1. Running head: FITSPIRATION, BODY IMAGE, & INSPIRATION 1
The Effects of Fitspiration Images on Body Image Satisfaction and Inspiration in Men and
Women
Delainie A. Fink
Ball State University
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Abstract
A wealth of research has been conducted studying the effects of media images on body image
satisfaction in females, and increasing research for males. However, researchers have failed to
compare males and females reactions. Furthermore, “fitspiration” images have been gaining
popularity on social media and researchers have hypothesized that these “fitness” photos could
be doing just as much damage. The current study explores the effects of fitspiration image
exposure on males and females in regards to body comparison and satisfaction, inspiration,
confidence and encouragement. Participants included 49 individuals, 15 male and 34 female,
separated into groups based on image exposure: fitspiration images versus neutral images.
Results indicated that the fitspiration trend could be causing more harm than intended, especially
for female viewers. Future research should aim to increase their sample size, use reliable
measures, and acquire an equal ratio of male to female participants.
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The Effects of Fitspiration Images on Body Image Satisfaction in Men and Women
A staggering sixty-two percent of the entire American adult population use Facebook. In
addition, 26%, 24%, and 20% of the entire American adult population use Pinterest, Instagram,
and Twitter, respectively (Duggan, 2015). Over the years, we have seen an increase in image
posting, sharing, searching and liking as social media sites like Facebook have become a
platform for companies to advertise their product and services. Images of flawlessly beautiful
men and women are no longer confined to the magazine aisle at the grocery store. We now see
these images every time we “log on” to Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and other sites.
According to Meier and Gray (2014), the amount of time spent engaging in “photo activity” on
Facebook is related to body image concerns. Even more, a new trend has made its way onto the
social media radar that could be doing more harm than good: fitspiration.
Fitspiration images have been popping up on Pinterest, Tumblr, Instagram, and Facebook
in increasing amounts over the past couple of years. These images are often tagged with terms
promoting a healthy lifestyle and the images themselves are constructed to inspire exercise and
healthy lifestyle choices in the viewer’s life (Tiggemann & Zaccardo, 2015). Despite the health
focused motto of these images, there is still the “perfect body type” that individuals are being
encouraged to strive towards. The contradictory message and images of fitspiration have raised
the question: Is fitspiration a healthy alternative to Photo-shopped model advertisements or is it
just as detrimental to one’s body image satisfaction?
There is a limited amount of research examining fitspiration images and their effects on
body image satisfaction; however, the research on media’s negative effects on women’s body
image is nearly unlimited. In addition, more and more research is being generated for male body
image satisfaction in relation to media exposure. For example, a study by Leit, Gray, and Pope
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(2001) found that exposure to muscular male advertisement images induced body image
dissatisfaction in men. Similarly, Agliata and Tantleff-Dunn (2004) found diminished mood and
body satisfaction among male subjects who viewed images of men with the ideal male body (i.e.
lean and muscular). A more specific study examining adolescent supplement use in relation to
media exposure by Field et al. (2005) discovered that males were two times more likely to use
products to enhance appearance when they viewed teen, fashion, or health and fitness magazines.
Thankfully, studies such as these have been shedding light on the issue of male body image
concerns that we have long undermined. Unfortunately, there is still work to be done to examine
the effects of social media usage on male body image satisfaction.
More closely related to the study at hand, Fardouly, Diedrichs, Vartanian, and Halliwell
(2015) studied the effects of Facebook usage versus online magazine website usage on college
female’s body image satisfaction, mood, and appearance comparison. This study found that
Facebook viewing lead to more negative moods and increased desire to change appearance in
terms of facial features, hair, and skin features, but not weight. However, a major limitation of
this study was the limited control of Facebook usage (i.e. some participants read status updates,
some viewed images of others, some reviewed their own profile), therefore, the results could be
unreliable. In addition, each participant’s Facebook feed was different, therefore, one participant
may have been subject to more images than another (Fardouly et. al., 2015). Future research is
needed to control for confounds of uncontrolled social media usage to validate the results found
in this study.
Despite the valid findings of the studies presented, there is a long list of limitations that
undermine them: limiting the sample to college-aged males (Leit et. al., 2001), use of female-
normed measures on a male sample (Agliata & Tantleff-Dunn, 2004), predominantly white male
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and female adolescent sample (Field et. al., 2005), use of print media rather than Internet media
(Field et. al., 2005), and the overall limitation of using all male or all female samples rather than
studying both sexes at the same time. Finally, none of the studies presented thus far have
examined the effects of images with a motivational agenda or healthy lifestyle inspiration, which
are the photos that the new generation is being subject to more and more every day.
The most comparable study to the one at hand is a study by Tiggemann and Zaccardo
(2015) examining the effects of fitspiration images on women’s body image. The results of this
study have found that exposure to fitspiration images leads to greater body dissatisfaction, lower
state appearance self-esteem, negative mood, and a positive effect on motivation to improve their
fitness and eat healthy (Tiggemann & Zaccardo, 2015). Similar to the study at hand, Tiggemann
and Zaccardo (2015) use the Social Comparison Theory as a point of reference for their
hypothesis, measured inspiration, mood, and state appearance comparison, and had a control
group viewing neutral images. According to the Social Comparison Theory, women compare
themselves to “cultural ideals of beauty”—an upward comparison (Tiggemann & Zaccardo, 2015
as cited in Festinger 1954). Although men also make upward comparisons, they do so much less
than women and in less detrimental contexts (Festinger, 1954). However, this study also has
some limitations that the study at hand will acknowledge. For example, Tiggemann and
Zaccardo (2015) only examined women whereas the current study will compare the effects on
men and women. Also, the control group in this study viewed images of travel destination rather
than people (Tiggemann & Zaccardo, 2015). Using non-human neutral images is a limitation
because there is no body comparison occurring in the control group, therefore, no body
satisfaction changes will occur. Without any changes in body satisfaction in the control group, it
is hard to justify fitspiration images being more detrimental or inspiring than everyday photos we
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see on the Internet, in magazines, and on Television. The study at hand will attempt to enhance
the results by fixing the limitations acknowledged by Tiggemann and Zaccardo (2015).
Overall, much research has been done to understand the effects that media images have
on body image satisfaction and although fitspiration is a newer concept, recent research has been
exploring its implications in body image satisfaction. Unfortunately, most research on body
image focuses explicitly on white college-aged males or females. Our study moves forward with
this research by explicitly focusing on fitspiration image effects, including multiple races and a
larger age range, and comparing the effects for men versus women. Specifically, we are asking
the question: how do fitspiration images affect body image satisfaction, inspiration, confidence,
and encouragement in men versus women. For the purposes of the study at hand, inspiration will
be defined as an urge to engage in activities similar to those exhibited in the photos (i.e. exercise
for fitspiration images or work for neutral images). In addition, we define confidence as feeling
of self-worth in regards to appearance, health, and lifestyle and we define encouragement as a
feeling of hope and confidence. Therefore, the objective of the current study is to determine the
effects of social media images claiming to promote fitness (fitspiration) on men compared to
women. Using the Social Comparison Theory as a guide, our hypotheses are as follows:
Hypothesis 1a: Self-rates of body image satisfaction will decrease after viewing
fitspiration images for males and females. Further, females will have lower body
image satisfaction than males.
Hypothesis 1b: Body comparison will be higher for participants exposed to
fitspiration images (experimental group) than participants exposed to neutral
images (control group). Further, females will have higher body comparison scores
than males.
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Hypothesis 2 : Fitspiration image exposure will lead to higher reports of
inspiration among males, compared to females
Hypothesis 3: Fitspiration image exposure will result in lower reports of
encouragement among females, compared to males.
Hypothesis 4: Fitspiration image exposure will lead to higher reports of
confidence among males, compared to females.
Methods
Participants
The respondents of the current study included 72 individuals between 19-29 years old.
Unfortunately, some respondents did not see all of the images and/or questions due to technology
issues and many failed to answer all of the questions. Due to the missing data and problems with
the survey, 23 participants were dropped from the study resulting in a total of 49 participants.
Our participants included 34 (69.4%) females and 15 (30.6%) males, as well as, 48 (98%)
white/Caucasian and 1 (2%) Hispanic participant. The mean age of all participants was 22.08
(SD = 2.52). Furthermore, demographic information on social media use among participants
shows a near normal distribution of hours or use per day with 10 (20.4%) participants at 5 or
more hours, 17 (34.7%) at 3-4 hours, 15 (30.6%) at 1-2 hours and 7 (14.3%) at less than 1 hour,
results demonstrated in Figure 1.
Procedures
Participants of the current study were recruited through Facebook, Twitter, Instagram,
and email via Ball State Communications. A short blurb with the link to our survey was created
by the research team to invite individuals to participate in our questionnaire. The true nature of
the experiment was not explained in the blurb or informed consent to reduce the risk of demand
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characteristics. Participants were told that they would be participating in a study examining the
different perceptions that men and women have about themselves compared to images of other.
Individuals wanting to participate in our study were asked to read a short informed
consent statement indicating that the purpose of the study was to examine differences between
men and women’s perceptions of images of others and themselves, inclusion/exclusion criteria
used (i.e. participants had to be between 18 and 30 years old), procedures and duration of the
questionnaire, as well as confidentiality, data storage, risks and benefits of the study. Contact
information for each member of the research team was given as well as a statement indicating
that participants are free to contact the researchers at any time before, during or after the study.
Prospective participants were then asked to indicate whether they would like to continue on with
the survey or not. If they indicated that they would not like to take the survey, participants were
directed to the debriefing statement at the end of the survey. Fortunately, none of the participant
decided to remove their data from the study after discovering the true nature of the experiment.
Participants of the survey were randomly assigned to either the experimental group or the
control group. Individuals in the experimental group were exposed to 12 fitspiration images and
individuals in the control group were exposed to 12 neutral images of individuals engaging in
everyday/normal activities. After viewing the images, the participants were prompted to answer
three filler question included to conceal the true nature of the study, four demographic questions,
and five experimental scales designed to measure body image satisfaction, body comparison,
inspiration, confidence, and encouragement.. In addition, the true purpose of the study was
revealed at the end of the survey and participants were asked if they would like to remove their
data from the study. Deception was a necessary part of our study to avoid demand
characteristics; therefore, we added filler questions and concealed the purpose in the Informed
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Consent statement. Finally, participants were thanked for their time in a debriefing statement and
once again given the contact information of the research team.
Measures and Materials
Materials. A total of 24 images (12 fitspiration and 12 neutral) were chosen to be
included in our questionnaire. All images were found through Google and social media searches.
To be inclusive, we chose images of individuals of varying races (i.e. Hispanic, Asian, white,
and African American) for both the neutral and fitspiration images. To be included in our
fitspiration image condition, images had to exhibit an individual or individuals with a toned
physique engaging in exercise, eating a healthy meal or showing off their toned body.
Conversely, to be included in our neutral image condition, images had to exhibit an individual or
individuals engaging in everyday activities (i.e. shopping, cooking, working), have an average
body (i.e. not excessively thin, heavy, or muscular), and could not be showing off toned body
parts. A neutral image showing a group of individuals doing yoga was included so that
participants were not confused by the questions about exercise inspiration.
Image perception scales. Three questions were asked directly after viewing the images
about the creativity, artfulness and perceptions of the images viewed. These questions were
added to keep disguise the true nature of the study and will not be used to measure any of the
variables we are studying.
State appearance comparison scale. To indicate whether the participants were
comparing their own appearance to the appearance of the images, Tiggemann and McGill’s
(2004) State Appearance Comparison Scale was used. Participants were asked to use 7-point
Likert scales (1= no thought about appearance, 7= a lot of thought) to indicate how much they
thought about and compared their appearance and specific body parts in the past 5 minutes
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(during the time they were viewing the images). Participants’ total score is calculated by
averaging the scores of the three questions giving us a scale ranging from 1 to 7. Higher scores
on the State Appearance Comparison scale indicate higher levels of appearance comparison
while viewing the images. This scale has a Cronbach’s alpha of .90.
Inspiration scales. A scale similar to the Visual Analogue Scales (VAS) used by
Tiggemann and Zaccardo (2015) were used to measure inspiration for a number of separate
behaviors. Each of the five scales is made up of a horizontal line ranging from 0 to 100 with
markers at each 10-point line. Participants are asked to slide the bar to the position on the scale
that most closely resembles how they are feeling right now and the number they land on can be
viewed as a percentage. The questions asked are: how inspired are you to adopt a healthier
lifestyle, how inspired are you to exercise right now, how inspired are you to exercise in the
future, how inspired are you to change your eating habits, and how inspired are you to
accomplish tasks? Each item is scored and analyzed separately. The questions asked were
designed specifically for this study and have not been used previously or tested for validity.
Mood perception scale. To measure how the images directly affect certain moods, we
created a 3-point scale to measure happiness vs. sadness, encouragement vs. discouragement,
confidence vs. self-consciousness, and inspiration vs. being unmotivated. The participants are
asked to choose how they feel right now by indicating that which emotion they are feeling or if
they are in between the two. This scale is used to measure how the images affect the participants
and also to see if they are inspired after viewing the images. Each scale item (i.e. confidence vs.
self-consciousness is scored individually and each response will receive a number score (i.e. 1=
confident, 2= in the middle, 3= self-conscious). In addition, we asked how the individuals
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perceive the individuals in the images to feel using the same moods and scale. The second scale
is used to disguise the true nature of the study.
Body satisfaction scale. To directly measure the participant’s body satisfaction after
viewing the images, we created our own body satisfaction scale. Participants are asked to answer
each question using a 7-point Likert scale ranging from (1= not at all, 7= extremely). Questions
include: how satisfied are you with your current body image, how comfortable do you feel in
your own skin, how confident do you feel with your body shape/size, how appealing do you find
yourself, and how appealing do you think others find you? The total score will be calculated by
averaging the scores of each question, however, we will also analyze each question separately to
find any sex differences. This scale has never been used before and may not be accurate in
measuring what we intend for it to measure; however, a Chronbach’s alpha of .95 was found for
this scale.
Results
To test our hypotheses, Factorial ANOVAs were run for all analyses. In addition, all
analyses compared independent variables (i.e. men to women and the experimental group to the
control group) and looked for interactions within the independent variables. A full list of
descriptive statistics can be found in Table 1.
Hypothesis 1a: Self-rates of Body Image Satisfaction will Decrease after Viewing
Fitspiration Images for Males and Females. Females will have Lower Body Image
Satisfaction than Males.
Analyses did not indicate that group membership (i.e., control or experimental condition)
significantly influenced body image satisfaction. However, statistical significance was found in
the body image satisfaction scale for gender, F(1, 45)= 4.71, p= .04. Specifically, males (M=
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4.58, SD= 1.30) showed higher body image satisfaction than females (M= 3.64, SD= 1.49),
regardless of group membership. Therefore, hypothesis 1a was partially supported: group
membership had no influence on body image satisfaction, however, females exhibited lower
body image satisfaction than males.
Hypotheses 1b: Body Comparison will be Higher for Participants Exposed to Fitspiration
images. Females will have Higher Body Comparison Scores than Males.
An analysis of the State Appearance Comparison scale indicated a significant main effect
of gender, F(1, 45)= 4.71, p= .01 and group assignment, F(1, 45)= 6.56, p=.01, separately.
Specifically, males (M= 2.47, SD= 1.54) were less likely to compare their body and body parts to
the images they viewed than females (M= 3.92, SD= 1.64), regardless of group membership. As
predicted, participants in the experimental group (M= 4.17, SD= 1.69) compared their body and
body parts to the fitspiration images more than the control group (M= 2.70, SD= 1.45).
Therefore, hypothesis 1b was supported.
Hypothesis 2: Fitspiration Image Exposure will lead to Higher Reports of Inspiration
Among Males, Compared to Females.
An analysis of the inspiration scale did not show statistical main effects of gender or
group assignment. However, a significant main effect of gender was found while analyzing the
inspired versus unmotivated question in the mood scale, F(1, 45)= 6.60, p=.01. This finding
suggests that male participants (M= 2.20, SD= .56) felt less inspired than female participants
(M= 1.68, SD= .68), regardless of group membership. Interestingly, we hypothesized the
opposite reaction with males feeling more inspired than females. Therefore, hypothesis 2 was not
supported.
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Hypothesis 3: Fitspiration Image Exposure will lead to Lower Reports of Encouragement
among Females, Compared to Males.
No significant main effect of gender or group assignment was found for encouragement
versus discouragement. Therefore, hypothesis 3 was not supported.
Hypothesis 4: Fitspiration Image Exposure will lead to Higher Reports of Confidence
among Males, Compared to Females.
Finally, the current study found a significant interaction of gender and group assignment
for confidence versus self-consciousness, F(1, 45)= 6.22, p= .02. To interpret the significant
interaction, an independent samples t-test was conducted separately by gender and group
assignment. At the trend level, males in the experimental group (M= 1.29, SD= .49) showed
more confidence than females in the experimental group (M= 2.32, SD= .75), females in the
control group (M= 1.87, SD= .64), and males in the control group (M= 1.88, SD= .64).
Therefore, hypothesis 4 was supported. The results of this t-test can be found in Table 2 and
Figure 2.
Discussion
The
purpose
of
the
current
study
was
to
better
understand
how
the
current
social
media
trend,
fitspiration,
is
affecting
the
body
image
satisfaction,
inspiration
and
confidence
of
its
followers.
Specifically,
we
compared
men
and
women’s
reactions
to
viewing
fitspiration
images
versus
viewing
neutral
images
in
regards
to
the
constructs
previously
mentioned.
We
hypothesized
that
viewing
fitspiration
images
would
lead
individuals
to
report
increased
body
comparison
and
decreased
body
image
satisfaction,
especially
among
women.
Furthermore,
we
hypothesized
that
men
exposed
to
fitspiration
images
would
report
increased
inspiration
and
confidence,
whereas
women
exposed
to
fitspiration
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images
would
report
decreased
confidence
and
encouragement.
In
partial
support
of
our
hypotheses,
we
found
that
females
who
viewed
fitspiration
images
exhibited
lower
rates
of
body
image
satisfaction
than
males
in
both
groups
and
females
in
the
control
group.
Further,
we
found
support
for
our
hypothesis
that
fitspiration
image
exposure
will
lead
to
higher
rates
of
body
comparison,
especially
in
females.
Interestingly,
we
found
the
opposite
reaction
that
we
hypothesized
among
male
and
female
inspiration
scores
(females
who
viewed
fitspiration
images
reported
a
more
inspired
mood
than
males),
but
males
who
viewed
fitspiration
images
did
exhibit
more
confidence
than
all
other
participants.
Overall,
our
findings
suggest
that
fitspiration
images
are
more
detrimental
to
female’s
body
image
satisfaction
and
confidence
than
males.
Our
results
may
only
partially
support
findings
from
previous
research,
but
our
research
has
helped
expand
the
comparison
of
male
and
female
body
image
satisfaction
and
findings
of
fitspiration
imagery.
Previous
studies
seem
to
find
similar
reactions
from
men
compared
to
women
when
men
are
exposed
to
images
of
the
ideal
male
body
(i.e.
muscular)
(Leit
et.
al,
2001;
Agliata
&
Tantleff-‐Dunn,
2004).
However,
our
findings
suggest
that
this
is
not
always
the
case—we
found
that
men
who
viewed
images
of
the
ideal
male
body
did
not
differ
from
males
who
viewed
neutral
images
on
body
image
satisfaction.
In
fact,
we
found
that
the
males
who
viewed
the
fitspiration
images,
were
more
confident
than
males
that
viewed
neutral
images,
which
contradicts
the
findings
by
Agliata
and
Tantleff-‐
Dunn
(2004)
indicating
that
males
who
view
ideal
male
body
images
show
decreased
mood.
Although
these
contradictions
bring
up
great
questions,
it
is
important
to
note
that
our
study
includes
limitations
(specifically
a
small
male
sample)
that
could
have
created
these
contradictory
finding;
such
limitations
will
be
explained
in
the
next
section.
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Despite
our
contradictory
male
findings,
we
found
supporting
evidence
for
previous
research
examining
female
body
image
satisfaction.
Specifically,
we
found
that
females
who
viewed
fitspiration
images
were
more
likely
to
report
decreased
body
image
satisfaction,
but
increased
inspiration
just
as
Tiggemann
and
Zaccardo
(2015)
found
in
their
research.
Similar
to
Fardouly
et
al.
(2015),
our
results
suggest
that
social
media
image
exposure
is
detrimental
to
female’s
body
image
satisfaction
and
mood,
specifically
confidence.
Limitations
and
Future
Research
Unfortunately,
our
research
did
have
a
number
of
limitations
that
should
be
acknowledged
with
our
results.
First,
we
had
a
sample
of
only
49
participants
and
most
of
these
participants
were
females.
Our
current
assumption
is
that
a
larger
sample
size
would
create
more
statistical
significance
in
our
analyses,
however,
this
assumption
cannot
be
proven
unless
a
larger
sample
size
was
obtained.
In
addition,
a
small
male
sample
could
have
skewed
our
results
greatly.
For
example,
two
or
three
males
who
rated
themselves
as
high
on
the
confidence
scale
could
greatly
affect
the
mean
score
for
all
male
participants.
Therefore,
our
results
may
have
been
more
reliable
and
supported
previous
findings
if
we
had
more
male
participants.
In
addition,
the
small
sample
size
makes
it
difficult
to
generalize
our
results
to
the
entire
population.
Furthermore,
we
did
not
have
the
racially
diverse
sample
that
we
had
hoped
for.
Again,
the
lack
of
diversity
makes
it
difficult
to
generalize
our
results
to
the
entire
population.
Furthermore,
our
sample
of
fitspiration
and
neutral
images
were
set
up
for
a
diverse
sample.
Since
we
typically
compare
ourselves
to
those
of
our
same
race
rather
than
those
of
a
different
race,
our
results
would
most
likely
be
different
if
we
had
included
more
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images
of
white
individuals.
Future
research
should
aim
to
gain
a
larger
sample
size,
an
equal
proportion
of
male
to
female
participants
and
diversity
in
the
race
of
participants.
Additional
limitations
of
the
current
study
include
the
use
of
self-‐made
scales
to
measure
body
image
satisfaction,
inspiration,
and
mood
perception.
Although
we
created
these
scales
to
measure
our
hypotheses,
they
may
not
be
reliable
or
have
construct
validity.
The
major
downfall
of
creating
our
own
scales
is
that
we
cannot
be
sure
that
our
findings
are
valid.
Future
research
should
use
measures
that
have
been
tested
for
reliability
and
validity.
Furthermore,
only
12
images
were
used
as
a
basis
of
comparison,
only
six
of
those
images
were
of
the
same
sex,
and
even
less
were
of
the
same
race
as
any
given
participant.
Although
we
did
find
significance
with
our
limited
number
of
images,
this
in
no
way
equal
to
the
every
day
exposure
that
individuals
are
subject
to
on
social
media
and
in
other
forms
of
media.
In
addition,
due
to
the
deception
that
we
used,
we
were
unable
to
ask
participants
if
they
subscribe
to
fitspiration
images
and
posts
on
social
media.
Therefore,
the
results
of
our
research
could
be
due
to
previous
exposure
to
media
images
rather
than
the
fitspiration
images
we
provided.
In
an
attempt
to
control
for
these
confounds,
future
research
needs
to
separate
fitspiration
subscribers
from
those
who
have
never
heard
of
the
social
media
trend
to
understand
how
short-‐term
exposure
compares
to
long-‐term
exposure.
In
addition,
a
larger
amount
of
“filler”
questions
aimed
to
deceive
individuals
may
be
helpful
in
controlling
for
demand
characteristics.
Furthermore,
it
would
be
interesting
to
see
how
results
changed
when
individuals
were
subject
to
images
of
their
specific
gender
and
race
only.
Therefore,
future
researchers
should
attempt
to
add
race
as
an
independent
variable
and
brainstorm
ways
of
separating
images
by
race.
17. FITSPIRATION,
BODY
IMAGE,
&
INSPIRATION
17
Finally,
the
design
of
our
study
limits
our
ability
to
state
that
fitspiration
caused
female’s
to
have
lower
body
image
satisfaction,
confidence,
and
encouragement.
Although
our
study
is
partially
experimental
(i.e.
we
had
a
control
group
and
an
experimental
group)
we
cannot
randomly
assign
participants
to
a
gender.
Therefore,
we
can
say
that
fitspiration
images
cause
decreased
body
image
satisfaction,
however
we
can
only
say
that
fitspiration
image
exposure
is
correlated
with
decreased
rates
of
body
image
satisfaction
in
females
compared
to
males.
Unfortunately,
no
future
research
will
be
able
to
make
this
study
fully
experimental
since
we
cannot
randomly
assign
gender.
Therefore,
future
research
should
be
designed
that
specifically
looks
at
the
reasons
why
fitspiration
image
exposure
has
different
effects
on
men
versus
women.
Conclusion
With
our
dependence
on
social
media
for
all
of
our
needs—news,
attention,
stress
relief,
etc.—it
is
important
to
understand
how
everything
that
we
see
affects
us.
It
seems
like
every
week
there
is
a
new
social
media
craze,
trend
or
hashtag
blowing
up
on
these
sites.
Over
the
past
few
years,
fitspiration
has
been
gaining
notice
on
all
modes
of
social
media
(i.e.
Twitter,
Instagram,
Pinterest,
Tumblr,
Facebook,
etc.)
and
it
does
not
look
like
it
is
slowing
down
any.
Despite
the
hope
that
fitspiration
would
be
a
healthier
alternative
to
the
airbrushed
models
on
the
magazines,
we
know
that
females
body
image
satisfaction
and
confidence
are
negatively
impacted
by
these
images
of
fit
and
“healthy”
females.
Although
further
research
is
needed
to
confirm
our
findings,
it
could
be
that
fitspiration
is
actually
beneficial
for
men.
The
findings
from
the
current
study
should
be
used
to
further
research
into
the
effects
that
fitspiration
images
have
on
body
image
satisfaction,
confidence,
and
inspiration
in
men
versus
women
and
cross-‐culturally.
Specifically,
future
18. FITSPIRATION,
BODY
IMAGE,
&
INSPIRATION
18
research
should
aim
to
gain
a
better
understanding
of
the
effect
that
fitspiration
image
exposure
has
on
males
and
indicate
why
these
images
are
so
detrimental
to
females.
Just
as
we
have
worked
to
help
women
understand
that
the
images
they
see
in
the
magazines
are
not
real
and
that
stick
thin
models
are
not
healthy,
we
should
encourage
women
to
create
their
own
definitions
of
“fit”,
“healthy”
and
“attractive”.
19. FITSPIRATION,
BODY
IMAGE,
&
INSPIRATION
19
References
Agliata, D. & Tantleff-Dunn, S. (2004). The impact of media exposure on males’ body image.
Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, 23(1), 7-22
Duggan, M. (2015). The demographics of social media users. In Mobile messaging and social
media. Retrieved from http://www.pewinternet.org/2015/08/19/the-demographics-of-
social-media-users/
Fardouly, J., Diedrichs, P. C., Vartanian, L. R., & Halliwell, E. (2015). Social comparisons on
social media: The impact of Facebook on young women’s body image concerns and
mood. Body Image, 13, 38-45. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.bodyim.2014.12.002
Festinger L (1954). A theory of social comparison processes. Human Relations, 7 (2), 117–
140. doi:10.1177/001872675400700202
Field, A. E., Austin, B., Camargo Jr., C. A., Taylor, C. B., Striegel-Moore, R. H., Loud, K. J., &
Colditz, G. A. (2005). Exposure to the mass media, body shape concerns, and use of
supplements to improve weight and shape among male and female adolescents.
Pediatrics, 116(2). doi:10.1542/peds.2004-2022.
Leit, R. A., Gray, J. J., & Pope Jr. H. G. (2001). The media’s representation of the ideal male
body: A cause for muscle dysmorphia? International Journal of Eating Disorders, 31,
334-338. doi:10.1002/eat.10019
Meier, E. P. & Gray, J. (2014). Facebook photo activity associated with body image disturbances
in adolescent girls. Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking, 17, 199-206.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1089/cyber.2013.0305
20. FITSPIRATION,
BODY
IMAGE,
&
INSPIRATION
20
Tiggemann, M. & McGill, B. (2004). The role of social comparisons in the effect of magazine
advertisements on women’s mood and body dissatisfaction. Journal of Social and
Clinical Psychology, 23, 23-44. http://dx.doi.org/10.1521/jscp.23.1.23.26991
Tiggemann, M. & Zaccardo, M. (2015). “Exercise to be fit, not skinny”: The effect of fitspiration
imagery on women’s body image. Body Image, 15, 61-67.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.bodyim.2015.06.003
21. FITSPIRATION,
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IMAGE,
&
INSPIRATION
21
Table 1
Table 1
Descriptive Statistics for All Scales and Conditions, Mean (SD)
Male Female Experimental
Group
Control Group
State Appearance
Comparison
2.47 (1.54) 3.92 (1.64) 4.17 (1.69) 2.70 (1.45)
Inspiration Scale 51.44 (25.61) 62.25 (23.42) 58.44 (22.47) 59.38 (26.86)
Mood Scales
Inspired vs.
Unmotivated
2.20 (.56) 1.68 (.68) 1.85 (.73) 1.83 (.65)
Confident vs. Self-
Conscious
1.60 (.63) 2.12 (.73) 2.04 (.82) 1.87 (.63)
Encouraged vs.
Discouraged
1.20 (.41) 1.12 (.33) 1.08 (.27) 1.22 (.42)
Body Image Satisfaction 4.58 (1.30) 3.64 (1.49) 4.09 (1.38) 3.81 (1.58)
22. FITSPIRATION,
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INSPIRATION
22
Table 2
Table 2
Confidence vs. Self-Confidence: Mean (SD)
Male Female
Experimental Group 1.29 (.49) 2.32 (.75)
Control Group 1.88 (.64) 1.87 (.64)
23. FITSPIRATION,
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IMAGE,
&
INSPIRATION
23
Figure 1
Figure 1
Social Media Use Among Participants
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
18
20
Number
of
Paricipants
5+
3-‐4
1-‐2
<1
Hours
per
day
24. FITSPIRATION,
BODY
IMAGE,
&
INSPIRATION
24
Figure 2
Figure 2
Confidence vs. Self-Consciousness Independent Samples T-test Interaction
0
0.5
1
1.5
2
2.5
Male
Female
←Confidence-Self-Consciousness→
Means
Experimental
Group
Control
Group
