You Are Most Vulnerable When You Are Not Mindful
Across three studies, we examined the impact of exposure to idealized female images, blatantly versus subtly, on females’ self-evaluations after exposure, as well as attitude towards brands endorsed by models with these idealized body images, in marketing communications. We theorized and showed that blatant exposure can elicit defensive coping, leading to a more positive self-evaluation and a lower brand attitude toward a brand endorsed by a model with an idealized body image. When exposure is subtle, however, idealized body images lead to lowered self-evaluations and increased evaluations of endorsed brands.