Looking at plus-sized women boosts confidence.
You wouldn’t consider models to improve confidence, but perhaps you’re just ogling the wrong ones.
We still try ways to be optimistic, but sometimes we compare with others — that’s right there on the list of issues that we should avoid. More easily said than done, as culture puts so much emphasis on appearance and the fashion world associate being skinny with beauty. Thin can, of course, be beautiful, but much other body shapes and sizes too.
It may be shocking to learn from a study done by the Florida State University claiming that despite the fascination with slim models, “average” and models are much more memorable.
Interaction monographs
The study explored how women, all seeking to be slim, react to model size. The research team showed them many pictures of thin, average, and plus-size models on a TV screen and documented their “psychophysiological responses.”
Besides paying more attention to and remembering more about the average and plus-size models, the study participants reported higher levels of body satisfaction after seeing the average and plus-size models, compared to their skinny counterparts.
The study participants often paid more considerable attention to and remembered more about the average and the plus-size models, compared to their slim counterparts.
Jessica Ridgway, assistant professor in the Departments of Retail, Marketing, Growth, says that we find it overwhelming that there is a tremendous psychological advantage when the media depicts more realistic types of the body than the conventional slim model.
Therefore, if the aim of this campaign is for publicity while also encouraging body positivity, it can be a helpful convincing strategy for media producers to use more size models.
Looking at “average” or plus-sized women boosts confidence. Designers, brands, magazine publishers, and prototype agents will likely take notice. This isn’t a matter of banning skinny models, but of considering all body types and ensuring that women of all sizes are represented in marketing campaigns, on the television, and in magazine pages.