What can my body do for me? Seeking to improve body-satisfaction with a guided functionality mirror exposure

Research has identified negative body image as a growing concern among college-aged women as well as a core feature in the development and maintenance of eating disorders.  Body-dissatisfaction among young women has become so commonplace that it has been coined as a kind of “normative discontent.” In turn, significant research has been devoted to exploring various treatments for body-dissatisfaction. Among these, mirror-exposure (ME) has been found to be particularly effective across various demographics and modalities. Although prior research has found ME interventions to be effective in restructuring negative cognitions associated with viewing one’s appearance, few studies to date have incorporated aspects of positive body image within an ME treatment. The current study incorporates concepts of body-functionality within a guided ME task with the intent of facilitating participants’ appreciation of the functional capabilities of their bodies rather than valuing the body merely for aesthetic appearance. Participants were randomly assigned to the functionality ME condition or the control ME condition. In each condition, participants completed a multidimensional assessment of body-image in addition to measures of body-appreciation, state body-esteem, and body-surveillance both before and after the ME task. It is hypothesized that participants who engage with the functionality-focused ME will display increases in body-satisfaction as compared with those who engage with the control ME. Thus, this research has the potential to provide valuable insight into the development of more targeted and specific interventions that are capable of encouraging individuals to view their bodies appreciatively rather than critically. This practice is especially crucial within a culture of appearance focus and body-objectification.