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Connection of Theories and The Tripartite Model

Cattarin et al. (2000) argue the importance of social comparison when internalizing the thin ideal, as this might result in body dissatisfaction. According to the study developed by Cattarin et al. (2000), women who have a high level of internalization, and engage in upward social comparison with thin idealized models have an increase in body dissatisfaction. Further, thin ideal internalization was found to be an influencing factor in the relationship between sociocultural factors and body dissatisfaction, whereas social comparison affects the level of internalization of the thin ideal (Cattarin et al., 2000). Other research has found a direct relation between internalization of the thin ideal and body dissatisfaction, as well as evidence that higher levels of internalization among girls will increase the likelihood of social comparison and thereby also body dissatisfaction (Blowers, Loxton, Grady-Flesser, Occhipinti & Dawe, 2003). A study by Dittmar & Howard (2004), has found that thin internalization in combination with social comparison have a diminishing effect on the positive, or non-detrimental effects stemming from the use of average-size models.
Thus, using average-size models have been found to have no beneficial effect if high internalization in combination with social comparison is present. The study further suggests that internalization, rather than social comparison, will generate a more precise prediction of women’s body-focused anxiety (Dittmar & Howard, 2004). This corresponds with the findings by Blowers et al. (2003), where the effect of sociocultural factors on body dissatisfaction was found to be notably affected by social comparison as well as internalization of the thin ideal. Clay et al. (2005) suggested in their study that it is important to consider strategies on how to deal with the processes of internalization, sociocultural pressures and social comparison in an early stage among young girls.
Keery et al. (2004) uses the Tripartite Influence model developed by Thompson et al. (1999) to understand the development of body image disturbances, body dissatisfaction, and eating dysfunctions among young women. The model proposes that peers, parents and media are the three variables influencing the development of body image dissatisfaction, through the processes of internalization and social comparison. In their study, Keery et al. (2004) proposed their revised version of the model and added further connections in the model, where restrictive eating is directly influenced by body dissatisfaction. The model depicts how societal influences from peers, parents and media were found to be directly linked to the development of restrictive behavior associated with eating disorders, or the development of such behavior in the future (Keery et al., 2004). These influences can concern for example eating, exercise, and physical appearance.
The Tripartite Influence model (Keery et al., 2004) highlights the importance of limiting the processes of social comparison and internalization to prevent the development of body dissatisfaction among young women. However, as this thesis do not include researching restrictions in terms of eating disorders, the researchers will not include these components in their study. Hence, the researchers will merely focus on the effect sociocultural influences might have on body image and body dissatisfaction, through the primary mechanisms social comparison and internalization (Keery et al., 2004). The Tripartite Influence model is developed to measure the effects of the different variables for quantitative studies (Keery et al., 2004). However, as will be discussed in Chapter 3, this study is conducted in a qualitative manner, and the model will therefore be used in a sense which is relevant to this study’s purpose and research design. As the purpose of the study aspire for a deeper understanding, no statistical inferences will be made, and the components not corresponding to the purpose will be excluded. Hence, the researchers aim to gain a deeper understanding of the components sociocultural influence, internalization, social comparison, body dissatisfaction, and body image disturbance. The model will be used to facilitate the researchers’ interpretations of the results, where social media will be looked at as a sociocultural influence.
Instead of measuring variable effects, the model will be used to achieve insight into how sociocultural pressure from social media may lead to body image disturbance and body dissatisfaction. The researchers will further use the model to support their analysis of how the beauty ideal communicated on social media might affect young women through social comparison and internalization.

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Philosophy of Research

The decisions taken by the authors in this study regarding the research design, is guided by the research philosophy used. A research philosophy, also known as a paradigm, constitutes how researchers study and interpret what they see. This indicates how the research should be conducted, and underlies the researchers’ choice of how to obtain the information needed for the research. Whether a certain research paradigm is suitable depends on the topic of the research (Rubin & Rubin, 2011), the context of the study and the researchers’ assumptions (Malhotra & Birks, 2007).
The dominant research perspective is positivism, where the main objective is to establish rules enabling explanations of certain phenomenon. In order to establish these rules or laws, reliable facts are required, where objectivity is central (Malhotra & Birks, 2007). A positivist perspective is appropriate for statistical studies, surveys and experiments, where measurements are possible and relationships can be extracted. Testing theories is also common for a positivist study (Malhotra & Birks, 2007; Rubin & Rubin, 2011).
However, the authors of this study do not seek to establish rules or rely upon measurements, rather explore on multiple, subjective views, as the study seeks to achieve insights in a situation which can be considered as rather complex. Instead of seeking laws that apply uniformly to a context, an interpretive approach may guide in-depth and semi- structured interviews, and is used by the authors (Rubin & Rubin, 2011). Interpretivism is explained to emphasize a dynamic reality where a range of interpretations and an evolving nature is recognized, which is considered by the researchers as appropriate for this study.

1 Introduction .
1.1 Background and Problem Definition
1.2 Purpose and Research Questions
2 Frame of Reference
2.1 Advertising and Women
2.2 The Beauty Ideal
2.3 Sociocultural Influences
2.4 Internalizatio
2.5 Social Comparison8
2.6 Connection of Theories and The Tripartite Model
3 Method
3.1 Philosophy of Research
3.2 Research Approac
3.3 Research Design
3.4 Semi-structured Interview
3.5 Sample Selection
3.6 Pilot-testing
3.7 Execution of Semi-Structured Interviews
3.8 Choice of Advertisements
3.9 Data Analysis
3.10 Quality Assessment
4 Empirical Findings
4.1 Association Technique
4.2 Topic Themes
5 Analysis
5.1 Analysis of the Empirical Findings
5.2 Summary of Analysis and Proposition for Development
6 Conclusion and Discussion
6.1 Conclusion
6.2 Relevance of the Study and Managerial Implications.
6.3 Further Research Suggestions
7 List of References