Perfect bodies

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate how dimensions of body image relate to product involvement among gay men. Design/methodology/approach A survey consisting of body image and product involvement measures was administered to 147 self-identified gay men. Multiple regression was used to examine the relations of the significant body image variables to each of the consumer behavior outcomes in separate analyses. Findings The more the men were behaviorally invested in their appearance predicted a higher frequency of shopping each month for apparel and grooming-related products. The stronger the men’s psychological drive to have a lean body and the more they focused on their appearance and invested in their looks, the more likely they were to view apparel as important to them. The more psychologically and behaviorally involved the gay men reported being with their appearance, the more importance they gave to grooming-related products. Research limitations/implications The sample was drawn primarily from a college population, limiting findings to this age cohort. Practical implications The findings of the current research demonstrate the importance of appearance management products to the gay market, where commodities are often used to enhance or maintain a perceived self-image. Retailers can use this information to establish appropriate service options and effective marketing initiatives. Originality/value This study replicated others that have investigated gay men’s involvement in consumer products. However, the current study looked at the relationship between involvement and body image.

Body appreciation in British men: Correlates and variation across sexual orientation

“…It is unclear why body appreciation in men was not significantly related to appearance-ideal internalisation, drive for leanness, media consumption, and perceived appearance pressures from one's romantic partner and friends, in contrast to prior research (though it is worth noting that small correlations with ps < .05 were found with appearance-ideal internalisation and media consumption of television and Internet in the expected directions; Gillen, 2015;Swami et al, 2011;Swami, Hadji-Michael et al, 2008;Swami & Hwang, 2012;Tylka & Homan, 2015;Tylka & Kroon Van Diest, 2013;Tylka & Wood-Barcalow, 2015b). The simplest explanation for these divergent findings is that these relationships may not exist -at least not in this sample.…”

“…Potential differences could instead lay in the present study's more varied sample. Prior studies tested these relationships in male university students (e.g., Gillen, 2015;Swami et al, 2011;Swami & Hwang, 2012;Tylka & Kroon Van Diest, 2013;Tylka & Wood-Barcalow, 2015b), whereas the present study concerned a community sample, more diverse in terms of demographic characteristics such as age and sexual orientation. Together, the aforementioned divergent findings underscore the importance of replication efforts to provide more conclusive answers.…”

The influence of social media addiction on compulsive buying behaviour: A comparative analysis ofLGBT+ and heterosexual consumers

“…However, social media can also become a source of pressure by portraying lifestyle paradigms and images which may be unrealistic and create negative self-images and issues about acceptance in society (Williamson & Spence, 2001). Gay men, in particular, may externalise a preoccupation with their body image (Braun et al, 2015); this may create negative psychological issues and concerns, especially if they compare themselves with unachievable standards, for example, 'ideal' models (Strubel & Petrie, 2018) or are exposed to online aggression; this can result in stress, anxiety, depression and low self-esteem (Bettinsoli et al, 2021). Whilst these risks can be avoided by withdrawing from social media, even for short periods, for many people they are outweighed by their fear of missing out (FoMO) and need for belonging (Grau et al, 2019); this encourages continuation with on-screen socialisation, risking further exposure to negative impacts on self-worth and life satisfaction (Roberts & David, 2019).…”

“…Studies on LGBT+ consumer behaviour are, however, limited and prevalently focused on gay men (Coffin et al, 2019) whilst neglecting other LGBT+ consumers (Eisend & Hermann, 2020). Moreover, some research has reinforced the 'myth of gay affluence', by claiming that members of the gay community have an income, on average, 20% more than heterosexuals (Strubel & Petrie, 2018). Nevertheless, the perception of affluence in the gay market in European and North American societies has also been questioned in the extant literature because it is unrepresentative of LGBT+ diversity (Coffin et al, 2019), and may not even reflect the reality of gay consumer behaviour given that gays with high levels of internal homophobia may avoid shopping to appear more masculine or heterosexual, or shop online to avoid being seen and evaluated in stores (Reilly & Rudd, 2007).…”

“…Nevertheless, social media could represent a double-edged sword creating a dependency in the most vulnerable individuals (Hetz et al, 2015). In addition, studies have shown that pressure from media images affects young men, in particular (Diedrichs, 2012), who may become dissatisfied with their body image and purchase apparel products because they represent an extension of personal identity; as such, they may be more predisposed to the development of compulsive buying to improve their projection of self via the symbolic representation of fashion items (Strubel & Petrie, 2018).…”