Abstract
Numerous studies have indicated that media has a strong influence on how females perceive their body images. Currently, positive media movements are attempting to create new positive body ideals in females. This study used a quantitative research approach to investigate the influence of realistic media exposure on body image. The study surveyed 68 college females who were exposed to a PowerPoint slide show containing images and videos, while an experimental group was not shown any images. All participants were asked 85 questions about pressures, importance, social comparison, and internalization of media images. Results found that the positive media group report significantly more disagreement on one of the items. This could be due to the short amount of exposure time. Future research will explore lengthier realistic media exposure on a younger population.