Abstract
Grounded in objectification theory, the 2 studies presented here predicted that self-objectification is positively related to appearance-related communication (i.e., fat talk and old talk), and, in turn, appearance-related communication is associated with health and well-being outcomes. Results from Study 1, which investigated only fat talk, revealed that fat talk significantly mediated the relationship between self-objectification and body dissatisfaction, drive for thinness, bulimia, and self-esteem. Study 2 sought to replicate the findings from Study 1, as well as extend appearance-related communication to old talk. Fat talk was found to mediate the relationships between self-objectification and body dissatisfaction, drive for thinness, bulimia, depression, and diet. Old talk significantly mediated the relationships between body dissatisfaction, drive for thinness, and bulimia.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 463-482 |
| Number of pages | 20 |
| Journal | Human Communication Research |
| Volume | 40 |
| Issue number | 4 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Oct 1 2014 |
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Communication
- Developmental and Educational Psychology
- Anthropology
- Linguistics and Language