Locus of Control and Media Influence on Body Self-Satisfaction in Late Adolescent Males

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to add to the small body of research on the relationship between locus of control and media influence on body self-satisfaction in late adolescent males. The subjects used in this study were 151 male students enrolled in undergraduate classes at a major research university in the Midwest during the 2008 fall semester. The ages ranged from 18 to 23, with 88.1% of the respondents being between the ages of 18 and 20. All respondents were to provide demographic information on their age, sex, weight, height, year in school, and approximate daily interaction (in hours) with selected mass media (cf. television, movies, magazines, newspaper, and internet). The respondents also completed Rotter’s 29-item (I-E) Locus of Control scale (1966), the Body Image and Body Change Inventory (Ricciardelli & McCabe, 2001) and the Perceived Sociocultural Influences on Body Image and Body Change Questionnaire Media Influence Subscale (McCabe & Ricciardelli, 2001). The study found a positive relationship between the total media’s influence and body image importance. The results demonstrated that in late adolescence, there is a relationship between the chosen media and the appearance of their body, weight, and size and strength of muscles. In addition, the study discovered that externally controlled late adolescent males are more likely to place importance on the appearance of their body, weight, and muscle size and strength than do internally controlled late adolescent males.