Does exposure to muscularity-idealizing images have self-objectification consequences for heterosexual and sexual minority men?

Abstract

Although there is a substantial body of research on the effects of body objectification in women, there is a paucity of research on this topic in men. In the limited objectification theory research with men, experimental designs that test causal effects of objectification exposure are underemployed. Furthermore, in this research, muscularity-idealizing exposure, which may be particularly salient for men, and the potential role of sexual minority status are not attended to consistently. To address these gaps, we employed an experimental design to test the effects of exposure to muscularity-idealizing media images, versus exposure to control images (e.g., animals, landscapes, objects), on men’s body image. We also explored potential main and interaction effects involving sexual minority status. Data from 140 heterosexual and sexual minority undergraduate men were analyzed. Results indicated that compared with participants who viewed the control images, participants who viewed muscularity-idealizing magazine images did not report more negative body image on the 5 dependent variables (i.e., drive for muscularity, body dissatisfaction, body surveillance, body shame, and social physique anxiety). However, sexual minority status did have significant main (but not interaction) effects for 3 of the body image variables, with sexual minority men reporting more body dissatisfaction, body surveillance, and social physique anxiety relative to heterosexual men.