Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 19, 2025
07:40
Validation of a Psychosocial Intervention on Body Image in Older People: An Experimental Design
Published on: May 31, 2021
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Mirror exposure following visual body-size adaptation does not affect own body image
Thomas Chazelle1, Michel Guerraz1, Richard Palluel-Germain1
1Univ. Grenoble Alpes, Univ. Savoie Mont Blanc, CNRS, LPNC, 38000 Grenoble, France.
Royal Society Open Science
|August 18, 2023
Summary
Media exposure to body shapes can alter perception. This study found that visual adaptation to body size affects perception of external stimuli, not self-perception, challenging the internalization hypothesis.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Perception Science
- Body Image Research
Background:
- Visual adaptation to body size influences perception.
- Media exposure to specific body types may lead to body shape misperception.
- The internalization hypothesis suggests media-induced adaptation affects self-perception.
Purpose of the Study:
- To test the internalization hypothesis regarding body shape misperception.
- To investigate if mirror exposure after adaptation influences self-perception of body size.
- To examine the effects of body size adaptation on perceptual judgments.
Main Methods:
- 196 young women participated in a preregistered study.
- Exposure to an obese body adaptor followed by mirror reflection or a control condition.
- A psychophysical task measured perceptual judgments of own body size.
Main Results:
- Moderate evidence against self-specific effects of mirror exposure on perceptual judgments.
- Body size adaptation influenced perception of external stimuli, not self-perception.
- No significant effect found on participants' own body image.
Conclusions:
- Body size adaptation primarily affects the perception of external stimuli.
- The internalization hypothesis linking media exposure to self-perception distortions was not supported.
- Further research is needed to understand media-related distortions in perceptual body image.
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