Emerging Adults' Responses to a Media Presentation of Idealized Female Beauty: An Examination of Cosmetic Surgery in Reality Television

This study examined emerging adults' qualitative responses to a TV depiction of idealized female beauty. Ninety-one participants (M age = 19.5) viewed a reality TV show featuring a woman's cosmetic surgery transformation and were asked to write a response to what they viewed; researchers coded these responses for emotional tone and thematic content. Further, participants' own appearance satisfaction and interest in changing their appearance via cosmetic surgery was assessed. Results indicated that both young men and women viewed the media message positively and endorsed the importance of females' pursuit of beauty ideals. The content of men's and women's responses were similar with an emphasis on the importance of physical attractiveness, the psychological benefits of beauty, and the entertainment value of the reality TV show. Finally, young women who responded relatively positively to the show reported a greater likelihood of interest in obtaining cosmetic surgery than were women who responded relatively negatively to the show. Implications for body image development and emerging adults' expectations and values regarding physical beauty are discussed in the context of relevant theories.