Letter-to-the-editor: Predictors of Acceptance of Cosmetic Surgery: Instagram Images-Based Activities, Appearance Comparison and Body Dissatisfaction Among Women

Author(s):  
Bishara S. Atiyeh ◽  
Fadl Chahine
Author(s):  
Cristian Di Gesto ◽  
Amanda Nerini ◽  
Giulia Rosa Policardo ◽  
Camilla Matera

Abstract Background This study aimed to test a model in which Instagram images-based activities related to self, friends, and celebrities were associated with acceptance of cosmetic surgery via Instagram appearance comparison and body dissatisfaction. We predicted that Instagram use for images-related activities involving celebrities and self (but not friends) was associated with acceptance of cosmetic surgery both directly and indirectly. Methods The study participants were 305 Italian women (mean age, 23 years). They completed a questionnaire containing the Instagram Image Activity Scale, the Instagram Appearance Comparison Scale, the Body Shape Questionnaire-14, the Acceptance of Cosmetic Surgery Scale. A path analysis was performed in which the Instagram images-based activities were posited as predictors of the Instagram appearance comparison, body dissatisfaction and acceptance of cosmetic surgery, respectively. Results We found that only image-based activities related to celebrities and self were significantly related to acceptance of cosmetic surgery, whereas friends’ Instagram-related activities were not significantly related to this criterion variable. Moreover, the indirect effect of both Instagram self- and celebrities-images activities on acceptance of cosmetic surgery through Instagram appearance comparison and body dissatisfaction was significant. Friends’ Instagram images-related activities were not associated with acceptance of cosmetic surgery. Conclusions Overall, these findings provide information about the role that activities carried out on Instagram, appearance comparison and body dissatisfaction, play on the acceptance of surgery for aesthetic reasons among women. The study highlighted the importance for surgeons to consider some psychological aspects and the influence of sociocultural factors on the interest for cosmetic surgery. Level of Evidence IV This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors www.springer.com/00266.


2021 ◽  
pp. 135910532098831
Author(s):  
Zoe Brown ◽  
Marika Tiggemann

Celebrities are well-known individuals who receive extensive public and media attention. There is an increasing body of research on the effect of celebrities on body dissatisfaction and disordered eating. Yet, there has been no synthesis of the research findings. A systematic search for research articles on celebrities and body image or eating disorders resulted in 36 studies meeting inclusion criteria. Overall, the qualitative, correlational, big data, and experimental methodologies used in these studies demonstrated that exposure to celebrity images, appearance comparison, and celebrity worship are associated with maladaptive consequences for individuals’ body image.


Body Image ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 28 ◽  
pp. 101-109 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthew Fuller-Tyszkiewicz ◽  
Julie Chhouk ◽  
Lorie-Ann McCann ◽  
Geovanny Urbina ◽  
Hao Vuo ◽  
...  

2019 ◽  
Vol 10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amanda Nerini ◽  
Camilla Matera ◽  
Cristian Di Gesto ◽  
Giulia Rosa Policardo ◽  
Cristina Stefanile

2021 ◽  
Vol 38 (4) ◽  
pp. 702-710
Author(s):  
Alexandra M. Rodriguez ◽  
Alison Ede ◽  
Leilani Madrigal ◽  
Tiffanye Vargas ◽  
Christy Greenleaf

This study aimed to assess the internalization of sociocultural attitudes and appearance comparison among U.S. athletes with physical disabilities. Female (n = 19) and male (n = 25) athletes between the ages of 18 and 73 years completed a quantitative survey along with two exploratory open-ended questions related to body appearance and influencers. Results showed significant correlations between internalization of the thin and low-body-fat ideal and appearance comparison (r = .55, p < .05) and internalization of the muscular ideal and appearance comparison (r = .76, p < .05) among women. For men, results showed a significant association between internalization of the muscular ideal and appearance comparison (r = .52, p < .05). The findings prompt further investigation of whether appearance comparison and internalization influence body dissatisfaction and disordered eating among athletes with physical disabilities.


2020 ◽  
pp. 009365022095223
Author(s):  
Karikarn Chansiri ◽  
Thipkanok Wongphothiphan ◽  
Autumn Shafer

Applying the sociocultural theory and the objectification theory, this experiment examined the indirect effects of inspirational Instagram images (i.e., fitspiration and thinspiration) on young women’s sexual attitudes. A post-test only between-subjects design with three experimental conditions (i.e., fitspiration, thinspiration, and control images) was conducted with female college students ( N = 221). The results supported the sociocultural theory, revealing that viewing inspirational Instagram images led to higher appearance comparison and greater body dissatisfaction, respectively, which, in turn, predicted lower sexual self-efficacy and greater sexual self-consciousness. Testing a new theoretical model combining the sociocultural theory components and self-objectification reported a significant causal mediating chain of appearance comparison, self-objectification, and body dissatisfaction, respectively, in the relationship between viewing inspirational Instagram images and sexual attitudes (i.e., lower sexual self-efficacy and greater sexual self-consciousness). The indirect effect sizes of fitspiration were larger than those of thinspiration. Implications and limitations are discussed.


Author(s):  
Giulia Fioravanti ◽  
Sara Bocci Benucci ◽  
Giulia Ceragioli ◽  
Silvia Casale

AbstractSharing and viewing photos on social networking sites (SNSs) have been identified as particularly problematic for body image. Although correlational research to date has established that SNS use is associated with increased body dissatisfaction, only experimental studies can enhance confidence in the conclusions drawn. For this reason, this systematic review synthesizes data from 43 experimental studies (N = 8637; %F = 89.56; mean age = 21.58 ± 1.78) examining the effect of viewing idealized images (i.e., attractive, thin, and fit) and body positive content on SNSs on body image. Two studies were conducted on adolescents. Each study had slight variations in how the images were presented for each category (e.g., selfies and photos taken by others). The wide variability in experimental stimuli and psychological moderators used in the published research make a systematic review more feasible and meaningful than a meta-analysis. Findings indicate that viewing idealized images on SNSs lead to increased body dissatisfaction among young women and men. State appearance comparison (i.e., engaging in social comparison while viewing images) significantly mediated the effect, whereas trait appearance comparison (i.e., the relatively stable general tendency to engage in social comparison) was a significant moderator. Mixed results were found regarding the exposure to body positive images/captions. Viewing images on SNSs depicting unattainable beauty ideals leads young people to feel dissatisfied about their bodies, with appearance comparison processing playing an important role. More research is required to assess the long-term effects.


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