The Effect of Playing With Video Game Avatars on Self-Objectification in Adolescent Boys and Girls

• In Event: From Hook Up to Pregnancy: Sex, Sexuality, and Media

Abstract

Early and middle adolescents (Study 1 N = 75; Mage = 13.35; Study 2 N = 115; Mage = 12.63) participated in two between-subjects experiments testing the effect of playing with a sexualized male or female avatar as compared to a control condition. Both Study 1 and Study 2 revealed that playing a video game with a sexualized avatar increased self-objectification in adolescents and that this effect occurred regardless of the gender of the adolescent (gender congruency hypothesis). In line with the activation frequency hypothesis, Study 1 showed that the effect of playing with a sexualized avatar was more intense among frequent video game players who played with a female avatar. Such interaction effect was, however, not found in Study 2 suggesting there are conditions related to the occurrence of the activation frequency effect. Given the adverse consequences of self-objectification, research on how these effects may be countered is needed.

Authors

• Laura P. Vandenbosch, ASCoR - University of Amsterdam

• Karolien Driesmans, U of Leuven

• Jolien Trekels, U of Leuven - School for Mass Communication Research

• Steven Eggermont, U of Leuven - School for Mass Communication Research