actresses had also decreased steadily ( Silverstein et al ., 1986 ).
For young women , body image satisfaction generally relates to being thin and appearance while for young men , it might be related to being thin and muscular ( Botta , 2003 ; Hatoum & Belle , 2004 ). This could imply that men and women ’ s body image are not influenced by the same factors . In sum , research examining the relationship between gender and body image , more particularly for the 18-25 age group , has produced conflicting results .
Cultivation theory . So what are the effects of a predominance of thin characters on TV on viewers ’ appearance importance , more particularly in the young adult cohort ? According to cultivation theory , viewers might believe that thin is the norm . Cultivation theory argues that media representations are distorted views of reality and those who are heavy TV viewers are more likely than light viewers to perceive reality consistent with televisions ’ distortions ( Gerbner , Gross , Morgan , Signorielli , & Shanahan , 2002 ). The cultivation effect is cumulative and increased exposure over time will lead to viewers ’ perception of a reality more closely reflecting the reality on TV . Fiji is a country that had very low rates of disordered eating behavior and body dissatisfaction prior to the introduction of
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