The Effect of Embellishing Facial Selfies on Self-Esteem and Positive Mood

Abstract

In recent years, with the widespread use of smartphones, many people have begun to take selfies and embellish them to be more attractive using smartphone applications. The present study examined the effects of embellishment of facial selfies on self-esteem and positive mood. Sixty-two university students participated in the experiment and were assigned to one of two conditions (embellishing condition or control condition). The participants took facial selfies, embellished them, and then measured their self-esteem and positive mood. The results showed that self-esteem increased more in the embellishing condition than in the control condition. The positive mood was slightly higher in the embellishing condition than in the control condition only for the group with high facial self-evaluation.