The Role of Lad Magazines in Priming Men’s Chronic and Temporary Appearance‐Related Schemata: An Investigation of Longitudinal and Experimental Findings

We present a program of research investigating the effects of lad magazines on male body self‐consciousness and appearance anxiety. Study 1, based on panel data from undergraduate men, showed that lad magazine exposure in Year 1 predicted body self‐consciousness in Year 2. Study 2 was an experiment that showed that men assigned to view objectified women in lad magazines reported significantly higher levels of appearance anxiety and appearance‐related motivations for exercise than men assigned to view male fashion models. We speculated that participants believed that to be romantically successful with these women would require them to conform to an idealized appearance standard. Study 3 replicated the finding that exposure to sexually objectified women primed body self‐consciousness, and it further showed that this effect was mediated by romantic confidence.     

Dr. Susan W. Gray

While Susan W. Gray is known primarily for her work with the Early Training Project, a pioneering early intervention program with low-income black children, she has also influenced the development of school psychology and the creation of Early Childhood Education as a discipline. In addition, in her own quiet way, she has supported the career development of a number of professional women who have had impact on child development, early childhood education, and school psychology. Four major themes are used to present Susan Gray's biography: (1) being ahead of her time in terms of thinking which allowed her to take advantage of opportunities; (2) the role of serendipity versus long-range planning of career trajectories; (3) specific influences on her as a woman; and (4) a lifetime of courage and dedication. Examples of work which was in advance of psychology included work in early intervention with low-income children, an emphasis on the use of scientific experimental methodology in field research, an eclectic approach which crossed disciplinary boundaries, a consultative approach to school psychology, and the inclusion of affective and cognitive education in inter-