The effect of functionality-focused and appearance-focused images of models of mixed body sizes on women’s state-oriented body appreciation
Abstract
Research demonstrates that exposure to appearance-focused images of models depicting societal standards of beauty negatively affect women's state-oriented body dissatisfaction. The purpose of this research was to extend this experimental research to women's state-oriented body appreciation. The 374 women participants were randomly assigned to view images that were either depicting a model who was representative or not representative of the thin ideal (body size), while this model was in either an appearance-focused pose or a function-oriented pose (pose type). State body appreciation increased significantly after viewing images depicting models who did not conform to societal standards of thinness (p<0.001). Exposure to the control condition images, which were images of natural environments, also produced increases in state body appreciation (p=0.049). These findings provide insight into the construct of state body appreciation and offer implications for future positive body image research.
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Some experimental studies with young women have found that exposure to body-positive images and captions can improve mood, body satisfaction, and body appreciation relative to viewing thin-ideal images or 'fitspiration' captions.
“Some experimental studies with young women have found that exposure to body-positive images and captions can improve mood, body satisfaction, and body appreciation relative to viewing thin-ideal images or 'fitspiration' captions (Cohen et al., 2019; Davies et al., 2020; Williamson & Karazsia, 2018).”
From The Perfect Storm: A Developmental-Sociocultural Framework for the Role of Social Media in Adolescent Girls' Body Image Concerns and Mental Health. (2022) · cites this paper as Williamson & Karazsia, 2018
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- Authors
- Williamson, G., & Karazsia, B. T.
- Affiliations
- College of Wooster (US)
- Corresponding author
- Karazsia, Bryan T.
- ORCID
- Williamson, Gina
- Venue
- Body Image
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2018-03
- Volume
- 24
- Pages
- 95-101
- ISSN
- 1740-1445 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2787894433
- Cited by
- 51
- References
- 46
- Citations by year
- 2026: 7 · 2025: 5 · 2024: 6 · 2023: 10 · 2022: 5 · 2021: 7 · 2020: 6 · 2019: 4 · 2018: 1
- FWCI
- 5.28
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Body Image (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Eating Disorders and Behaviors
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Body Image and Dysmorphia Studies
- Health Sciences › Nursing › Nutrition and Dietetics › Nutrition, Health and Food Behavior
- Keywords
- body dissatisfaction, thin ideal, body size, women, media exposure, positive body image
- MeSH terms
- Adult, Body Image, Female, Humans, Pattern Recognition, Visual, Social Perception, Thinness, Body Size
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