Numerous experiments that have exposed women to images of attractive models and then measured their self-esteem, perceptions of their own attractiveness, and mood have found significant negative effects. Which of the following factors is most likely to cause these effects?

A) the effect of the male gaze
B) the social comparison process
C) the embodiment of beauty
D) All of these answers are correct.

The social comparison process involves comparing oneself to others and can lead to a decrease in self-esteem and perceived attractiveness when exposed to images of attractive models. The "male gaze" refers to the idea that media imagery is created with the male viewer in mind, but it does not necessarily account for the decrease in self-esteem and perceived attractiveness. The embodiment of beauty refers to the idea that beauty standards are internalized and incorporated into one's own self-concept, but it also does not fully account for the negative effects observed in these experiments. Therefore, B is the most likely factor to cause the negative effects observed in these experiments.