Victoria's Dirty Secret: How Sociocultural Norms Influence Adolescent Girls and Women

Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin

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Victoria's Dirty Secret: How Sociocultural Norms Influence Adolescent Girls and Women

Erin J. Strahan, Adèle Lafrance, Anne E. Wilson, Nicole Ethier, Steven J. Spencer and Mark P. Zanna

Pers Soc Psychol Bull 2008; 34; 288

DOI: 10.1177/0146167207310457

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http://psp.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/34/2/288

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Victoria’s Dirty Secret: How

Sociocultural Norms Influence

Adolescent Girls and Women

Erin J. Strahan

Adèle Lafrance

Anne E. Wilson

Nicole Ethier

Wilfrid Laurier University

Steven J. Spencer

Mark P. Zanna

University of Waterloo

The present studies tested whether the salience of sociocultural norms for ideal appearance leads women to

base their self-worth more strongly on appearance,

which in turn leads them to feel more concerned with

others’ perceptions and less satisfied with their bodies.

Study 1 tested this model by manipulating the salience

of the sociocultural norm among female university

students. The model was supported. In Study 2 an intervention challenging the legitimacy of the sociocultural

norm was delivered to female and male adolescents.

Compared to controls, females who received this intervention were less accepting of the sociocultural norms

for appearance, based their self-worth less strongly on

appearance, and in turn were less concerned with others’ perceptions and were more...