Features of the relationship between self-expression and the image of physical attractiveness among participants of online communities idealizing the cult of appearance.

Sungurova Nina L'vovna ORCID: 0000-0001-7410-9779 PhD in Psychology Associate Professor; Department of Psychology and Pedagogy; Patrice Lumumba Peoples' Friendship University of Russia 117198, Russia, Moscow, Miklukho-Maklaya str., 10/2, room 627 sungurova_nl@pfur.ru

Honina Svetlana YUr'evna Master's Degree; Department of Psychology and Pedagogy; Patrice Lumumba Peoples' Friendship University of Russia 117198, Russia, Moksva, Miklukho-Maklaya str., 10/2, room 627 honina_svetlana@mail.ru

Introduction

The phenomenon of self-presentation is widely represented in psychological research in both Russian and foreign science ^{[1, 2, 3]}. Note that the concept of "self-expression" is considered synonymous with the term "self-presentation" ^[4].

With the development of online communication, the phenomenon of self-presentation (or self-presentation) has acquired new features. Researchers of the online environment pay attention to verbal and visual means of self-presentation, trends and types of self-expression. For example, E. P. Belinskaya and O. V. Gavrichenko investigated self-presentation on the Web, studying users' personal pages as a reflection of their worldview ^[5]. Other authors analyzed business self-presentation on online educational platforms, studying the types and forms of self-presentation, as well as the influence of business communication style on image creation and self-presentation behavior ^[6]. There are studies of virtual self-presentation of personality, the relationship of self-attitude and the variability of self-presentation in Internet communication ^{[7, 8]}.

Active participation in social networks can have an ambivalent effect on psychological states. The negative impact is related to the time spent on social networks, the number of friends and the tendency to addictive behavior ^[9]. Under the influence of the network, young people feel socially alienated and experience a threat to their personal safety ^[10]. The desire to reduce the feeling of loneliness through the active use of social networks increases dissatisfaction with life, especially among girls ^[11].

Mass media and social networks play an important role in the formation and dissemination of the ideal of physical attractiveness ^{[12, 13]}. Young people are actively exposed to this ideal, which motivates them to strive to meet certain standards. Dissatisfaction with oneself, especially in the context of sociocultural standards of beauty, can negatively affect the emotional state ^[14].

Currently, there is a significant increase in interest in the formation of an image of one's own body and physical attractiveness as a means of presenting personality ^[15]. Feeling dissatisfied with your appearance can be an incentive to improve your physical attractiveness. Significant discrepancies between the real and ideal body image become a source of psychological personality problems and can lead to health problems ^[16].

Attitudes regarding the physical attractiveness of the body are formed under the influence of the media and on social networks ^[17]. It was revealed that the level of satisfaction with one's own appearance statistically significantly decreases after viewing photos on a social network. There is an inverse relationship between self-assessment of happiness and success and assessment of appearance after viewing photos on a social network ^[18].

Involvement in social media communities contributes to the development of dissatisfaction with the body ^[19], a decrease in self-esteem, and an increase in the level of physical perfectionism ^[20].

Physical perfectionism is associated with the peculiarities of social behavior, psychological characteristics of personality, culture, and early experience of an individual. In the study of A. Abdollahi, it was revealed that physical perfectionism is interrelated with anxiety ^[21].

Perfectionism can contribute to the development of psychological disorders and qualitatively reduce the standard of living. In the study of L. Lima-Silva, a statistically significant relationship between physical perfectionism and the symptom of body dysmorphic disorder was revealed, and a direct positive effect on depressive symptoms was shown ^[22].

Physical perfectionism can enhance the relationship between social media use and symptoms of body dysmorphic disorder ^[23]. This phenomenon is interrelated with dissatisfaction with one's own appearance ^[24].

Yu. V. Svitkevich argues that the information impact on a person on the web acts as one of the predictors of the frequency of recurrence of eating disorders ^[25]. The consequences of eating disorders can negatively affect a person's physical, emotional, and personal states ^[26]. A study by P. V. Tsygankova and E. Y. Pronchikhina shows that girls suffering from anorexia nervosa have a more intense emotional reaction to pro-anorexic Internet posts compared to those who do not have eating disorders. This reaction includes feelings of shame, suffering, disgust, contempt, guilt, and fear. In addition, the influence of virtual group identity on individual self-awareness and perception of one's own body was revealed ^[13].

The involvement of social media participants in communities that idealize the cult of appearance, the cult of physical attractiveness, can exacerbate manifestations of physical perfectionism, problems with eating behavior. Social influence has an impact both indirectly and directly ^[27].

Setting the task

The article presents an analysis of a theoretical and empirical study of the features of the relationship between self-expression and the image of physical attractiveness among participants of online communities idealizing the cult of appearance. The object of this study is the self-expression and image of a person's physical attractiveness. The subject of the study is the peculiarities of the relationship between self-expression and the image of physical attractiveness among participants of online communities idealizing the cult of appearance. The purpose of the study is to identify the features of the relationship between self-expression and the image of physical attractiveness among participants of online communities idealizing the cult of appearance.

As part of our research, we have put forward the following hypotheses:

1. There are differences in the expression of self-expression and the image of physical attractiveness among participants of various online communities.

2. There are features of the relationship between self-expression and the image of physical attractiveness among participants of online communities idealizing the cult of appearance.

Materials and methods

An online survey of users of the Vkontakte social network was conducted using the Google Forms platform in the summer of 2023. Participation in the study was on a voluntary basis. Invitations to participate were posted in online communities idealizing the cult of thinness and the cult of self-love.

The sample of the study was made up of users of the Vkontakte social network who belong to communities that idealize the cult of thinness, such as "Typical anorexic", "Anorexia", "Skinny", "To the bone" and members of the groups "Bodypositive", "Self-love". The sample size was 166 people (83 participants in each group). Participants who belong to communities idealizing the cult of thinness from the age of 12 to 31 (M = 18.46; SD = 3.52). A sample of respondents in self-love groups from 33 to 44 years old (M = 21.81; SD = 7.1).

The following methods were used in the work: testing, survey. The following methods were used to collect data: questionnaire "Strategies of self-expression" (I.P. Shkuratova), "Three-factor scale of physical perfectionism" (A.B. Kholmogorova, A.A. Rachmanina), "Questionnaire of self-image" (O.A. Skugarevsky, S.V. Sivukha), "Test of attitude to eating" (EAT-26) (D. Garner et al. in the adaptation of O. A. Skugarevsky), "The Dutch questionnaire of eating behavior" (DEBQ) (T. Strien in the adaptation of T.G. Voznesenskaya).

Methods of mathematical processing: Pearson's criterion of agreement, Spearman's rank correlation coefficient. Computer data processing was carried out using the software packages "Excel" and "IBM SPSS Statistics 23".

Results and discussion.

Let's analyze and summarize the results of a comparative analysis of the characteristics of self-expression among participants of online communities idealizing the cult of appearance, presented in Table 1.

Let's pay attention to the fact that the following trend is noted: for all self-expression strategies, community members who idealize the culture of thinness show higher rates. They demonstrate to a greater extent the desire to please, the focus on self-promotion, exemplary, tracking the impression made. They tend to be intimidated and show weakness. However, statistical processing according to the Pearson criterion did not reveal significant differences.

Table 1. Results of a comparative analysis on indicators of self-promotion strategies

A comparative analysis of the results according to the scales of the "Three-factor scale of physical perfectionism" methodology among participants of different network communities is presented in Table 2.

Table 2. The results of a comparative analysis of indicators of physical perfectionism

Notes: * — Differences are statistically significant at p < 0.05; ** — Differences are statistically significant at p < 0.01.

As can be seen from table 2, according to all scales of the methodology, there is a higher level of physical perfectionism among respondents in groups that broadcast the ideal of thinness, compared with participants in groups in which self-love is popularized. Statistical data processing using the Pearson criterion confirmed significant differences.

Next, a comparative analysis of the results of the study in relation to the image of one's own body was carried out. The average values of the two groups are higher than the standard indicator, which may indicate a tendency of dissatisfaction with the image of one's own body among the participants of the studied network communities as a whole. Statistical data processing has shown that there are significant differences in relation to one's own body image. In the group of communities idealizing the cult of thinness, participants are more dissatisfied with their own body image (Pearson's criterion χ2 =66.25, p=0.013).

To diagnose the presence of manifestations of eating disorders, the "EAT-26" technique (test of attitude to food intake) was used. According to our research, participants in online communities idealizing the cult of thinness can be classified as a risk group indicating the presence of problems with eating disorders. The average value in the group idealizing the cult of thinness is 32, in the comparison group - 17. The validity of the differences was confirmed by the Pearson criterion (χ2 =98.605, p=0.000).

The analysis of the results on the main types of eating behavior among representatives of the studied communities showed significant differences only on the scale of "Restrictive eating behavior" (-2 =92.473, p=0.000). The marginal type of eating behavior among respondents in groups that broadcast the ideal of thinness prevails significantly.

When analyzing the correlations between the characteristics of self-expression and physical perfectionism obtained using Spearman's rank correlation coefficient, common and specific connections peculiar to representatives of various online communities idealizing the cult of physical attractiveness were identified. Communities idealizing the cult of thinness - sample 1, and communities calling for self-love - sample 2 (Table 3).

Table 3. Correlation coefficients between indicators of self-expression and physical perfectionism among participants of online communities

Notes: ** — Correlation is significant at p ≤ 0.01 (two—way); * - Correlation is significant at p ≤ 0.05 (two-way).

Additionally, we will present the general and specific relationships between self-expression and the image of one's own body in respondents of the same samples. Communities idealizing the cult of thinness - sample 1, and communities calling for self-love - sample 2 (Table 4).

Table 4. Correlation coefficients between self-expression strategies and body image

Notes: ** — Correlation is significant at p ≤ 0.01 (two—way); * - Correlation is significant at p ≤ 0.05 (two-way).

The presented results show that participants in online communities who cultivate physical attractiveness in different ways are more likely to track their impressions in the process of self-presentation. Respondents control their own behavior, regulate the influences from others, which may indicate a fairly high level of social intelligence. This strategy of self-expression of participants is effective in different life circumstances. The focus on creating an impression is associated with demonstrative behavior. The next position is occupied by the strategy of "Variability of behavior", which is reflected in the variety of roles, statuses, scenarios of interpersonal interaction. Changing the behavior strategy may depend on the partner with whom you are communicating, as well as on the requirements of a particular situation.

According to the characteristics of self-expression, there is a tendency to higher rates among members of communities idealizing the cult of thinness, which manifests itself in a more pronounced desire to please oneself and others, a focus on self-promotion, exemplary, tracking the impression made. The participants show intimidation and show weakness. However, no significant differences were found.

The level of physical perfectionism among respondents in groups that broadcast the ideal of thinness is significantly higher than among participants in groups in which self-love is popularized. Members of such communities are more critical of their appearance, have a greater willingness to resort to the use of plastic surgery as an opportunity to change their own physical imperfections, focus on high standards of external attractiveness and focus on them. They tend to make negative comparisons of themselves with others, a tendency to criticize the appearance of other people. They easily notice even the slightest flaws, constantly pondering various details of their appearance.

Members of online communities that idealize the cult of thinness are more dissatisfied with their own bodies. For this group, there is a higher probability of eating disorders, a tendency to eating disorders, namely a restrictive type of eating behavior, which manifests itself in excessive restraint in food consumption and unsystematic adherence to strict diets due to dissatisfaction with their appearance. This type of eating behavior differs from simple dieting in rigidity, the presence of strict rules, careful calorie counting, ignoring hunger in order to lose weight, as well as the discrepancy between the requirements of the diet and the appearance and well-being of a person. For other types of eating behavior ("emotionogenic" and "external") There are no statistically significant differences .

The study revealed general and special statistically significant relationships between self-expression and indicators of physical attractiveness.

In the sample of participants in communities that popularize self-love, there is a direct connection between the "Desire to please" scale and the "Physical perfectionism" scales, "A tendency to unfavorable social comparisons and rumination on the topic of appearance." Focusing on making a good impression on oneself leads to anxiety about physical appearance, generates a desire to meet high standards of physical fitness and achieve better results in working on the figure, generates negative social comparisons and immersion in thoughts about one's physical attractiveness. This specific feature is not peculiar to the second sample under study.

In both groups, there is a positive correlation between the scales of self-expression "Self-promotion", "Example", "Intimidation" and the scales "Physical perfectionism", "High standards of appearance and fixation of attention on it". Respondents who seek to show their competence in communication, act as an example for other people, demonstrate intimidation and strength, are characterized by anxiety about their physical attractiveness, focus on high standards of body beauty, and focus on the cult of appearance.

Representatives of online communities popularizing the cult of thinness revealed a distinctive positive correlation between the scales of "Intimidation" and "A tendency to unfavorable social comparisons and rumination on the topic of appearance." Those respondents who choose a strategy of intimidation and show of force are more likely to compare themselves with others, discuss and condemn someone, and immerse themselves in thoughts about their figure, appearance, and physical attractiveness.

The scales "Demonstration of weakness" and "Variability of behavior" are positively associated with the indicators "Physical perfectionism" and "Tendency to unfavorable social comparisons and rumination on the topic of appearance" in both samples. Participants who aim to show their vulnerability and weakness in interacting with others, often in order to attract attention and receive help, tend to vary more in ways, statuses, and roles. They are concerned about their physical attractiveness, which makes them immerse themselves in thinking about their appearance, comparing themselves with other people.

For representatives involved in the online community of the cult of thinness, the strategy of "Demonstrating weakness" is directly related to the scale "Using plastic surgery as a way to correct imperfections." Respondents who tend to behave in order to demonstrate their weaknesses, shortcomings, and receive external help are ready to resort to plastic surgery, seeing this method as the only way to achieve physical attractiveness. Among the participants of this community, the strategy of "Variability of behavior" is positively associated with the scale of "High standards of appearance and fixation of attention on it." The more the respondents expressed the variability of behavior in different situations of network communication, the more characteristic is the desire to meet modern standards of physical attractiveness.

Conclusion

The results obtained in this study reveal the psychological characteristics of participants in online communities of the cult of appearance, allow us to give a generalized idea of the personal characteristics of a special category of respondents involved in groups idealizing the cult of thinness. Such people are more critical of their appearance, focusing on high standards of attractiveness. Compared to participants from online communities promoting self-love, respondents are more dissatisfied with their own body image, experience negative emotions about their physical attractiveness, worry about their figure and weight, and experience a strong fear of getting better. They have eating disorders. In striving for an ideal appearance, in caring for physical attractiveness, participants are active and prone to self-presentation with all sorts of strategies, often resort to comparing themselves with others, immerse themselves in thoughts about their physical attractiveness, and are ready to resort to plastic surgery. They demonstrate their weaknesses, shortcomings, and are waiting for external help.

This category of respondents can be classified as a "risk group" that requires special attention from specialists and needs timely psychological help.

The practical significance of the study lies in the fact that the results obtained can be used in the process of psychological support for participants in online communities who idealize appearance in different ways, in the process of individual psychological counseling for the category of people with eating disorders. The study expands the understanding of the psychological characteristics of respondents involved in various online communities of the cult of appearance.