Wizerunek kobiety w reklamie a percepcja i ocena własnego wyglądu przez dorastające dziewczęta

Background. Human self-esteem is being created along with development of self-consciousness and self-knowledge under the influence of anatomical, physiological, psychological and social factors. Psychological and social factors are opinions, criticism made by other people which one hears about oneself, also personal triumphs and failures and comparisons with role-models. Comparison concerns a lot of aspects of life including personal appearance. The aim of this paper was to learn how women’s image presented in TV commercials is seen by girls in late adolescence and to establish its effect on their self-esteem and their perception of others. Material and methods. A group of 256 school girls from Wrocław aged 16–18 years was analysed. The methods of diagnostic survey and survey techniques were used. Results. It was found that advertising has a major impact on the image of modern women’s and girls’ perception of themselves and other women. This was reflected in their decisions to change their appearance. Conclusions. The image of a woman created by advertisements affected the girls’ appreciation of their appearance, which, however, did not translate into their global self-esteem.