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Sex Roles (2010) 63:609620 DOI 10.1007/s11199-010-9868-1
ORIGINAL ARTICLE
Body Size Stereotyping and Internalization of the Thin Ideal in Preschool Girls
Jennifer A. Harriger & Rachel M. Calogero &
David. C. Witherington & Jane Ellen Smith
Published online: 15 October 2010# Springer Science+Business Media, LLC 2010
Abstract Despite the multitude of negative outcomes associated with thin-ideal internalization for girls and women living in westernized societies, we know very little about how early in development thin-ideal internalization occurs or how it might manifest in very young children. This cross-sectional investigation assessed body size stereotyping and thin-ideal internalization in 55 preschool girls (ages 35 years) from the Southwestern U.S. using a new method of assessment that is more sensitive to the cognitive developmental stage of this age group. Results suggest that girls as young as 3 years old are already emotionally invested in the thin ideal. Discussion considers moving beyond the demonstration of fat stigmatization per se to measure how personally invested preschool children may be in beauty ideals.
Keywords Preschool children . Body image . Anti-fat beliefs . Body size stereotypes . Thin-ideal internalization
Introduction
The central purpose of the present research was to examine body size stereotyping and thin-ideal internalization among a
sample of preschool girls. Despite the multitude of negative outcomes associated with thin-ideal internalization for girls and women living in westernized societies such as the U.S. (Calogero et al. 2007; Greenfield et al. 1987; Stice 2002; Thompson and Stice 2001), we know very little about how early in development the internalization of the thin ideal occurs or how it might manifest in very young children. This limited knowledge is due, in part, to the lack of appropriate assessment tools for this age group. Extending prior research on fat stigmatization in young children (Cramer and Steinwert 1998; Musher-Eizenman et al. 2004), this cross-sectional investigation sought to assess body size stereotyping and thin-ideal internalization in American preschool girls (ages 35 years) using a method of assessment that is more sensitive to the cognitive developmental stage of very young children.
It is well-established in westernized societies that physically attractive people are more often socially rewarded and less likely to be stigmatized compared to less attractive people (Cash 1990; Dion et al. 1972; Eagly et al. 1991; Swami...