2.5.1. State weight and shape satisfaction, state body appreciation, state broad conceptualizations of beauty, state negative mood, and state positive mood

State levels of body image and mood were assessed pre- and post-exposure to the visual stimuli using adapted VAS (Heinberg & Thompson, 1995). State weight and shape satisfaction was assessed using three items rated on parallel scales ranging from 0 (Not at All) to 100 (Extremely). An example item is, “How satisfied with your weight do you feel right now?”. The three items were summed yielding a total score with higher scores indicating greater state weight and shape satisfaction. Internal reliability was good with Cronbach’s alpha = 0.86 pre-exposure and 0.91 post-exposure.

State body appreciation was measured using two items rated on a scale ranging from 0 (Not at All) to 100 (Extremely), asking participants to rate their current self-love and acceptance of their appearance. An example item is, “Right now, despite my flaws, I accept my body for what it is.” The two items were summed to create a composite score, with higher values indicating greater body appreciation. Internal reliability was good with Cronbach’s alpha = 0.92 pre-exposure and 0.93 post-exposure.

State broad conceptualizations of beauty were assessed using two VAS items evaluating the individual’s appreciation and acceptance of various body shapes and sizes in others. An example prompt is, “Right now, I define beauty differently than how it is portrayed in mainstream media.” The two items were rated on a scale ranging from 0 (Not at All) to 100 (Extremely) and summed yielding a total score with higher scores indicating a broader appreciation of beauty. Internal reliability was good with Cronbach’s alpha = 0.83 pre-exposure and 0.87 post-exposure.

In addition, as in previous research (e.g. (Prichard et al., 2020, Tiggemann and Zaccardo, 2015), participants also rated their current feelings on three negative mood dimensions—anxiety, depression, and anger—and two positive mood dimensions—happiness and confidence. Participants responded using a scale ranging from 0 (Not at All) to 100 (Extremely), with higher scores indicating both greater negative and positive mood. Internal reliability was good with Cronbach’s alpha = 0.75 pre-exposure and 0.78 post-exposure for negative mood, and.70 pre-exposure and.73 post exposure for positive mood.