls' body dissatisfaction or engagement in appearance-related play behaviours. The majority of the girls, 99, still believed they could be a princess regardless of their weight and their age.

The study concluded that young girls did not appear to be influenced by repeated exposure to the beautiful, thin princesses in animated children's films. However, the high number of the girls worried about being fat at such a young age concerned the researchers.

The study has been covered in the Telegraph, the Daily Express and other news outlets from Canada to India and is now available for free online.