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Due to the enormous popularity of social networking sites (SNSs), online and offline social lives seem inextricably linked, which raises concerns for how SNS use relates to psychological health. Similarly, the omnipresence of selfies on SNSs-a form of appearance-related exposure-raises concerns regarding psychological health. This study aimed to investigate the relationships between body image, self-objectification, self-esteem, and various selfie behaviors among young women (N ϭ 179). We hypothesized that a worsened body image (i.e., higher body dissatisfaction or lower body appreciation), higher levels of self-objectification, and lower self-esteem would precede greater engagement in selfie behaviors. Structural equation modeling showed that body appreciation is associated with greater engagement in selfie selection and deliberate posting, and that self-objectification is related to greater engagement in all selfie behaviors assessed. In support of our proposed model, a reversed model was also tested that showed poorer results. These findings suggest that body image may serve not only as an outcome of SNS use but also as a motive preceding selfie behaviors. Public Policy Relevance Statement Because many young people use social network sites (SNSs) and selfies extensively in their everyday lives, it is important to better understand the (reciprocal) relations between SNSs and selfies on the one hand, and body image and self-esteem on the other hand. Results from our study showed that young women who appreciated their body to a higher extent were also very likely to be engaged in selecting their selfies and deliberate selfie posting on SNSs, and those who regarded their bodies more as physical objects were also more engaged in selfie behaviors pertaining to selecting, editing, and online posting of selfies. Further, guiding future research and intervention development, our research findings imply that SNS use and body image are intertwined, in that body image serves not only as an outcome of SNS use but also as a motive for being engaged in selfie behaviors.

This paper describes a Dutch translation and validation of the Body Appreciation Scale-2 (BAS-2; Tylka & Wood-Barcalow, 2015a), an instrument for assessing key components of positive body image. Dutch-speaking female university students (N=310, M=21.31, SD=3.04) completed the Dutch BAS-2. To assess its construct validity, participants also completed measures of appearance satisfaction, functionality satisfaction, self-objectification, self-esteem, and optimistic life orientation. Exploratory factor analysis revealed a one-dimensional factor structure of the Dutch BAS-2, substantiating the BAS-2 factor structure found in samples of U.S., Chinese, and Iranian university students and community adults. Dutch BAS-2 scores also demonstrated good internal consistency (α=.90), convergent validity, and incremental validity. In addition, lower body mass indices were associated with higher Dutch BAS-2 scores. The present findings support the cross-cultural equivalence of the BAS-2 and thus its promise in enabling research on positive body image in diverse cultural contexts.

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A B S T R A C TAlthough self-presentation has been studied for decades, social networking sites (SNS) such as Facebook have produced novel opportunities for visual online self-presentation. Posting selfies is currently a popular mode of consciously constructing visual online self-presentations, yet most prior research is limited to selfie-posting alone. This study aimed to profile selfie-makers' motivations and behavior, and examine the extent to which underlying mechanisms preceding selfie-posting are interconnected. Results of a survey (N = 224; 79.9% females; M age = 21.66, SD age = 2.08) regarding selfie-behavior on SNS (e.g., Facebook and Instagram) characterized selfie-makers in emerging adulthood as mainly concerned with the social aspects of selfies. Entertainment and moment-retention were identified as main motivations for selfie-making. Findings supported the proposed Selfie-Stadium Model, representing various steps of selfie-taking and underlying motives as well as selection and editing before actual posting. This study on profiling selfie-makers and their self-presentation taps into a fairly new media use research domain.T as influencing one's body image (McLean et al., 2015). Especially selfie-viewing can influence self-esteem and life satisfaction (Wang, Yang, and Haigh, 2017). It is important to not only investigate selfie-posting but also behaviors leading up to selfie-posting. Consciously constructing an online visual self-presentation is not only comprised by posting a selfie, but is rather explained by underlying behaviors related to constructing a selfie. No study has yet investigated the direct relations between underlying selfie-related behaviors (i.e., motives, pre-occupation, selection, editing, and posting), and how selfie-makers can be profiled in terms of underlying characteristics. This study aims to fill the gap in the literature in two ways. First, it assesses the various steps that selfie-makers can pass through before selfies are posted online instead of solely focusing on the act of posting. Second, this study addresses characteristics of selfie-makers that will contribute to our understanding of why and who post selfies. Therefore, this study aims to (a) profile characteristics of selfie-makers in an emerging adult sample in the Netherlands, and (b) examine the extent to which underlying selfie-related behaviors preceding actual posting are interconnected. Self-presentationIn the current online media landscape, selfie-behavior makes up a large part of how individuals visually present themselves on SNS. Here, SNS like Facebook and Instagram serve as platforms for selfies that are generally designated for larger audiences. This section discusses this relatively new phenomenon of selfie-behavior in light of communication theorizing. To start, posting selfies online is a form of online self-presentation. Early research on self-presentation by Goffman (1959) suggested that social behaviors can be identified as differing in front stage and back stage behaviors. With front stage, he me...

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