As a sociologist who does research on and teaches

As a sociologist who does research on and teaches about body image and healthy embodiment, I have had countless conversations with young college students about how beauty ideals get reinforced and what makes body norms so hard to resist. Punishment for not following norms or not living up to an ideal, is only half of the equation. This is what fat shaming falls into — people being ridiculed as a form of punishment for not meeting an ideal body type.

But there is another way that norms and practices are reinforced, and in many ways it’s even more powerful than punishment: positive reinforcement. In the case of beauty norms and practices, this positive reinforcement takes the form of simple praise. Many of my young female students recount their experiences with praise as a motivator for following beauty norms. They describe the interactions they have with their friends on days that they wake up early, fix their hair, put on make-up, and put on attractive clothes. Or they recount the interactions they have when they lose weight. At such times, their friends stop them on the way to class to tell them how beautiful they look, or, perhaps even more important: they tell them on social media. Their friends openly admire their clothes, their hair, and their bodies. The praise, in turn, makes them feel confident and happy. That confidence and happiness shapes their interactions throughout the day. The praise and the resulting feeling of confidence encourages them to get up early the next day and do the same thing.

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