Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 24, 2026

A Modified Mirror Test as a Visual Guide for the Self-awareness Trait in Wild Antarctica Penguins, Pygoscelis adeliae
Published on: July 8, 2025
The effect of self-focused attention and mood on appearance dissatisfaction after mirror-gazing: An experimental
David Veale1, Sarah Miles1, Natasha Valiallah2
1The Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London and the South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, 16 De Crespigny Park, London, SE5 8AF, UK.
Background And Objectives:
Self-focused attention is hypothesized to be a maintenance factor in body dysmorphic disorder (BDD). The aim of this study was to use an experimental paradigm to test this hypothesis by studying the effect of self-focused attention during mirror-gazing on appearance dissatisfaction.
Methods:
An experimental group design was used, in which 173 women were randomly allocated to one of three conditions before mirror-gazing for 2 min: (a) external focus of attention, (b) self-focus of attention, and (c) self-focus of attention with a negative mood induction.
Results:
After mirror-gazing, participants across all groups rated themselves as being more dissatisfied with their appearance. In both the self-focus conditions, there was an increase in sadness from pre to post mirror gazing, and there was a significant difference in focus of attention for participants in the self-focused, mood-induced group from pre to post manipulation, suggesting mood induction had more of an effect than focus of attention.
Limitations:
(1) there was no condition involving an external focus with a negative mood induction, and (2) due to the level of information provided to patients on the nature of the task, we cannot rule out demand characteristics as an influencing factor on our results.
Conclusions:
Self-focused attention during mirror-gazing may act indirectly to increase appearance dissatisfaction via the effect of negative mood. Further studies are required to establish the relative contribution of self-focused attention and negative mood to increases in appearance dissatisfaction as a function of mirror-gazing.
Related Concept Videos
The Looking Glass Self
Self-Evaluation: Self-Enhancement and Self-Verification
Self-Evaluation Maintenance Model
Sources of Self-Esteem III: Social Comparison
Strategies of Self-Presentation II: Self-Verification
Self-Discrepancy Theory

