Editing selfies, eroding satisfaction: Random-intercept cross-lagged panel analyses of bidirectional links between photo-editing behaviors and body satisfaction in women

Photo-editing is widely used on social media and consistently linked to poorer body satisfaction, yet the directionality and underlying mechanisms of this association remain unclear. To address this gap, we analyzed three-wave longitudinal data collected over one year from 1160 Chinese women (aged 16-43 years). Participants completed measures of photo-editing (frequency and extent), body satisfaction, and relevant covariates (e.g., social media appearance comparisons) at 6-month intervals. We employed random-intercept cross-lagged panel models (RI-CLPMs) to investigate the bidirectional within-person links between photo-editing behaviors and body satisfaction. The model fit indices were good for both models regarding the frequency and extent of photo-editing behaviors and body satisfaction. The results revealed that increases in both the frequency and extent of photo-editing behaviors consistently predicted subsequent declines in body satisfaction across all time intervals (βs = -0.25 to -0.45 ps <.001; large cross-lagged effects). In contrast, body satisfaction did not predict subsequent photo-editing from T1 to T2 (for frequency, β = -0.04, p = .415; for extent, β = 0.07, p = .176; small cross-lagged effects) but lower body satisfaction at T2 significantly predicted increases in photo-editing behaviors (both frequency and extent) at T3 (βs = -0.15 to -0.21, ps <.001; large cross-lagged effects). Together, these findings indicate a reinforcing within-person cycle between photo-editing behaviors and body satisfaction, highlighting photo-editing as a potential target for body image interventions.