The dark side of Instagram: Predictor model of dysmorphic concerns
Open accessAbstract
Dysmorphic concern are excessive preoccupation about one or several physical characteristics perceived as defects, usually unnoticeable by others. This study was intended to explore the relationship between Instagram use and dysmorphic concerns through appearance-related comparisons, ideas of reference and problems with emotion regulation, and find out whether this relationship is moderated by gender. Method: The sample was comprised of 796 participants (Mage = 22.49; SD = 3.56; 54% women). Results: The results showed a non-significant direct effect between Instagram use and dysmorphic concerns. However, the relationship between these variables was statistically significant through appearance-related comparisons, ideas of reference about “laughing, commenting” and difficulties in emotion regulation. Gender did not moderate any relationship. Conclusions: Men and women who made the most use of Instagram were equally vulnerable to dysmorphic concerns when they tended to compare their appearance with other users, had problems regulating their emotions, and showed interpretative biases related to the belief that others could make comments about them or laugh at them because of their imperfections. The implications of the study are discussed. Las preocupaciones dismórficas hacen referencia a una preocupación excesiva por una o varias características físicas percibidas como defectos que normalmente no son observables por otras personas. El presente trabajo pretende explorar la relación entre el uso de Instagram y las preocupaciones dismórficas a través de la comparación de la apariencia, las ideas de referencia y las dificultades en la regulación emocional, así como analizar si esta relación está moderada por el género. Método: Participaron 796 sujetos (Medad = 22,49; DT = 3,56; 54% mujeres). Resultados: Los resultados mostraron un efecto directo no significativo entre el uso de Instagram y las preocupaciones dismórficas. La relación entre estas variables fue estadísticamente significativa a través de la comparación de la apariencia, ideas de referencia sobre “risas y comentarios” y las dificultades en la regulación emocional. El género no moderó ninguna relación. Conclusiones: Hombres y mujeres que hacen un mayor uso de Instagram son igualmente vulnerables a manifestar preocupaciones dismórficas, cuando tienden a comparar su apariencia con otros usuarios, tienen dificultades para regular sus emociones, y muestran sesgos interpretativos relacionados con la creencia de que otros podrían hacer comentarios o burlarse de uno mismo por sus imperfecciones. Se discuten las implicaciones de este trabajo.
The claims and statistics of this paper haven’t been checked yet.
Run the check — free, no account needed. It reads the open-access text and checks the sources it cites.
Integrity signals
Registry
Cites
Statistics
Claims the paper makes
The claims and statistics of this paper haven’t been checked yet.
Run the check — free, no account needed. It reads the open-access text and checks the sources it cites.
Claims other papers make about this one
Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?
Spanyolországban diákokból és az általános populációból származó mintán a diszmorfiás aggodalmak súlyosabbak voltak azoknál, akiknek nehézségei voltak az érzelemszabályozás terén.
“A diszmor fi ás aggodalmak súlyosabbak voltak azoknál, akiknek nehézségei voltak az érzelemszabályozás terén, és ebben nem volt különbség a nemek között.”
From A testdiszmorfiás zavar pszichológiai vonatkozásai (2023) · cites this paper as Senín-Calderón, Perona-Garcelán és Rodríguez-Testal, 2020
A diszmorfiás aggodalmak és az érzelemszabályozási nehézségek közötti összefüggésben nem volt különbség a nemek között.
“A diszmor fi ás aggodalmak súlyosabbak voltak azoknál, akiknek nehézségei voltak az érzelemszabályozás terén, és ebben nem volt különbség a nemek között.”
From A testdiszmorfiás zavar pszichológiai vonatkozásai (2023) · cites this paper as Senín-Calderón, Perona-Garcelán és Rodríguez-Testal, 2020
Self-check
Percentages, sums and reported differences re-computed from the paper’s own numbers.
The self-check needs the paper’s full text.
Cites
Holland, G., & Tiggemann, M. (2016) · Body Image · doi:10.1016/j.bodyim.2016.02.008 · Cited by 1,395 · see citing works
Fardouly, J., Diedrichs, P. C., Vartanian, L. R., & Halliwell, E. (2015) · Body Image · doi:10.1016/j.bodyim.2014.12.002 · Cited by 1,009 · see citing works
Directrices para la traducción y adaptación de los tests: segunda edición
Muñiz, J., Elosua, P., & Hambleton, R. (2013) · Psicothema · doi:10.7334/psicothema2013.24 · Cited by 921 · see citing works
Social Media and Body Image Concerns: Current Research and Future Directions
Fardouly, J., & Vartanian, L. R. (2016) · Current Opinion in Psychology · doi:10.1016/j.copsyc.2015.09.005 · Cited by 801 · see citing works
Fardouly, J., & Vartanian, L. R. (2015) · Body Image · doi:10.1016/j.bodyim.2014.10.004 · Cited by 522 · see citing works
Cohen, R., Newton-John, T., & Slater, A. (2017) · Body Image · doi:10.1016/j.bodyim.2017.10.002 · Cited by 448 · see citing works
Fardouly, J., Willburger, B. K., & Vartanian, L. R. (2018) · New Media & Society · doi:10.1177/1461444817694499 · Cited by 421 · see citing works
Svaldi, J., Griepenstroh, J., Tuschen-Caffier, B., & Ehring, T. (2012) · Psychiatry Research · doi:10.1016/j.psychres.2011.11.009 · Cited by 408 · see citing works
Hormes, J. M., Kearns, B., & Timko, C. A. (2014) · Addiction · doi:10.1111/add.12713 · Cited by 398 · see citing works
de Vries, D. A., Peter, J., de Graaf, H., & Nikken, P. (2016) · Journal of Youth and Adolescence · doi:10.1007/s10964-015-0266-4 · Cited by 320 · see citing works
Manago, A. M., Ward, L. M., Lemm, K. M., Reed, L., & Seabrook, R. (2015) · Sex Roles · doi:10.1007/s11199-014-0441-1 · Cited by 269 · see citing works
Ryding, F. C., & Kuss, D. J. (2020) · Psychology of Popular Media · doi:10.1037/ppm0000264 · Cited by 162 · see citing works
Mohajerin, B., Bakhtiyar, M., Olesnycky, O. S., Dolatshahi, B., & Motabi, F. (2019) · Journal of Affective Disorders · doi:10.1016/j.jad.2018.11.058 · Cited by 45 · cited 2× · see citing works
“This argument is supported by the positive results ound by Mohajerin et al. (2019) with the application of he transdiagnostic protocol for emotional disorders in BDD atients based on promoting emotion regulation strategies nd decreasing negative affect. With this treatment, they ound significant improvement in emotion…”
Result
Flagged first, then by citations
Research works printed but not linked: 30
- Anderson L.M. Reilly E.E. Gorrell S. Schaumberg K. Anderson D.A. Gender-based differential item function for the difficulties in emotion regulation scale Personality and Individual Differences 92 2016 87 91 10.1016/j.paid.2015.12.016 · DOI
- Bjornsson A.A.S. Didie E.E.R. Grant J.E.J. Menard W. Stalker E. Phillips K.A. Age at onset and clinical correlates in body dysmorphic disorder Comprehensive Psychiatry 54 2013 893 903 10.1016/j.comppsych.2013.03.019 23643073 PMC3779493 · DOI · Paper page
- Buhlmann U. Wacker R. Dziobek I. Inferring other people’s states of mind: Comparison across social anxiety, body dysmorphic, and obsessive–compulsive disorders Journal of Anxiety Disorders 34 2015 107 113 10.1016/j.janxdis.2015.06.003 26218178 · DOI · Paper page
- Callaghan G.M. Duenas J.A. Nadeau S.E. Darrow S.M. Van der Merwe J. Misko J. An empirical model of body image disturbance using behavioral principles found in Functional Analytic Psychotherapy and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy International Journal of Behavioral Consultation and Therapy 7 2012 16 24 10.1037/h0100932 23997716 PMC3755378 · DOI
- Cohen R. Fardouly J. Newton-John T. Slater A. #BoPo on Instagram: An experimental investigation of the effects of viewing body positive content on young women’s mood and body image New Media & Society 21 2019 1546 1564 10.1177/1461444819826530 · DOI · Paper page
- Fardouly J. Pinkus R.T. Vartanian L.R. The impact of appearance comparisons made through social media, traditional media, and in person in women’s everyday lives Body Image 20 2017 31 39 10.1016/j.bodyim.2016.11.002 27907812 · DOI
- Feltman C.E. Szymanski D.M. Instagram Use and Self-Objectification: The Roles of Internalization, Comparison, Appearance Commentary, and Feminism Sex Roles 78 2018 311 324 10.1007/s11199-017-0796-1 · DOI
- Festinger L. A Theory of Social Comparison Processes Human Relations 7 1954 117 140 10.1177/001872675400700202 · DOI · Paper page
- Gratz K.L. Roemer L. Multidimensional Assessment of Emotion Regulation and Dysregulation: Development, Factor Structure, and Initial Validation of the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale Journal of Psychopathology and Behavioral Assessment 26 2004 41 54 10.1023/B:JOBA.0000007455.08539.94 · DOI · Paper page
- Hayes A.F. Introduction to mediation, moderation, and conditional process analysis: A Regression-Based Approach 2013 The Guilford Press New York, NY
- Hendrickse J. Arpan L.M. Clayton R.B. Ridgway J.L. Instagram and college women’s body image: Investigating the roles of appearance-related comparisons and intrasexual competition Computers in Human Behavior 74 2017 92 100 10.1016/j.chb.2017.04.027 · DOI
- Kim J.W. Chock T.M. Body image 2.0: Associations between social grooming on Facebook and body image concerns Computers in Human Behavior 48 2015 331 339 10.1016/j.chb.2015.01.009 · DOI · Paper page
- Lavell C.H. Webb H.J. Zimmer-Gembeck M.J. Farrell L.J. A prospective study of adolescents’ body dysmorphic symptoms: Peer victimization and the direct and protective roles of emotion regulation and mindfulness Body Image 24 2018 17 25 10.1016/j.bodyim.2017.11.006 29247735 · DOI
- Lenzenweger M.F. Bennett M.E. Lilenfeld L.R. The referential thinking scale as a measure of schizotypy: Scale development and initial construct validation Psychological Assessment 9 1997 452 463 10.1037/1040-3590.9.4.452 · DOI
- Marino C. Caselli G. Lenzi M. Monaci M.G. Vieno A. Nikčević A.V. Spada M.M. Emotion Regulation and Desire Thinking as Predictors of Problematic Facebook Use Psychiatric Quarterly 90 2019 405 411 10.1007/s11126-019-09628-1 30710196 · DOI
- McLean S.A. Paxton S.J. Wertheim E.H. Mediators of the relationship between media literacy and body dissatisfaction in early adolescent girls: Implications for prevention Body Image 10 2013 282 289 10.1016/j.bodyim.2013.01.009 23465878 · DOI
- Neziroglu F. Khemlani-Patel S. Veale D. Social learning theory and cognitive behavioral models of body dysmorphic disorder Body Image 5 2008 28 38 10.1016/j.bodyim.2008.01.002 18337196 · DOI
- Oosthuizen P. Lambert T. Castle D.J. Dysmorphic concern: Prevalence and associations with clinical variables Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry 32 1998 129 132 10.1046/j.1440-1614.1998.00377.x 9565194 · DOI
- Pascual-Vera B. Akin B. Belloch A. Bottesi G. Clark D.A. Doron G. Fernández-Alvarez H. Ghisi M. Gómez B. Inozu M. Jiménez-Ros A. Moulding R. Ruiz M.A. Shams G. Sica C. The cross-cultural expression and transdiagnostic nature of unwanted mental intrusions International Journal of Clinical and Health Psychology 19 2019 85 96 10.1016/j.ijchp.2019.02.005 31193125 PMC6517647 · DOI
- Pascual-Vera B. Belloch A. Functional links of obsessive, dysmorphic, hypochondriac, and eating-disorders related mental intrusions International Journal of Clinical and Health Psychology 18 2018 43 51 10.1016/j.ijchp.2017.09.001 30487909 PMC6220904 · DOI
- Peñas-Lledó E. Vaz Leal F.J. Waller G. Excessive exercise in anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa: Relation to eating characteristics and general psychopathology: Excessive Exercise International Journal of Eating Disorders 31 2002 370 375 10.1002/eat.10042 11948642 · DOI
- Phillips K.A. Psychosis in body dysmorphic disorder Journal of Psychiatric Research 38 2004 63 72 10.1016/S0022-3956(03)00098-0 14690771 · DOI
- Rodríguez-Testal J.F. Bendala-Rodríguez P. Perona-Garcelán S. Senín-Calderón C. Examining the structure of ideas of reference in clinical and community samples Comprehensive Psychiatry 93 2019 48 55 10.1016/j.comppsych.2019.06.006 31340191 · DOI
- Schaefer L.M. Thompson J.K. The development and validation of the Physical Appearance Comparison Scale-Revised (PACS-R) Eating Behaviors 15 2014 209 217 10.1016/j.eatbeh.2014.01.001 24854806 · DOI
- Senín-Calderón C. Gálvez-González J. Perona-Garcelán S. Camacho C. Rodríguez-Testal J.F. Dysmorphic concern and behavioural impairment related to body image in adolescents International Journal of Psychology 2019 10.1002/ijop.12646 Advance online publication 31875990 · DOI
- Senín-Calderón C Rodríguez-Testal J.F. Adaptation and validation of the Spanish version of the Instagram Use Scale Manuscript in preparation 2020 PMC7600572 33050675
- Senín-Calderón C. Rodríguez-Testal J.F. Perona-Garcelán S. Perpiñá C. Body image and adolescence: A behavioral impairment model Psychiatry Research 248 2017 121 126 10.1016/j.psychres.2016.12.003 28039804 · DOI
- Senín-Calderón C. Valdés-Díaz M. Benítez-Hernández M.M. Núñez-Gaitán M.C. Perona-Garcelán S. Martínez-Cervantes R. Rodríguez-Testal J.F. Validation of Spanish language evaluation instruments for body dysmorphic disorder and the dysmorphic concern construct Frontiers in Psychology 8 2017 10.3389/fpsyg.2017.01107 PMC5492913 28713311 · DOI
- Vartanian L.R. Dey S. Self-concept clarity, thin-ideal internalization, and appearance-related social comparison as predictors of body dissatisfaction Body Image 10 2013 495 500 10.1016/j.bodyim.2013.05.004 23809858 · DOI
- Wilson A.C. Wilhelm S. Hartmann A.S. Experiential avoidance in body dysmorphic disorder Body Image 11 2014 380 383 10.1016/j.bodyim.2014.06.006 25010929 · DOI
Cited by
Sorted by citations
A testdiszmorfiás zavar pszichológiai vonatkozásai
Szászi, B., & Szabó, P. (2023) · Magyar Pszichologiai Szemle · doi:10.1556/0016.2023.00042 · Cited by 1 · see citing works
- Authors
- Senín-Calderón, C., Perona-Garcelán, S., & Rodríguez-Testal, J. F.
- Venue
- International Journal of Clinical and Health Psychology
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2020-09
- Volume
- 20
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 253-261
- ISSN
- 1697-2600 (ISSN-L)
- PMC
- PMC7501442
- OpenAlex
- W3080782209
- Cited by
- 31
- References
- 13
- Citations by year
- 2026: 5 · 2025: 5 · 2024: 6 · 2023: 5 · 2022: 4 · 2021: 4 · 2020: 1 · 2017: 1
- FWCI
- 1.40
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- gold
- doi.org
- Licence
- Locations
- International Journal of Clinical and Health Psychology (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- RISalud Institutional Health Repository of Andalucía (submittedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
- LA Referencia (Red Federada de Repositorios Institucionales de Publicaciones Científicas) (submittedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
- Deposito de Investigacion Universidad de Sevilla (University of Seville) (submittedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
- RODIN (Universidad de Cádiz) (submittedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Body Image and Dysmorphia Studies
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Impact of Technology on Adolescents
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Eating Disorders and Behaviors
- Keywords
- dysmorphic concern, Instagram use, ideas of reference, emotion regulation, gender differences, social media, body image, interpretation bias, adolescents and young adults, prediction model, self-compassion, self-kindness, self-acceptance, mindfulness, self-regulation
About these checks
Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.
Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.
Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.
What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›
Are you an author, or do you see a problem with this page? Request a review
