Mirror Mirror on the Wall, What's My Body Image After All?

Overview

Objectives/Goals I wanted to see how girls' body images differed between single sex and coed schools. I also wanted to see how the appearance of boys affected the body images of the girls who attened coed schools. What is the popular body image of a girl today, from girls' and boys' point of view. Methods/Materials I tested 330 people between the ages 13-16. There were 110 boys, 110 girls from single sex schools, and 110 girls from coed schools. I handed out the questionnaires that I made to over 13 different schools and to all of my friends who in turn, handed them to family and friends. I made two different questionnaires, one for the girls and one for the boys. Results I found out that girls from single sex schools had slightly less positive body images than those from coed schools. The typical body image of a girl today was common between the girls and boys. As the boys grew older, their answers became more direct and focused on certain body parts. These aspects were often the ones that girls would most likely change about themselves. This shows that boys do have an effect on how girls feel about themselves. Conclusions/Discussion Girls today do feel conscious about their bodies. Some of the girls in coed schools admitted that boys do affect the way they feel about themselves. Many feel bad when boys talk about the ideal image of a beautiful girl, because they feel as though they can't live up to the boys' expectations. It is important for girls to know that they are not alone in how they feel and the problem of a negative body image is possible to overcome.

Competition history

• CSEF 2003 Social Sciences (Junior Division Only) · Entry J1703

Resources

• CSEF project summary ↗

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