Research on the mental health effects of social networking have predominantly focused on Facebook, with limited research investigating the effects of Instagram on psychological well-being. This study aimed to address the link between Instagram use and a range of psychological variables in two parts. Participants were 129 women aged between 18 and 35 years. In Part 1, women completed a series of questionnaires related to mental health outcomes and self-perceptions. Results showed that the frequency of Instagram use is correlated with depressive symptoms, self-esteem, general and physical appearance anxiety, and body dissatisfaction and that the relationship between Instagram use and each of these variables is mediated by social comparison orientation. In Part 2, participants were exposed to a range of either beauty, fitness, or travel Instagram images (or a control condition with no images). Beauty and fitness images significantly decreased self-rated attractiveness, and the magnitude of this decrease correlated with anxiety, depressive symptoms, self-esteem, and body dissatisfaction. Therefore, excessive Instagram use may contribute to negative psychological outcomes and poor appearance-related selfperception, in line with prior research. The research has implications for interventions and education about chronic Instagram use. Public Policy Relevance StatementInstagram has features distinctive from Facebook, making the investigation of the mental health effects of this medium worthwhile. Instagram use is correlated with a range of psychological well-being variables, including depressive symptoms, anxiety, body dissatisfaction, and self-esteem. Exposure to idealized images leads to a decrease in self-rated attractiveness, implying chronic exposure may impact psychological health.

Women’s cosmetics use has been argued to serve a mating function, although previous studies have demonstrated that makeup use is also related to social attitudes and individual variation in personality. To date, however, no studies have actively compared how well mating strategies, social factors, and personality might predict women’s cosmetics use. To investigate this, 119 female participants (Mage = 25.59) completed a survey with questions related to mating variables (sociosexual orientation and intrasexual competition), social factors (social comparison and adherence to social roles), and personality (narcissism). These variables were then used to predict both the frequency of cosmetic use (daily or not daily), and quantity of cosmetic application. Regression analyses showed that a restricted mating orientation and competitive tactic use increased the odds of women wearing makeup daily, while unrestricted mating orientation and narcissism best predicted how much cosmetics women used. While on the surface contradictory, these results imply that the frequent use of cosmetics serve to enhance mate value in order to attract a long-term mate, while the amount of cosmetics used serve as a self-promotion tactic. Neither outcome was predicted by social factors, in contrast to sociological arguments that cosmetics use is due to social pressures. The results demonstrate that when considering mating strategies, personality, and social processes together, mating strategies and narcissism are the best predictors of cosmetics use. This study adds to our understanding of motivations for cosmetics use and opens new avenues for investigation.

Modern dating platforms have given rise to new dating and sexual behaviors. In the current study, we examine predictors of sending unsolicited explicit images, a particularly underexplored online sexual behavior. The aim of the current study was to explore the utility of dark personality traits (i.e., narcissism, Machiavellianism, psychopathy, and sadism) and self-rated mate value in predicting attitudes toward and behavior of sending unsolicited explicit images. Two hundred and forty participants (72% female; Mage = 25.96, SD = 9.79) completed an online questionnaire which included a measure of self-rated mate value, a measure of dark personality traits, and questions regarding sending unsolicited explicit images (operationalized as the explicit image scale). Men, compared to women, were found to have higher explicit image scale scores, and both self-rated mate value and trait Machiavellianism were positive predictors of explicit image scale scores. Interestingly, there were no significant interactions between sex and these variables. Further, Machiavellianism mediated all relationships between other dark traits and explicit image scale scores, indicating this behavior is best explained by the personality trait associated with behavioral strategies. In sum, these results provide support for the premise that sending unsolicited explicit images may be a tactic of a short-term mating strategy; however, future research should further explore this claim.

Romantic mouth-to-mouth kissing is culturally widespread, although not a human universal, and may play a functional role in assessing partner health and maintaining long-term pair bonds. Use and appreciation of kissing may therefore vary according to whether the environment places a premium on good health and partner investment. Here, we test for cultural variation (13 countries from six continents) in these behaviours/attitudes according to national health (historical pathogen prevalence) and both absolute (GDP) and relative wealth (GINI). Our data reveal that kissing is valued more in established relationships than it is valued during courtship. Also, consistent with the pair bonding hypothesis of the function of romantic kissing, relative poverty (income inequality) predicts frequency of kissing across romantic relationships. When aggregated, the predicted relationship between income inequality and kissing frequency ( r = 0.67, BCa 95% CI[0.32,0.89]) was over five times the size of the null correlations between income inequality and frequency of hugging/cuddling and sex. As social complexity requires monitoring resource competition among large groups and predicts kissing prevalence in remote societies, this gesture may be important in the maintenance of long-term pair bonds in specific environments.

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