Clarabelle Ferguson

American Media Exposure & Trinidadian Females' Body Image Satisfaction Clarabelle Ferguson

Numerous studies have examined the development of body image among people, especially girls and young women. Many factors have been associated with the development of body image dissatisfaction. Extending existing research, this study examined, through experimentation the relationships among exposure to American media content and the awareness and internalization of the American norms and expectations for thinness, pressures to adopt these norms, and Trinidadian female adolescents' body image satisfaction. Based on previous findings, this study hypothesized that the three risk factors in the development of body image disturbance (awareness, internalization and pressures) would mediate the relationship between American media exposure and body image satisfaction among Trinidadian female adolescents.