The present experiment examined the levels of body satisfaction of 30 female participants using two questionnaires created using Survey Monkey. Participants were randomly assigned to either a thin ideal or non-thin ideal condition. They were then administered a questionnaire, which included images of women with either ideal body types or more relatable bodies, and asked to indicate their level of satisfaction with their own bodies. The questionnaires were identical in all ways except for the body types portrayed in the images used. It was hypothesized that the increased exposure to the ‘thin ideal’ body image standards in the thin ideal condition would lead to an increase in body dissatisfaction as measured by the questionnaire. The results did not support the hypothesis, as there was no significant difference in body satisfaction across the two groups. These results provide further insight into social media’s effect on body image perception and are discussed in terms of their relevance to current understanding of this topic.
