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August 13, 2026Cognitive Therapy and ResearchOpen Access

The Role of Social Comparison in Appearance-Related Psychopathology: Preregistered Analyses from a Randomized Controlled Trial of a Smartphone Intervention

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Authors

TPTapan A. PatelJCJesse R. Cougle

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Overview

Randomized trial examines the impact of social comparison on clinical outcomes in women, suggesting it maintains appearance-related concerns.

Key Points

  • This research aims to explore how social comparisons impact treatment effects on appearance-related concerns and psychopathology.
  • Participants with elevated appearance concerns (N=203) were randomized to one of two interventions.
  • Interventions focused on reducing appearance-related safety behaviors (ARSBs) or general unhealthy behaviors.
  • Clinical outcomes were assessed, focusing on symptom changes related to appearance concerns and social anxiety.
  • Targeting ARSBs resulted in significantly lower social comparisons compared to control, with a mediated effect on appearance concerns (p<0.01).
  • Changes in social comparisons predicted improvements in eating disorder symptoms and social anxiety, regardless of the intervention (p<0.05).
  • Overall, the findings highlight the importance of social comparisons in maintaining appearance-related psychopathology.

Cite This Study

Patel et al. (2026) studied this question.

synapsesocial.com/papers/6a7d76e62b0e0cff3f640af1https://doi.org/10.1007/s10608-026-10779-2
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