Changes in Body Esteem After Viewing a 3D Full-Body Representation of Oneself

Abstract

Three-dimensional (3D) body scanning is becoming an increasingly popular tool for research in the field of family and consumer sciences (FCS) because it quickly and accurately measures constructs that describe the human form. This study compared viewing a 3D body representation to viewing a two-dimensional (2D) representation and whether the effects of these assessments varied by gender. College-student participants (N = 164, 63 women, 101 men) were randomly assigned to one of two different body image groups, a 3D image and a somatomorphic (2D) assessment of body shape. Participants in both conditions completed a body-esteem pre-assessment, had their bodies scanned by a KX-16 body scanner, assessed the copy of their 3D or 2D body image, and then completed the body-esteem post-assessment. The 3D body scan group reported larger drops in body esteem than did the 2D group from pretest to posttest. More specifically, women in the 3D condition reported a larger drop in body esteem from pretest to posttest compared to what the men reported. The results suggest that using a 3D body scanner could have negative short-term effects on body esteem.