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Chapter 1

THE PROBLEM AND ITS BACKGROUND

The purpose of this chapter is to present the relation between the influence of visual

media and self-objectification, as well as to introduce the research pattern and the empirical

techniques that will be utilized. This covers the research design, respondents of the study,

data gathering instrument and procedure, and statistical treatment.

Introduction

The media is one of the main sources and area of influence because it is an

instrument that connects and informs people about the current situations around the world.

Visual Media specifically shows photos, videos, records etc. from different influential

personalities whether they be bloggers, writers, celebrities, or anyone that can be extremely

influential and admired by many people.

Visual media, such as magazines and posters, mostly continue to post models as

perfect people who are in picture-perfect smiles, charismatic looks, and specific body

figures. Due to these ads showing models looking in a particular way and look, a certain

façade is being set upon people which creates a standard that pressures people to abide.

(Kudisch, 2017)

Visual media is especially rampant now in the 21st century, because televisions,

magazines, movies, etc. are widely accessible to the masses. Visual media can be used as

a platform for either informational or entertainment purposes. People discover articles

regarding the trends, the updates, and what is currently happening around the world through

visual aids such as still pictures. Visual media ads displaying models in a certain look and

form greatly impacts most people because of the big influence the visual media possess.
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In a study, when compared to those who were exposed to average or plus-sized

models, it was found that respondents had a significantly more negative body image after

viewing images of thin models (Groesz, Levine, & Murnen, 2002). Comparison in body

figure have been a practice done by individuals which led them to having negative views

regarding their bodies.

These body standards being set upon the masses significantly affect how the youth

perceive their bodies. Adolescents are more prone to the influence that the visual media

has, because ads and contents can be easily shown through the use of internet from their

devices. Visual media is also specifically widespread in social media sites where posters,

magazines, videos, and photos of models are readily available with just one click.

Ever since visual media became a common ground of influence, people, most

especially the youth, see “standards” set by influencers, agencies, and businesses. Most

fashion businesses use models who are underweight, slim, and (for men) bulky, which can

affect the mindset of adolescents pressuring them to have this certain body figure in order

for them to look good. For example inside Magazines use fashion models with what they

call a “perfect body”, mostly skinny men and women, who are labeled as the standard of

beauty, this sparks the insecurities of some individuals who tend to compare their body

features to those of in the magazines.

A study conducted by Harper & Tiggemann (2008) concluded that 94% of women’s

magazine covers depicted an image of a thin idealized body. These images are not only

difficult to acquire, but may even become dangerous for one’s mental and physical health.

One of the many implications the Visual Media has is the result of self-

objectification of individuals. Self-objectification is when a person perceive

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himself/herself as an object instead as a human being. Many people do extreme measures

to achieve the beauty/body standards the visual media imposes, disregarding their health

or the limits of the human body. Most of their ways can be considered unhealthy because

they try to achieve unrealistic body ideals from pictures in the internet which may have the

possibility of being photoshopped.

Media outlets also feature dieting information and images of extremely thin models

and characters to represent the “ideal” body type, because of this there is an increasing

tendency for people to have eating disorders while trying to achieve these standards. The

three most common eating disorders, Anorexia Nervosa, Bulimia Nervosa, and Binge-

Eating disorder, are related to the concern of individuals regarding their body features.

According to a study, between 0.9% and 2.0% of females and 0.1% to 0.3% of

males develop anorexia (Stice & Bohon, 2012) Regarding the cases on Anorexia Nervosa,

15-19-year old girls classified in the high-risk group (Smink FR, van Hoeken D, & Hoek

HW, 2012).

Research generally shows that exposure to the slim-body ideal leads to the decrease

in self-esteem and weight dissatisfaction, depression, and anxiety. The question though is

who are affected or who are vulnerable within the majority of audience members.

According to a study conducted by Hamilton & Waller (1993), the participants of the

research who did not have eating disorders were barely or not affected by a set of thin-ideal

photographs, but when the photographs were viewed to participants who did have eating

disorders, they overestimated their own bodies by an average of 25 percent.

People with an obsession with disliking their body’s features are also the most

vulnerable to experience depression, anxiety and obsessive-compulsive disorders that

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greatly affect a person’s health and way of life. Negative self-talk can affect their self-

esteem and self-confidence which may lead to lack of communication skills and make it

harder for them to cope with their peers as well. Although both men and women experience

issues regarding their body features, women are more likely to admit their negative self-

perception with their bodies.

In the Philippines, the impact of media affects different aspects such as political,

economic, and ideological. Since Visual Media is highly used in the country, Filipinos are

highly affected by its effects, may it be negative or positive. According to PSA’s survey

about the exposure of our country’s population to Mass Media, specifically Visual Media;

56.7% are exposed to televisions, 7.2% to movies, and 14.4 to magazines, this shows us

that more than 50% of our country’s population is influenced by Visual Media.

On average, individuals, from 11-18 years, old spend over 11 hours a day exposed

to electronic media (Shapiro & Margolin, 2014). The researchers have chosen the Grade

12 learners as respondents of this research because their age range is around 17-19. They

find it most appropriate to choose them because the Grade 12 learners are responsible for

their choices for they are in (or near) the legal age. They also use visual media frequently.

The content shown on visual media is highly influential but its effect varies from

person to person. Since TV and magazines are highly used in our country, its influence is

high, especially to the youth. Celebrities, influencers, and models are one of the people

whom the youth look up to, going to the extent of wanting to be them or like them. This

study aims to find the impact of visual media to adolescents and provide more information

about it.

Statement of the Problem

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This study will investigate the influence that the visual media has on the self-

objectification among the students from the 12th Grade. This study will aim to depict the

dangers in achieving the "perfect body" and the unhealthy effects of self-objectification.

1. How do students feel about their appearance?

2. Does he/she seek beauty at the expense of comfort?

3. How do students feel whenever they aren’t looking their best?

4. Do students compare themselves with the following:

4.1 Their peers

4.2 Celebrities/ models/ those from the media

5. What is the impact to the self-esteem of those who frequently use the media?

Hypothesis

There is no significant relationship between the self-objectification of the Grade 12

students and the visual media.

Significance of the Study

The issue of body dissatisfaction and the influence that the Visual Media has on

this is not only a growing concern among women but to men as well. Media, being the

main factor due to its increasing amount of idealized body images posted daily. The

researchers believe that this study may be able to establish an understanding on how the

influence of visual media is considered as one of the many factors to the self-objectification

among the Grade 12 students. The researchers believe that this study may be able to

establish a connection on the impact of visual media on self-objectification of young adults

and enlighten the readers regarding its effects, as well as convince people to do something

about it. Furthermore, this study may have valuable contributions to the following:
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To the respondents. This research may help them assess their current situation on

how they perceive their bodies in relation to the influence visual media aids has over this.

This study may expand their awareness about the 21st century body standards and their

effects when one obsesses to follow it.

To the students. This evaluation may provide them proper understanding about

how exposure to the Visual Media can influence how they feel about their bodies.

Moreover, this research may be of value to them when it comes to voicing out their

concerns about this issue.

To the Administration. This research may be of help to the administration for

acquiring more knowledge about the students' self-esteem and social welfare issues inside

and outside the school campus.

To the teachers. Most teachers only know the tip of the iceberg regarding these

issues, that is why conducting this research may enlarge their grip and discernment with

regards to this topic.

To the Parents. This research may be an insight and guide towards the possible

feelings of their children about their bodies. This study may serve as an explanation to them

on how large the influence of visual media has over their children.

To the Community. This research may widen and open their minds to concepts

such as self-objectification. It may be a depiction of the students' personal experiences and

emotions due to the inevitable exposure to visual media.

To the future researchers. This research may be an essential reference for the

researchers who are interested to conduct a study about this certain topic. It may also give
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them a foresight on self-objectification and its implications on adolescents. This research

may be of use to them as a basis in conducting their study.

Scope and Delimitation

This case study will be conducted to discuss and examine the perceived effects of

Visual Media on the self-objectification of young adults. The study’s findings will establish

if there is a certain connection between the media and the respondents’ insecurities with

regards to their bodies. Altogether, the Grade 12 students, the chosen respondents, are 186

in number and divided into 5 sections. This study will be led by the researchers to

investigate how big of an impact does the Visual Media portray to how the Grade 12

students feel about their bodies. The primary data gathering instrument that will be used is

a questionnaire that asks the students' perspective on the topic that will be conducted based

on their different experiences.

This investigation will only be conducted within the bounds of the school. It will

only be limited to the Grade 12 students of batch 2019-2020 from the College of the Holy

Spirit of Tarlac. This study will not anymore cover the students from other levels. It will

only include the influence of no other media but the visual media on the self-objectification

of the respondents. This analysis will not cover any other section related to Visual Media

and only focused on its impact to the self-objectification and its implications to the

students.

Definition of Terms
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For the better understanding of the readers, the following terms are defined

conceptually and operationally:

Anxiety. Anxiety is an emotion characterized by feelings of tension, worried

thoughts and physical changes like increased blood pressure (American Psychological

Association). The researchers define this as one of the many effects of body dissatisfaction

and self-objectification.

Body Dissatisfaction. This is defined as a negative subjective evaluation of the

weight and shape of one’s own body (Joseph, C. & Shiffrar, M.). The researches define

this as the negative thoughts and perception of an individual about his/her own body image.

Body dissatisfaction can develop and may lead to dangerous or unhealthy behaviors that

can damage an individual's physical well-being.

Depression. Depression is a mood disorder marked especially by sadness,

inactivity, difficulty in thinking and concentration, a significant increase or decrease in

appetite and time spent sleeping, feelings of dejection and hopelessness, and sometimes

suicidal tendencies (Merriam-Webster). The researchers define this as one of the effects of

body dissatisfaction and self-objectification.

Eating Disorders. Eating disorders are illnesses in which the people experience

severe disturbances in their eating behaviors and related thoughts and emotions (American

Psychiatric Association). The researchers define this as a mental illness wherein body

discontent and self-objectification may be one of its main causes.

Self-esteem. Self-esteem is a confidence and satisfaction in oneself (Merriam-

Webster). The researchers define this as how much one person is confident about his/her

own appearance.
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Self-objectification. Self-objectification occurs when individuals treat themselves

as objects to be viewed and evaluated based upon appearance (Rollero & Piccoli, 2017).

The researchers define this as when individuals choose to evaluate themselves based on

unrealistic figures, such as those from barbie dolls that we tend to forget our human

limitations.

Visual Media. Visual media is a source of data or information in the form of visual

representation (MIL Intensive Teacher Training). The researchers define this as pictures

that are visually displayed in magazines, televisions, and in the internet.

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Chapter 2

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE AND STUDIES

This chapter will provide information from previous studies and literature related

and relevant to the influence Visual Media has on the Self-objectification of an individual.

This is done to make the study more credible.

Related Literature

Sometimes, people see humans as “something” rather than “someone”. When

people perceive and treat human beings as things, disregarding the person’s personality

and sentience, this is called objectification. This can be compared to dehumanization which

often is described as the situation where other humans are seen as animal-like or less than

human. Both objectification and dehumanization are the frequent predicaments of women,

medical patients, racial minorities, and people with disabilities (Gervais, 2013).

Objectification may have certain implications to humans such as everyday human

functioning, interactions with people, animals, and objects, violence, discrimination,

relationship development, mental health, or psychopathology (Gervais, 2013). Self-

objectification branches into many negative effects, such as body shame, appearance

anxiety, depression, and disordered eating (Calogero, Tantle-Duff, & Thompson, 2011).

According to a book by Elsevier (2012), self-objectification involves perceiving

oneself as an object. It is when and individual views oneself from a third-person perspective

instead of a first-person perspective.

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The idealized body has drastically changed in recent years, media adverts, social

outlets and printed press, such as magazines have set high standards that most people

cannot reach their expectations. Excluding people’s diverse cultures, body dissatisfaction

and eating disorders recently became widespread among men and women. (Atler, 2017).

Among men and women, regardless of their diverse cultures, body dissatisfaction and

eating disorders recently became rampant (Zava, n.d.).

The media today is currently dominated by models, actors, and actresses with slim

figures. They are perceived as what an ideal body is through televisions, magazines,

movies, and various social media platforms. Advertisements geared towards young teens

featuring slim models influence the way teens feel about their bodies. The high level of

body dissatisfaction is the generally the result of sociocultural factors, particularly, the

influence of the mass media (Tiggemann & Polivy, 2002). Mass media includes magazines,

television, and images shared through the net, which can be related to visual media.

The visual media often highlight women’s bodies to immediately place viewers in

the position of having an objectifying gaze upon the women depicted. This is the reason

why Objectification is more common among women. Women often being the target of

objectification may lead them to engage in Self-objectification which is analyzed as

something that reflects how women incorporate the standards of society into their selves to

a certain extent. Studies of self-objectification have relied heavily on two self-report

measures: the Objectified Body Conscious Scale (OBCS) developed by McKinley and

Hyde and the Self-objectification Questionnaire (SOQ) developed by Noll and Fredrickson

(Bornstein & Wiener, 2014 )

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During the 1997, Fredrickson and Roberts published their work entitled as

“Objectification Theory: Toward Understanding Women’s Lived Experiences and Mental

Health Risks”. This states that women’s bodies are looked at, evaluated, and always

potentially objectified. The aim of this theory discerns the psychological and experiential

consequences that sexual objectification might have in women’s life. (Bornstein & Wiener,

2014 )

The objectification theory is a synthesis about the sexual objectification of women.

It may be an explanation for tendency to equal women to their bodies and why this can

branch into negative consequences for women’s body image and all that may be related to

that. Self-objectification is described as the first psychological consequence of women and

girls existing in a sexually objectifying culture (Elsevier, 2012).

Though objectification and self-objectification is more common among women,

men may also feel objectified. (Ridgway, 2016) Magazines with women on their covers

were generally five times as likely to be seen as especially suggestive, but men and women

surveyed acknowledged it was magazines geared towards a male audience that had the

raciest covers of all. (Zava, n.d.)

Related Studies

A. Foreign

The Neuropsychology of Self-objectification is a study composed of different

theories and their proponents. This study aims to know the psychological effects of self-

objectification among their participants. It also comprises the negative effects of the

unhealthy state of mind for men and women.

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Within this context, the objectification theory is a cohesive framework that explains

the process involved in women’s emotional and behavioral responses to their desire to meet

Western cultural ideals of physical appearance and attractiveness (Dakanalis & Riva,

2013). Specifically, this theory suggests how sociocultural and psychological variables

may work together to predict women’s eating disorder symptomatology. However, even if

all women are exposed to idealized body models, only a minority of them develop clinically

diagnosable eating disorders (Thompson et al., 1999).

The objectification theory proposed by Fredrickson and Roberts (1997) is a general

framework that offers a description of the processes involved in women’s behavioral and

emotional responses to their desire/need to meet Western cultural ideals of physical

appearance and attractiveness (Calogero, Tantleff-Dunn, Thompson, 2010; Dakanalis et

al., 2012)

According to the objectification theory (Fredrickson & Roberts, 1997) girls and

women are taught to adopt a self-objectified view of themselves as objects to be evaluated

on the basis of their appearance. More, this experience is proposed to have a direct link

with the health and well-being of female subjects. The paper analyzes and discusses the

objectification theory within the context of recent research on memory and spatial

cognition. On one side, it describes self-objectification as a specific cognitive process: a

woman internalizes an objectified self- image, when she uses an allocentric frame of

reference (observer mode) to remember events in which she evaluates herself based upon

bodily appearance. On the other side it directly connects the objectification theory with the

Allocentric Lock Hypothesis (Riva, 2012), suggesting that eating disorders have as

antecedent an allocentric (objective, from outside) negative image schema of the body that
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is no more updated by egocentric sensory inputs from perception. Both the similarities

between the allocentric lock and the out-of-body experience and a review of the recent

studies supporting this claim are also presented and discussed.

“Self-objectification and Ideal Body shape for men and women” is a study that

pertains to the connection of a person’s perception regarding the standards of beauty or

commonly known as the “Ideal Body shape”.

In women, high levels of self-objectification are linked to a desire for a very thin

body (e.g., Myers & Crowther, 2007). However, as men may face a dual desire to be both

lean and muscular, it is not yet known whether men with high levels of self-objectification

will desire a thinner body or a more muscular body.

Since Objectification theory was initially proposed to explain psychological

outcomes in women, and empirical support for objectification theory in relation to women

continues to grow (e.g., Quinn, Kallen, & Cathey, 2006; Szymanski & Henning, 2007).

Nonetheless, some researchers have posited that the theory’s basic tenets can also be

applied to men (e.g., Morrison, Morrison, & Hopkins, 2003). Empirically, although women

exhibit higher rates of self-objectification than men, the construct has demonstrated good

reliability and validity in male samples (McKinley, 1998).

Trait Self-Objectification is a study sought to determine whether self-

objectification is a subtype or distinct from other personality traits (i.e., perfectionism).

Similarly, as little research exists on personality traits and body image, a secondary aim

was to examine psychosocial correlates of self-objectification and perfectionism. Franzoi

(1995) found that a woman’s attitude toward her body-as-object (i.e., body as parts) was

significantly influenced by the extent to which she possessed masculine and feminine
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personality traits. Women who complied with traditional cultural definitions of gender by

adopting many feminine personality traits (e.g., concerned about others, passive) generally

held more negative attitudes toward their body parts than did women who adopted few

feminine stereotypical traits. By contrast, women who had more instrumental masculine

traits (e.g., active, dominant, assertive) reported more positive attitudes toward their body

parts. Thus, it was the most feminine women who were the most dissatisfied with their

bodies. Franzoi argued that the possession of masculine traits may protect women against

a preoccupation with female attractiveness standards that can ultimately lead to feelings of

negative body affect and disordered eating. We hypothesize that other personality traits

may also be linked with self-objectification.

In conclusion, these studies possess a connection to our topic and all are considered

beneficial. The researchers each discussed and further looked into a specific dimension of

self-objectification. Their studies have shown a variety of beliefs and theories, different

people, and unique perspectives regarding self-objectification. The psychology and similar

thinking of most people have proven how as well as why men and women view themselves

in such ways. The results varied on how the participants felt about themselves, showing a

relation with the effects of media on their mental aspect.

Our study aims to know the relation between the effects of visual media on the self-

objectification among Grade 12 students, it is also linked with psychology. Many studies

regarding self-objectification were conducted by various researchers which led to different

theories and possibilities that self-objectification may be due to society, one’s own

personality traits, and usually social media. As concerned grade 10 learners, we

specifically aim to know the negative effects of visual media (e.g magazines, television,
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billboards). Our study differs because we are to emphasize body feature instead of body

image since self-objectification not only pertains to one’s mindset but to one’s physical

appearance as well.

B. Local

Brebante & Cagas (2015) conducted a study about the body image, body mass

index and the experience of hiya in physical education among Filipino female university

students. In this research, it has been found that body image dissatisfaction has something

to do with either high or low body mass index (BMI) among Filipino women (Aquino et.

al 2009). Hiya is a well-defined Filipino characteristic that is not automatically the same to

shame but may be known by a person who has high body dissatisfaction which may become

a fence to physical activity participation. This analysis also said that three hundred sixty-

two female Filipino university students answered a set of questionnaires which included

Modified Body Self-Image Questionnaire (BSIQ: Rowe 1999) and a measure of hiya

designed specifically for this study. Body image scores ranged from 1 to 5 for this reason,

scores above 3 were interpreted as high, and scores lower than3 were interpreted as low.

In this case, Filipino female students reported to have high levels of investment in ideals,

social dependence, attention to grooming, overall appearance insecurities, health and

fitness influence and height dissatisfaction. Scores for hiya ranged from 1 to 10. This

clearly means that the female students are not satisfied with regards to their overall

appearance and has a low self- esteem due to their surroundings.

This study assessed body image satisfaction with diet, body mass index (BMI),

waist circumference (WC), waist-hip ratio (WHR), age, income, and education among 251

Filipino women in depressed urban barangay. The results revealed that majority of the
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women were younger, had low education, and had no proper occupation. The researchers

had found that using BMI, 28.7% were overweight and obese, and 11.6% were

underweight. By the use of waist-hip ratio and waist circumference, they also found out

that a high percentage of individuals were at risk. It also has been found that six out of ten

women are not satisfied with their body image. Body image satisfaction was related with

BMI, WC, WHR but WHR was the only significant variably affecting image satisfaction

(Aquino et. al 2009)

In the research conducted by Javellana (2014), she talked about the influence of

media on body image satisfaction among Filipino adolescents. According to the researcher,

the media has a huge role in how Filipino teenagers view themselves by shaping images of

what teenagers are supposed to be or do. This study remained its focus on determining

which type of media has the largest influence to adolescents, the level of body image

satisfaction of the adolescents, the relationship between media and body image satisfaction,

and propose measures to enhance the adolescents’ body image satisfaction. The method

used by the research for this analysis was the quantitative method. It made use of a survey

and a questionnaire entitled Body Areas Satisfaction scale. Results revealed and was

concluded that the internet is the most oftenly used type of media with the respondents

using it frequently wherein it included the fact that magazines have the strongest negative

relationship with the weight of the respondents.

Abello (2019) conducted as research about the experiences of overweight and obese

Filipino adults on fat shaming. According to the researcher, from a phenomenological

viewpoint, fat shaming is widely encountered among overweight and obese Filipino adults

and have been incorporated into the perspective of others. The unprompted hurl of ridicule,
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mockery, fat jokes, and meaningful and funny gaze among plus size adults become a

product of symbolic interaction. This paper showed the involvement of selected overweight

and obese Filipino adults using the social media, life narratives and visual arts to

demonstrate, describe, and express this issue in current Filipino setting. The research was

said to be limited mainly on the deliberate identification of respondents using a certain

basis and commitment of the respondents until the final part of the study. The study also

attempted to utilize the gap between the ideal body form and actual social identity of a fat

body in the lens of fat shaming as lived experiences of overweight and obese adults. Lastly,

in this analysis it was said that these fat shaming encounters were mirrored by society and

exposed to view in different ways, e.g rejection, invisibility, family pressure.

In conclusion, these studies defined the perception of different majorities of

individuals while our study defined the point of view of Grade 12 students of College of

the Holy Spirit of Tarlac, which are considered to be young adults. These different analyses

revealed that a lot of people have experienced being stereotyped by the society due to their

physical appearance. It was shown in varied manners how the respondents were dealing

with dissatisfaction in terms of their body. Body shaming and the role of media were also

highlighted in the variety of studies, it showed how the internet, the widely use form of

media, affects different aspects of the body of an individual, leading to self-objectification

which connects to our study as well. The said researches also covered a certain aspect of

body features like body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), and waist-hip ratio

(WHR) while our analysis talked about only the role of visual media to the self-

objectification of young adults.

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Conceptual Framework

GRADE 12 STUDENTS

COMPARISON OF STUDENTS TO:

SELF OBJECTIFICATION ON
a. PEERS
BODY FEATURES
b. CELEBRTIES

FINDINGS OF THE STUDY ON THE

INFLUENCE OF VISUAL MEDIA TO THE

.
SELF OBJECTIFICATION OF THE

STUDENTS

Figure 1: Paradigm of the Study

Figure 1 shows how the study will proceed. The paradigm demonstrates the high

points of the influences of visual media to the Grade 12 learners of College of the Holy

Spirit of Tarlac, if there is an effect in terms of the comparison of the respondents to the

celebrities, and their peers. It flows in regard to the self-objectification on body features,

whether there is a connection between the two. At the end of the study, the data that will

be collected will be analyzed by the researchers in order to know if there is a

correspondence between the variables and to uncover the correlation between the influence

of visual media to the respondents’ self- objectification on body features.

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Chapter 3

METHODS OF STUDY AND SOURCES OF DATA

The purpose of this chapter is to present the relation between the influence of visual

media and self-objectification, as well as to introduce the research strategy and the

empirical techniques applied. This covered the research design, respondents of the study,

data gathering instrument and procedure, and statistical treatment.

Research Design

The study used a quantitative research which is defined as a systematic

investigation of phenomena by gathering quantifiable data and performing statistical,

mathematical or computational techniques (Research Methods, 2nd Edition, 2018).

Specifically, the researchers used a correlational research design for it utilized correlational

research methods. Moreover, correlational research is a type of nonexperimental research

in which the researcher measures two variables and assesses the statistical relationship (i.e.,

the correlation) between them with little or no effort to control extraneous variables

(Research Methods, 2nd Canadian Edition, 2014). The data was presented in a numerical

format which can be analyzed through statistical methods. The survey methodology was

used and conducted by the researchers for the Grade 12 students. Through this design and

chosen methods, the researchers were able to determine the relation between the influence

of visual media and self-objectification. They were able to relate two concepts and enhance

its importance towards the society.

Respondents of the Study

The respondents of the study will come from the Grade 12 level of the College of

the Holy Spirit of Tarlac enrolled in the academic year 2019-2020. There is a total of 186
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students in the Grade 12 level, thus the population will be 186. The researchers will make

use of the Slovin’s Formula to determine the sample size. It is computed as follows:

𝑁
𝑛=
1 + 𝑁𝑒 2
Where:

n= sample size

N= population size

e= margin of error

There will be 127 respondents from five sections. Using proportional allocation, as

recommended by the statistician, the number of respondents of will be 30 in 12-Hope, 29

in 12-Faith, 26 in 12-Peace, and 21 in both 12-Love and12-Joy. Stated below is the solution

used for proportional allocation:

𝑁𝑠𝑢𝑏𝑔𝑟𝑜𝑢𝑝
𝑛𝑠𝑢𝑏𝑔𝑟𝑜𝑢𝑝 = 𝑛
𝑁

Where:

𝑛𝑠𝑢𝑏𝑔𝑟𝑜𝑢𝑝 = sample size in a section

𝑁𝑠𝑢𝑏𝑔𝑟𝑜𝑢𝑝 = population of a section

𝑁 = population of the Grade 12 level

𝑛 = sample size of the Grade 12 level

In accordance with the statistician, the random sampling technique, specifically the

fish bowl method, will be used in order to indicate the participants of this study.

Data Gathering Instruments

The data gathering instruments used in this study are the Media Influence Scale

(Stice et al, 1996) and the Revised Objectified Body Consciousness Scale (Quinn & Lewis,

2005). The Media Influence Scale was adapted from the Perceived Sociocultural Pressure
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Scale. The MIS includes 10 items which calculates the level of interest that an individual

has in magazines, TV shows, and other mass media that advertise a slim type of body which

is considered to be ideal. Some examples of questions contain: 'When I see a picture of a

female model or actress, I pay attention to her body shape' and 'I like to watch fashion

shows on T.V. that feature thin models'. This scale is attained on a 5-point scale, (1=

strongly agree; 5= strongly disagree). Each item is evaluated from 1 to 5 and of these items,

10 scores are required to be reversed from 5 to 1. For Media Influence, the scores range

from 10-50 wherein low scores indicate more influence and higher scores indicate less of

an influence.

The ROBCS was developed and proven to evaluate and quantify the objectified

body consciousness in young individuals. This scale includes 3 sub-scales, (a) Surveillance

wherein viewing the body as an external observer), (b) Body shame wherein the person

feels ashamed when his/her body does not conform, and (c) Appearance control a person's

beliefs (Quinn & Lewis, 2005). Some examples of questions include: 'I rarely thin about

how I look' and 'I think a person is pretty much stuck with the looks they are born with'.

This questionnaire is scored on a 5-point scale, wherein 1= strongly agree and 5= strongly

disagree. Low scores indicate more influence while higher scores indicate less of an

influence.

Data Gathering Procedure

With the intention of administering the Revised Objectified Body Consciousness

Scale (Quinn & Lewis, 2005) and the Media Influence Scale (Stice et al, 1996) which was

adapted from the Perceived Sociocultural Pressure Scale (PSPS; Stice & Agras, 1998;

Stice & Bearman, 2001; Stice, Ziemba, Margolis, & Flick, 1996), the researchers will
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submit a letter to the school administration, particularly the principal, Sr. Genoveva, that

will address their request for permission in conducting the study within the school grounds.

After being granted permission, the researchers will distribute the questionnaires,

wherein the answers, neither right nor wrong, will purely be based on the respondents’

experiences and emotions. In conducting the data gathering, the researchers will submit a

letter the present teacher of the respondents during class hours, and to the mayor or any

class officer in the class during health break hours. The researchers intend to request

permission to conduct the previously mentioned questionnaires through the presented

letters. For the respondents to understand and be able to apprehend the objective of the

survey, the researchers will explain and clarify to them the background of the study. The

researchers will thoroughly give instructions to the respondents on how they should answer

the questionnaire and will assure them that the information gathered will be confidential.

The respondents will be given 15 to 20 minutes for them to comprehensively snd

honestly answer the questionnaire. After the allotted time, the researchers will collect the

papers and express their sincere acknowledgement and gratitude to the teacher and the

respondents. Afterwards, for the researchers to acquire a deliberate result, they will request

the assistance of a statistician to decipher and analyze the collected data.

Statistical Treatment

To establish the level of self-objectification felt by the students, the researchers will

look for the weighted mean from every response in every statement gathered from the

students. The formula in getting the weighted mean is as follows:

𝛴𝑓𝑥
x̅ =
𝑛
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where:
x̅ = mean

f = frequency of scores

𝑛 = number of respondents

The possible significant relationship between self-objectification of students and

the influence of visual media will be determined identified using the formula in getting the

Pearson product-moment correlation coefficient (PPMCC). It is computed as follows:

𝑛(∑ 𝑥𝑦) − (∑ 𝑥)(∑ 𝑦)

𝑟=
√[𝑛 ∑ 𝑥 2 − (∑ 𝑥)2 ][𝑛 ∑ 𝑦 2 − (∑ 𝑦)2 ]

where:

r = Pearson Product Moment Correlation Coefficient

𝑛 = number of pair of scores

x = first variable

y = second variable

Σ𝑥𝑦 = sum of the products of paired scores

Σ𝑥 = sum of x scores

Σ𝑦 = sum of y scores

Σx^2 = sum of squares of x scores

Σy^2 = sum of squares of y scores

All computations were calculated with the help of Statistical Package for Social

Sciences and Microsoft Excel.

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Stated below are the scales, including the verbal description relating the variables,

that will be used to indicate the level of self-objectification experienced by the students

due to the influence the visual media has upon them.

Table 1
Table of Interpretation of Self-Objectification

Rating Range Verbal Description

5 4.20 – 5.00 Strongly Disagree

4 3.40 – 4.19 Disagree

3 2.60 – 3.39 Neutral

2 1.80 – 2.59 Agree

1 1.00 – 1.79 Strongly Agree

Table 2
Correlation Coefficient Table of Interpretation

Coefficient Interpretation

± 𝟖𝟎 − ±𝟏. 𝟎𝟎 Very Strong Correlation

±𝟎. 𝟔𝟎 − ±𝟎. 𝟕𝟗 Strong Correlation

+𝟎. 𝟒𝟎 − ±𝟎. 𝟓𝟗 Moderate Correlation

±𝟎. 𝟐𝟎 − ±𝟎. 𝟑𝟗 Weak Correlation

±𝟎. 𝟎𝟎 − ±𝟎. 𝟏𝟗 Very Weak Correlation

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