The Perils of ChickLit

Psychological hazards may lurk between the covers of such books

A new study, published in Body Image, suggests that reading chicklit novels tends to influence a reader’s weight concerns and make her think of herself as less attractive. Titled ‘Does this book make me look fat?’, the study, conducted by researchers from Virginia Tech, US, is a first of its kind to explore the psychological impact of chicklit novels. Since previous studies have established how women’s body self-image is influenced by what they see on TV, in music videos, and what they read in magazines, the researchers tried to explore if this would also prove true for chicklit readers.

The study was conducted by making 159 female participants read 3,200-word excerpts from either of two chicklit novels—Something Borrowed by Emily Griffin and Dreaming In Black And White by Laura Jensen Walker. A number of varying versions of the passages were offered. While the excerpts referenced the lead character’s appearance, the character’s descriptions of her body were changed. In one version, the protagonist was underweight and in another average to overweight. The protagonist’s inner musings on her body was also altered. Some examples described a lead character with high body esteem and others described a lead character with low body esteem. However, all these alterations were made retaining the original author’s voice. After reading the passages, participants answered questions about their own weight and sexual attractiveness.

The authors write in the journal that the results indicate ‘a nuanced pattern of effects for chick lit’. Participants who read excerpts that featured an underweight protagonist were less likely to regard themselves as overweight. While those who read excerpts that featured an average-weight or overweight protagonist were less likely to view themselves as sexually attractive. The researchers add that those who read excerpts where the central character expressed negative thoughts about her body ‘were significantly more concerned about their weight than participants in the control condition’. The authors explain in the study: ‘…textual representations of body esteem seemed to have a strong effect on weight concern, possibly because novels allow for participants to enter the minds of the protagonists and read their innermost thoughts.’

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