Control GroupNCT04253041
Social Media Effects on Lifestyle Satisfaction
A study testing Effects of Instagram Exposure on Lifestyle Satisfaction in people with Control Group and Social Media, run by Arizona State University at 1 site in United States.
Trial summary
From magazines to Miss America, the media has consistently contributed to the spread of sociocultural beauty standards for decades. While initial research on the effects of media on body image primarily focused on magazine and television, recent research has shifted towards exploring the effects of social media due to… Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 to 29 years, women onlyHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Control Group, Social Media
- What is being tested?
- Effects of Instagram Exposure on Lifestyle Satisfaction
- Type of treatment
- Lifestyle or therapy programme
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 98 participants
- Where
- 1 siteUnited States
- Study dates
- 3 Feb 2020to 24 Feb 2020
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- None posted in the registry
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 18 to 29 years
- Women only
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Adult
Who may be able to join
- Female
- Enrolled as part or full-time undergraduate students at Arizona State University
- 18-29 years old
- Access to computer and internet
- Able to read, speak, and understand English
- Willing to be randomized into one of three treatment groups
Who cannot join
- History of a clinical diagnosis or treatment for body dysmorphic disorder, disordered eating, anorexia, bulimia or clinical depression
- Pregnant
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
About this study
Official title: Effects of Exposure to Body Positive and Fitspiration Instagram Content on Undergraduate Women's State Body Satisfaction, State Body Appreciation, and Mood
From magazines to Miss America, the media has consistently contributed to the spread of sociocultural beauty standards for decades. While initial research on the effects of media on body image primarily focused on magazine and television, recent research has shifted towards exploring the effects of social media due to its rapid and constant accessibility. Current research has associated the promulgation of the thin-ideal with bulimia, dieting, supplement use, negative affect, and body dissatisfaction. Literature related to thin-ideal media (thinspiration), decreased body dissatisfaction, and negative mood is robust with a common understanding that thin-ideal media instigates increased appearance comparisons to seemingly unattainable beauty standards. Literature has also suggested that depression and anxiety have increased with the growth of social media and pressure to achieve unattainable beauty. The fit-ideal, often referred to as Fitspiration, was created as an "antidote" to thin-ideal beauty standards. However, research has found that though well intended, fitspiration content continues to promote the thin-ideal and has been associated with similarly detrimental outcomes of body dissatisfaction and negative mood. Over the last decade, body image research has shifted the focus on body disturbance to examining concepts related to positive body image. However, to date there are no known studies examining the impacts of fit-ideal content versus body positive content on women's body appreciation, body satisfaction, and state mood. The purpose of the present study is to experimentally examine the impact of exposure to body positive and fitspiration Instagram content on the body satisfaction, body appreciation, and mood of undergraduate women at Arizona State University. Participants will be 90 female undergraduate students (18-29 years old) currently attending Arizona State University. Participants will be randomly allocated to view either fitspiration, body-positive, or appearance neutral Instagram images. Dependent variables including state body appreciation, state body dissatisfaction, and state mood will be measured using Visual Analogue Scales. Trait thin-ideal internalization and trait social comparison will also be measured as moderators using the Sociocultural Attitudes Towards Appearance Questionnaire-4 and the Physical Appearance Comparison Scale-Revised. We hypothesize that viewing body positive content from Instagram will result in greater state body satisfaction, greater state body appreciation, and greater state positive mood compared to participants exposed to fitspiration and appearance neutral content. We also hypothesize that viewing fitspiration content from Instagram will result in greater state body dissatisfaction, decreased state body appreciation, and greater state negative mood compared to participants exposed to body positive and appearance neutral content. Short answer qualitative interview questions will also be included as an exploratory aim of this study where we intend to fill a gap in the literature regarding the specific aspects of each content topic that elicit the observed quantitative outcomes.
- Conditions
- Control Group, Social Media
- Being tested
- Effects of Instagram Exposure on Lifestyle Satisfaction
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Effects of Instagram Exposure on Lifestyle SatisfactionBehavioural
Participants will complete initial measures of sociodemographic information, the Sociocultural Attitudes Towards Appearance Scale, The Physical Appearance Comparison Scale-Revised, and baseline measures of body appreciation, body satisfaction, and mood using online Visual Analogue Scales via Qualtrics. Female undergraduate students will be randomly assigned to one of three groups. The Fitspiration and Body Positive groups will view a series of 15 Fitspiration or Body Positive images sourced from Instagram while the control group will view 15 interior design images sourced from Instagram. After viewing images, participants will complete posttest measures of body satisfaction, body appreciation, and mood using Visual Analogue scales. Thereafter, participants will be provided with four, brief short answer questions regarding their perspective on the images observed.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Control | Experimental | The control group will be exposed to 15 different appearance-neutral images of interior design, with a manipulation checkpoint between every other image asking participants a basic question (such as what color was most prevalent in the previous image?) regarding characteristics of the last image they were exposed to. Receives: Behavioral: Effects of Instagram Exposure on Lifestyle Satisfaction |
| Fitspiration | Experimental | Participants assigned to the Fitspiration condition (n=30) will be exposed to 15 different fitspiration images, with a manipulation checkpoint between every other image asking participants a basic question (such as what color was the swimsuit of the model in the previous image?) regarding characteristics of the last image they were exposed to. Receives: Behavioral: Effects of Instagram Exposure on Lifestyle Satisfaction |
| Body Positive | Experimental | Participants assigned to the Body Positive condition (n=30) will be exposed to 15 different body positive images, with a manipulation checkpoint between every other image asking participants a basic question (such as what color was the swimsuit of the model in the previous image?) regarding characteristics of the last image they were exposed to. Receives: Behavioral: Effects of Instagram Exposure on Lifestyle Satisfaction |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
State Body Satisfaction
State body satisfaction will be measured using Visual Analogue Scales. Subjects will be asked to indicate their responses by marking a position on the scale between '0' to '100'. The three body satisfaction scales will be: 'At this moment, I am satisfied with my weight,' 'At this moment, I am satisfied with my overall appearance,' and 'At this moment, I am satisfied with my body shape.' A series of statements related to lifestyle satisfaction (i.e. relationship satisfaction, household living satisfaction, fiscal satisfaction) will also be added to this scale to uphold the cover story of this study being the effects of social media on Lifestyle Satisfaction.
Measured: Through study completion (1 day with pretest and posttest measures)
State Body Appreciation
State body appreciation will be measured using three Visual Analogue Scales. These questions were adapted from the Body Appreciation Scale (Avalos, Tylka, \& Wood-Barcalow, 2005) into state measures and were found to have high internal reliability within the previous study (Slater, Varsani, \& Diedrichs, 2017). Subjects will be asked to indicate their responses by marking a position on the scale between '0' to '100'. The three body satisfaction scales will be: 'Right now, despite my flaws, I accept my body for what it is' 'right now, my feelings towards my body are positive for the most part,' and 'right now, my self-worth is independent of my body weight or shape'
Measured: Through study completion (1 day with pretest and posttest measures)
State Mood
Subjective mood will be measured at both pre-intervention and post-intervention in the laboratory using Visual Analogue Scales. These scales will ask participants to indicate how they feel "at this moment" with regards to the following emotions: anxiety, anger, confidence, happiness, and depression
Measured: Through study completion (1 day with pretest and posttest measures)
Secondary outcomes (2)
Trait thin-ideal internalization
Will be measured pre-exposure to the intervention images. The Sociocultural Attitudes Towards Appearance Questionnaire-4 will be included to assess this measure as an effect modifier at baseline.
Measured: Through study completion (1 day with baseline measures only)
Trait Social Coparison
Will be measured pre-exposure to the intervention images. The Physical Appearance Comparison Scale-Revised (PACS-R) will be included to assess this measure as an effect modifier at baseline.
Measured: Through study completion (1 day with baseline measures only)
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted5 Feb 2020
- Study start3 Feb 2020
- Primary completion24 Feb 2020
- Study completion24 Feb 2020
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Control GroupStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- More trials run by Arizona State UniversityThe sponsor's other registered studies.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Other
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Single blind
- Who is masked
- Participant
- Enrolment
- 98 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Arizona State University
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Sponsor
- Investigators
- Cheryl Der Ananian, PhD, Principal investigator, Arizona State University
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT04253041
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- Socia Media and Body Image
- Status last verified
- Apr 2020
- First submitted
- 31 Jan 2020
- Last updated
- 1 May 2020
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 1 May 2020. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Effects of Exposure to Body Positive and Fitspiration Instagram Content on Undergraduate Women's State Body Satisfaction, State Body Appreciation, and Mood
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT04253041
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- Socia Media and Body Image
- Conditions
- Control Group, Social Media
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 98 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- Arizona State UniversityUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 3 Feb 2020 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 24 Feb 2020 (actual)
- Study completion
- 24 Feb 2020 (actual)
- First posted
- 5 Feb 2020 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
From magazines to Miss America, the media has consistently contributed to the spread of sociocultural beauty standards for decades. While initial research on the effects of media on body image primarily focused on magazine and television, recent research has shifted towards exploring the effects of social media due to its rapid and constant accessibility. Current research has associated the promulgation of the thin-ideal with bulimia, dieting, supplement use, negative affect, and body dissatisfaction. Literature related to thin-ideal media (thinspiration), decreased body dissatisfaction, and negative mood is robust with a common understanding that thin-ideal media instigates increased appearance comparisons to seemingly unattainable beauty standards. Literature has also suggested that depression and anxiety have increased with the growth of social media and pressure to achieve unattainable beauty. The fit-ideal, often referred to as Fitspiration, was created as an "antidote" to thin-ideal beauty standards. However, research has found that though well intended, fitspiration content continues to promote the thin-ideal and has been associated with similarly detrimental outcomes of body dissatisfaction and negative mood. Over the last decade, body image research has shifted the focus on body disturbance to examining concepts related to positive body image. However, to date there are no known studies examining the impacts of fit-ideal content versus body positive content on women's body appreciation, body satisfaction, and state mood. The purpose of the present study is to experimentally examine the impact of exposure to body positive and fitspiration Instagram content on the body satisfaction, body appreciation, and mood of undergraduate women at Arizona State University. Participants will be 90 female undergraduate students (18-29 years old) currently attending Arizona State University. Participants will be randomly allocated to view either fitspiration, body-positive, or appearance neutral Instagram images. Dependent variables including state body appreciation, state body dissatisfaction, and state mood will be measured using Visual Analogue Scales. Trait thin-ideal internalization and trait social comparison will also be measured as moderators using the Sociocultural Attitudes Towards Appearance Questionnaire-4 and the Physical Appearance Comparison Scale-Revised. We hypothesize that viewing body positive content from Instagram will result in greater state body satisfaction, greater state body appreciation, and greater state positive mood compared to participants exposed to fitspiration and appearance neutral content. We also hypothesize that viewing fitspiration content from Instagram will result in greater state body dissatisfaction, decreased state body appreciation, and greater state negative mood compared to participants exposed to body positive and appearance neutral content. Short answer qualitative interview questions will also be included as an exploratory aim of this study where we intend to fill a gap in the literature regarding the specific aspects of each content topic that elicit the observed quantitative outcomes.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Other
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Single blind (participant)
- Number of arms
- 3
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Control | Experimental | Behavioral: Effects of Instagram Exposure on Lifestyle SatisfactionThe control group will be exposed to 15 different appearance-neutral images of interior design, with a manipulation checkpoint between every other image asking participants a basic question (such as what color was most prevalent in the previous image?) regarding characteristics of the last image they were exposed to. |
| Fitspiration | Experimental | Behavioral: Effects of Instagram Exposure on Lifestyle SatisfactionParticipants assigned to the Fitspiration condition (n=30) will be exposed to 15 different fitspiration images, with a manipulation checkpoint between every other image asking participants a basic question (such as what color was the swimsuit of the model in the previous image?) regarding characteristics of the last image they were exposed to. |
| Body Positive | Experimental | Behavioral: Effects of Instagram Exposure on Lifestyle SatisfactionParticipants assigned to the Body Positive condition (n=30) will be exposed to 15 different body positive images, with a manipulation checkpoint between every other image asking participants a basic question (such as what color was the swimsuit of the model in the previous image?) regarding characteristics of the last image they were exposed to. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 to 29 years
- Sex
- Female only
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Adult
Key inclusion criteria (6 listed)
- Female
- Enrolled as part or full-time undergraduate students at Arizona State University
- 18-29 years old
- Access to computer and internet
- Able to read, speak, and understand English
Key exclusion criteria (2 listed)
- History of a clinical diagnosis or treatment for body dysmorphic disorder, disordered eating, anorexia, bulimia or clinical depression
- Pregnant
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| Effects of Instagram Exposure on Lifestyle SatisfactionParticipants will complete initial measures of sociodemographic information, the Sociocultural Attitudes Towards Appearance Scale, The Physical Appearance Comparison Scale-Revised, and baseline measures of body appreciation, body satisfaction, and mood using online Visual Analogue Scales via Qualtrics. Female undergraduate students will be randomly assigned to one of three groups. The Fitspiration and Body Positive groups will view a series of 15 Fitspiration or Body Positive images sourced from Instagram while the control group will view 15 interior design images sourced from Instagram. After viewing images, participants will complete posttest measures of body satisfaction, body appreciation, and mood using Visual Analogue scales. Thereafter, participants will be provided with four, brief short answer questions regarding their perspective on the images observed. | Behavioural | Body Positive, Control, Fitspiration |
Primary outcome
State Body Satisfaction
Time frame: Through study completion (1 day with pretest and posttest measures)
State body satisfaction will be measured using Visual Analogue Scales. Subjects will be asked to indicate their responses by marking a position on the scale between '0' to '100'. The three body satisfaction scales will be: 'At this moment, I am satisfied with my weight,' 'At this moment, I am satisfied with my overall appearance,' and 'At this moment, I am satisfied with my body shape.' A series of statements related to lifestyle satisfaction (i.e. relationship satisfaction, household living satisfaction, fiscal satisfaction) will also be added to this scale to uphold the cover story of this study being the effects of social media on Lifestyle Satisfaction.
State Body Appreciation
Time frame: Through study completion (1 day with pretest and posttest measures)
State body appreciation will be measured using three Visual Analogue Scales. These questions were adapted from the Body Appreciation Scale (Avalos, Tylka, \& Wood-Barcalow, 2005) into state measures and were found to have high internal reliability within the previous study (Slater, Varsani, \& Diedrichs, 2017). Subjects will be asked to indicate their responses by marking a position on the scale between '0' to '100'. The three body satisfaction scales will be: 'Right now, despite my flaws, I accept my body for what it is' 'right now, my feelings towards my body are positive for the most part,' and 'right now, my self-worth is independent of my body weight or shape'
State Mood
Time frame: Through study completion (1 day with pretest and posttest measures)
Subjective mood will be measured at both pre-intervention and post-intervention in the laboratory using Visual Analogue Scales. These scales will ask participants to indicate how they feel "at this moment" with regards to the following emotions: anxiety, anger, confidence, happiness, and depression
2 secondary outcomes
Trait thin-ideal internalization
Time frame: Through study completion (1 day with baseline measures only)
Trait Social Coparison
Time frame: Through study completion (1 day with baseline measures only)
Results and safety
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 1 May 2020.
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
Cheryl Der Ananian, PhD principal investigator
Arizona State University
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Effects of Instagram Exposure on Lifestyle Satisfaction in people with Control Group and Social Media, run by Arizona State University at 1 site in United States.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 6 inclusion and 2 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 1 May 2020. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in United States. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
State Body Satisfaction (time frame: Through study completion (1 day with pretest and posttest measures)). The study lists 3 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 1 May 2020.