This study used a between-subjects experimental design to examine the effects of viewing sexualized versus performance images of male athletes on male adolescent athletes perceptions of self and other. Participants (n = 83, mean age = 15.4) viewed sexualized or performance images (n = 5) of male celebrity athletes and then completed explicit and implicit measures of self-perceptions. They also judged the athletic competence and respectability of the athletes in the images. Results indicated that viewing sexualized images resulted in lower self-esteem and lower ratings of the athletic competence and respectability of the athletes in the photos compared to viewing performance images. These findings are among the first to demonstrate the negative effects of viewing sexualized images of male athletes on adolescent males
