Playing with skinny dolls make young girls unhappy with own bodies
Girls who play with unrealistically thin Barbie dolls are more critical of their bodies compared to girls who play with bigger dolls, finds a new study.
In the study, published in the journal Body Image, researchers randomly assigned 112 girls, aged between six to eight, to four groups. The girls played with thin Barbie dolls or full-figured dolls modelled after the Hairspray character Tracy Turnblad, in either swimsuits or modest outfits. The researchers then asked the girls how they felt about their bodies before and after playing with the dolls.
The experiment was repeated with another 112 girls using less well-known dolls of a thin and curiver variety. The dolls were dressed in the same clothes as the previous experiment.
In both cases, the study found the girls who played with thin dolls were less satisfied with their bodies than the girls who played with the fuller-figured dolls. Interestingly, the clothes the dolls were wearing didn’t influence the girls’ body image.
The authors of the study noted such body dissatisfaction is concerning in such young girls as it is associated with strict-dieting, and could be a precursor to eating disorders.
Are you surprised by this new research? Do you think there should be more variety in doll sizes? Share your opinion with us in the comments below.
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