Students and faculty gathered on Wednesday, Oct. 8, at the Rowe Center for Undergraduate Education to hear from Dr. L. Monique Ward, a prominent researcher studying how media affects women’s self-perception, mental health and academic drive. Hosted by the Department of Human Development and Family Sciences (HDFS), this event is part of the Luckey Family Studies Lecture series, held annually in person with online participation also available.
Eva Lefkowitz, researcher and professor of human development and family sciences, began the talk with a brief introduction to HDFS and the Luckey Family Studies Lecture series, which honors Eleanor B. Luckey. Lefkowitz then moved on to introduce Dr. Ward.
Ward has a PhD from UCLA and is part of the faculty at the University of Michigan, where she researches adolescent development. Ward has published over 140 journal articles and has won awards, including APA Division 7 and the APA Distinguished Leader for Women in Psychology.
“This content is prevalent, common and probably unavoidable,” said Ward as she began her presentation, first focusing on sexually objectifying content in the media. “73% of images of teen girls were coded as seductive (vs. 29.5% of teen boys).”…