Semester

Summer

Date of Graduation

2023

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Type

MS

College

Reed College of Media

Department

Not Listed

Committee Chair

Dr. Geah Pressgrove

Committee Member

Dr. Daniel Tozkay

Committee Member

Dr. Julia Fraustino

Committee Member

Dr. Elizabeth Oppe

Abstract

Many studies have highlighted how social comparison can influence self-efficacy for exercise, body dissatisfaction, and motivation to exercise, especially on social media; in addition, several studies have supported how attitude toward exercise and confidence toward exercise correlate with one another. However, these dependent variables have not been examined in the context of Generation Z men in Appalachia. Despite the lack of literature on this demographic, it is important to study Generation Z Appalachian men because of the frequent health problems this demographic faces, such as obesity. Therefore, this pretest-posttest between-subjects lab experiment investigated how an athletic influencer on social media related to Generation Z Appalachian men’s self-efficacy, body dissatisfaction, and likelihood to participate in exercise behaviors (motivation) through the lens of social comparison theory. In addition, this study also explored how attitude toward exercise and self-efficacy toward exercise related with each other.

Findings indicate that upward social comparison had a significant association with body dissatisfaction increasing. This indicated that when someone from this demographic negatively compares their own body to an athletic influencer, the more body dissatisfied they are. In contrast, when participants upward compared, a significant association showed that self-efficacy and motivation dwindled. Furthermore, self-efficacy had a significant association with positive and negative attitudes toward exercise. The results support that the higher the self-efficacy toward exercise, the more positive their attitude was toward exercise; in contrast, the lower the self-efficacy, the more negative their attitude was toward exercise. This study offered advances in social comparison theory regarding influenced Generation Z Appalachian men’s body dissatisfaction, while also supporting that athletic influencers have the capability to shift those perceptions and behaviors based on how this demographic compared themselves to them. This study also offered how this demographics’ attitude can shift based on how much self-efficacy they have after viewing an athletic influencer. Future limitations and implications are discussed.

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