Investigation of how body image focused social media posts and comments affect viewers’ thoughts, feelings and responses - A behavioural perspective: A qualitative study

Abstract

Previous research has focused on body image as an important research topic. This could be due to the fact that body image is linked with psychological outcomes such as body satisfaction that could affect one's emotions and quality of life, as well as acting as a protective factor by improving self-esteem, maintaining social connections and affecting lifestyle choices. (Merino et al., 2024). On the other hand, a negative body image can also affect physical well-being through practising unhealthy dietary habits and reduced physical activity (Jiménez-Morcillo et al., 2024). Due to these factors, researchers have utilised both qualitative and quantitative research methods to study the impact of body image on an individual’s wellbeing. However, qualitative research employing visual stimuli to explore the effect on individual body image remains limited, particularly within the context of Aotearoa. To address this research gap, I conducted a study utilising a simulated Instagram frame featuring an artificially generated image accompanied by comments as the stimulus material, presented to young women aged 18 to 28 years at the University of Waikato. A semi-structured interview was conducted with each participant to get an understanding of their perspective on social media and body image. The findings indicated that participants' thoughts, feelings and actions related to their body image were affected more positively by viewing the body post and comments. This study also aims to frame the research outcomes in a behaviour analytic perspective, to provide implications for future body image research in Aotearoa.