THE ROLE OF PSYCHOLOGICAL FLEXIBILITY IN THE EFFECT OF SOCIAL COMPARISON ON BODY IMAGE SATISFACTION AND COPING

Abstract

Poor body image has been linked to higher levels of dissatisfaction and symptoms of disordered eating. A key process negatively influencing body image is social comparison against upward (i.e., more attractive) targets. There is emerging evidence that psychological flexibility (PF; i.e., the ability to handle distress while maintaining alignment with personal values) has the potential to mitigate the adverse impacts of such social comparisons, given that flexible responses may promote adaptive coping in the face of appearance-related threats. In a pilot study (n = 39), a values-based writing task was investigated for its effectiveness in altering participants’ levels of PF, compared to a neutral writing task. Results indicated insufficient effect of the writing task. The subsequent main study (n = 164) investigated whether individual differences in PF would moderate exposure to either an upward or downward comparison target. Consistent with expectation, there was evidence that higher PF was associated with better body image outcomes. However, PF did not moderate comparison outcomes as anticipated. Implications for body image research and clinical treatment are discussed.