Attractive celebrity and peer images on Instagram: Effect on women's mood and body image. (December 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Brown, Zoe; Tiggemann, Marika
• Is Part Of: Body image. Volume 19(2016)
• Page Start: 37
• Page End: 43
• Publication Date: 2016-12
• Subjects: Body image -- Celebrity -- Peer -- Instagram -- Media -- Social comparison; Body image -- Periodicals; Body image -- Research -- Periodicals; Body Image -- Periodicals; 306.4613
• DOI: 10.1016/j.bodyim.2016.08.007
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1740-1445

Abstract

Highlights: Attractive celebrity and peer images have a negative effect on mood and body image. No difference found between celebrity and peer images. The effect of celebrity and peer images is mediated by social comparison. Celebrity worship moderates the effect of celebrity images on body dissatisfaction. Abstract: A large body of research has documented that exposure to images of thin fashion models contributes to women's body dissatisfaction. The present study aimed to experimentally investigate the impact of attractive celebrity and peer images on women's body image. Participants were 138 female undergraduate students who were randomly assigned to view either a set of celebrity images, a set of equally attractive unknown peer images, or a control set of travel images. All images were sourced from public Instagram profiles. Results showed that exposure to celebrity and peer images increased negative mood and body dissatisfaction relative to travel images, with no significant difference between celebrity and peer images. This effect was mediated by state appearance comparison. In addition, celebrity worship moderated an increased effect of celebrity images on body dissatisfaction. It was concluded that exposure to attractive celebrity and peer images can be detrimental to women's body image.