#Filter or #NoFilter? - State effects of beauty filter exposure on body dissatisfaction and associated cognitive-affective factors

Augmented reality beauty filters (ARB) have gained popularity on social media platforms, raising questions about their potential to exacerbate appearance concerns. To explore these risks, this experimental study examined multimodal state effects of viewing unmodified, vs. ARB-modified, “self” or “other” images, within a novel free-viewing paradigm and a sample varying in appearance concerns. N = 91 participants identifying as women were randomized to one of four conditions in which they viewed counterbalanced sequences of unmodified, vs. ARB-modified, facial photos of their own, vs. a confederate face. Before and after trials, we assessed state affect, body dissatisfaction, degree of conviction about being unattractive, and self-esteem. We further explored the effect of model-congruent trait predictors (i.e., BDD symptoms and social comparison tendencies) on image exposure response. Results revealed increases in state body dissatisfaction and conviction about being unattractive following exposure to “other” faces modified by the “Teenage Look”, vs. “Bold Glamour”, filter. Trait BDD symptoms and upward appearance comparison did not predict differential responses to ARB. Overall, these findings suggest that youth-promoting ARB might induce maladaptive cognitive-affective responses even after brief exposure. Future research should replicate and expand these findings to inform efforts toward platform regulation, prevention and intervention programs for appearance-related social media use.