PSYC 325 Unit 2

Sexual media

Could be any representation of sex or sexual themes. Sexual behaviour or suggestions of sexual behaviour (closed door or fade to black scenes). Can also be sexual talk.

Heterosexual script

Sexual depictions of sex are very gendered and heteronormative. There are themes of men being pursuers and sex as a defining aspect of masculinity. Women are pursued, and are sex objects. Women are good girls, and sex is written as carrying risk for girls.

Sexualization

Making something sexual. A person’s value comes from their sex appeal or behaviour. A person is held to a standard that equates attractiveness with being sexy. A person is made into a thing for the use of others, which can result in sexual objectification. Sexuality is inappropriately imposed upon someone.

Sexual socialization

The process by which our sexual knowledge, values, attitudes and behaviours develop. Sexual development is influenced by more than biology, like parents, peers, culture, and media.

Third-person effect

Teens think that media impacts sexual development for others, but not themselves.

Media practice model

Similar to uses and gratifications. Assumes media use is active. The media user plays a role in the effect media has. This is impacted by your sense of self, identity, and lived experiences. Who we are shapes our selection of media. How we interact with the media affects our application. Our application affects our identity. Argues that the same media isn’t going to have the same effects on everyone. For adolescents, identity development is an active process, and the current sense of identity will impact the role of media, and media will impact identity.

Intergroup contact theory

Stereotyping and discrimination can be reduced when individuals from different social groups have contact.

Parasocial contact hypothesis

Media consumers can form relationships with media characters, which may have similar effects on stereotyping and discrimination.

Sexually Explicit Media

Direct depictions of sexual activities. Genitals are unconcealed, and penetration may be visible. Intended to arouse.

Body image

An individual’s perceptions and evaluations of their body. Particularly appearance-based.

Body ideals

For girls and women, it is the thin body ideal, and for boys/men, it is the muscular body ideal.

Internalization of thin ideals

Society’s message is that being thinner and more muscular is better, which is transmitted through the media. We internalize that message. Failure to meet those standards can lead to greater body dissatisfaction.

Social comparison theory

We compare ourselves to others, which is a part of human nature. Our self-evaluation is relative to our evaluation of others. You can do upward comparison, where you’re comparing to someone seen as better, but also downward comparison, where you compare yourself to someone seen as worse. We will also evaluate ourselves relative to those seen through media.

Tripartite Theory

There are three major influences on body dissatisfaction, the media, family, and peers. The comparison and internalization of these influences can lead to body dissatisfaction.

Objectification theory

Society, specifically Western society, often presents bodies as objects. This can extend to sexual objectification. Bodies are viewed from the observer’s perspective. This can often be present in media messages. For example, people being shown as body parts.

Self-objectification

Where an individual comes to adopt the perspective that their value is based on physical appearance.

Differential susceptibility

Developmental, dispositional, and social factors that may make particular individuals more vulnerable. Like gender, age, types of use, existing feelings about body, perfectionism and mindfulness.

Gender

Socially constructed and variable. How we express ourselves.  Kids begin identifying gender around age 2, which is based a lot on outward physical appearance

Race

Socially constructed and based on physical properties.

Ethnicity

Based on cultural differences

Ethnic-Racial Identity

A person’s thoughts or feelings about their race/ethnicity. A protective factor for youth.

Centrality

·        How central is your ethnic-racial identity?

Stereotype threat/social identity threat

Our identities are shaped socially and we belong to other groups and how those groups are seen by other people. We may be confronted with negative stereotypes about our identities. This can lead to negative emotions, stress response, worry of conforming to stereotype, and additional cognitive load. May be more pronounced when we have stronger identification with the group being negatively stereotyped.