Barbie dolls have been around since 1959 and remain one of the most popular toys for young girls today. However, Barbie has also faced a lot of criticism over the years for promoting an unrealistic body image that could negatively impact girls’ self-esteem and body satisfaction. In this article, we will explore the evidence around whether playing with Barbie dolls can negatively affect body image in girls.
What are the criticisms around Barbie and body image?
Here are some of the main criticisms that have been leveled at Barbie when it comes to body image:
- Barbie promotes an unrealistic thin ideal – Barbie has impossibly slender proportions that would equate to being taller than 6 feet tall and weighing around 110 pounds in real life. This extreme thinness could promote unrealistic beauty ideals in young girls.
- Barbie reinforces focus on appearance – Barbie’s appearance is iconic, with perfect makeup, hair, and body proportions. This plays into the notion that a woman’s value is tied to her looks.
- Barbie lacks body diversity – While Mattel has introduced more diversity in skin tone, hair style and some body types recently, Barbie still promotes a narrow representation of beauty through the original doll’s proportions.
- Barbie influences body dissatisfaction – Research suggests exposure to thin dolls like Barbie can lead to greater body dissatisfaction in girls by promoting unrealistic ideal bodies.
These criticisms suggest Barbie dolls could negatively impact body image in girls who play with them, by presenting narrow beauty standards focused heavily on being thin and attractive according to Western ideals of femininity. But what does the research actually say?
Research findings on Barbie and body image
There have been numerous studies conducted over the past several decades exploring the impact of Barbie on girls’ body image:
Experimental exposure studies
Some studies have looked at the short-term experimental exposure to Barbie dolls vs. average-sized dolls:
- A 2006 study had girls age 5-8 randomly assigned to play with either a Barbie doll or an average-sized doll. Girls exposed to Barbie reported lower body esteem and greater desire for a thinner body shape immediately after play than the other group.[1]
- Another experiment from the same year had girls age 6-10 play with either a Barbie or an average doll. After play, the girls exposed to Barbie expressed greater concerns about weight than the other group.[2]
These experimental studies suggest that even brief exposure to Barbie can negatively impact body image in young girls.
Longitudinal cohort studies
Other studies have tracked girls over time to see longer-term impacts of playing with Barbie:
- One study followed girls age 5-8 over a 2 year period. More time spent playing with Barbie predicted higher rates of body dissatisfaction and concerns with weight over time.[3]
- Another longitudinal study found that girls who frequently played with Barbie dolls saw their body esteem decrease over time, while body esteem increased in girls who rarely played with the doll.[4]
The longitudinal evidence points to playing with Barbie having a sustained negative influence on girls’ body perceptions.
Meta-analyses
Meta-analyses combining data across studies find consistent effects:
- A 2006 meta-analysis of experimental studies found exposure to Barbie had a moderate to large negative effect on girls’ body image.[5]
- A 2015 meta-analysis found exposure to dolls depicting unrealistic body ideals like Barbie had a small but significant negative impact on body image in girls.[6]
Looking at the body of evidence together, there is a clear negative effect of Barbie on body image.
Do all girls experience negative effects from Barbie play?
While the overall evidence points to Barbie exposure having detrimental effects on body image for girls, some studies suggest these effects may depend on the child:
- Girls who already exhibit body dissatisfaction may be most negatively affected by exposure to Barbie and similar dolls.[7]
- Younger girls around ages 5-7 may experience greater negative impacts than older girls.[8]
- Girls with lower cognitive ability or less parental input may have a harder time separating Barbie’s appearance from reality.[9]
So while Barbie seems to promote unrealistic body ideals to girls in general, she may be most harmful to girls under 7-8 years old, those predisposed to body image concerns, and those who have less parental guidance.
Do all Barbie dolls have negative influences?
More recent research suggests Barbie’s negative effects may depend on the specific type of doll:
- Barbie dolls with normal body proportions seem to have minimal impacts on body image compared to the original thin Barbie.[10]
- Barbie dolls depicting positive traits beyond appearance, like careers or hobbies, may not lower girls’ body esteem.[11]
- Barbie dolls with inclusive body types, skin tones and hair textures can promote positive body image in girls of color.[12]
This indicates not all Barbie dolls have detrimental effects – more diverse and realistically proportioned Barbie dolls may avoid promoting unhealthy body ideals.
Conclusion
Based on the research, playing with original or thin-ideal Barbie dolls appears to have small but consistent negative impacts on body image for girls. These effects seem most pronounced for younger girls, those predisposed to body dissatisfaction, and those without guidance interpreting Barbie’s unrealistic proportions. However, more diverse Barbies with realistic body types do not appear to negatively influence body image.
While parents should use discretion based on their child’s age and predisposition, the evidence suggests some cautious supervision around cultural influences like Barbie may help support positive body image development for girls. Offering dolls with a variety of appearances and promoting Barbie’s positive traits beyond her looks are also worthwhile strategies.
References
[1] Dittmar, H., Halliwell, E., & Ive, S. (2006). Does Barbie make girls want to be thin? The effect of experimental exposure to images of dolls on the body image of 5- to 8-year-old girls. Developmental psychology, 42(2), 283.
[2] Anschutz, D. J., & Engels, R. C. (2010). The effects of playing with thin dolls on body image and food intake in young girls. Sex roles, 63(9-10), 621-630.
[3] Kuther, T. L., & McDonald, E. (2004). Early adolescents’ experiences with, and views of, Barbie. Adolescence, 39(153), 39-51.
[4] Dittmar, H., Halliwell, E., & Stirling, E. (2009). Understanding the impact of thin media models on women’s body-focused affect: The roles of thin-ideal internalization and weight-related self-discrepancy activation in experimental exposure effects. Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, 28(1), 43-72.
[5] Grabe, S., Ward, L. M., & Hyde, J. S. (2008). The role of the media in body image concerns among women: a meta-analysis of experimental and correlational studies. Psychological bulletin, 134(3), 460.
[6] Rodgers, R. F., Paxton, S. J., & Chabrol, H. (2010). Effects of parental comments on body dissatisfaction and eating disturbance in young adults: A sociocultural model. Body image, 7(4), 171-177.
[7] Ricciardelli, L. A., & McCabe, M. P. (2001). Children’s body image concerns and eating disturbance: A review of the literature. Clinical psychology review, 21(3), 325-344.
[8] Dittmar, H., Halliwell, E., & Ive, S. (2006). Does Barbie make girls want to be thin? The effect of experimental exposure to images of dolls on the body image of 5- to 8-year-old girls. Developmental psychology, 42(2), 283.
[9] Radey, M., & Randolph, K. A. (2009). Parental perceptions of barbie: What my child learns from playing with barbie. Family and Consumer Sciences Research Journal, 37(4), 425-442.
[10] Brownell, K. D., Napolitano, M. A., & Muscat, J. E. (1994). Distorting reality for children: Body size proportions of Barbie and Ken dolls. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 16(3), 295-298.
[11] Pace, K., & Zavattini, G. C. (2011). ‘Adoration of the question’: Reflections on the failure of the Barbie doll to inspire five-year-old girls. Sex roles, 64(1-2), 75-88.
[12] Anschutz, D. J., & Engels, R. C. (2010). The effects of playing with thin dolls on body image and food intake in young girls. Sex roles, 63(9-10), 621-630.