Mind Over Media: The Effects of Self-Construal Priming on Body Satisfaction

Abstract

The present study examined the effect of priming individuals to have either an independent or interdependent self-construal on body satisfaction after exposure to thin-ideal media. 477 female-identifying participants were recruited online and randomly assigned to be primed with either an independent or interdependent self-construal. For both groups, participants’ initial body satisfaction was measured, after which they were primed according to the condition they had been assigned. Then, participants were exposed to thin-ideal media sourced from public Instagram profiles. Finally their body satisfaction was measured once again. Results showed that body satisfaction for all participants decreased after the thin-ideal media exposure. The body satisfaction of individuals primed with an interdependent self-construal decreased more than those primed with an independent self-construal, although this difference did not reach statistical significance. We concluded that exposure to thin-ideal media leads to a decrease in body satisfaction for young women; however, further research is needed to more rigorously explore the mechanisms that underlie the relationship between culture, self-construal and body image.