#Fitspiration on Instagram: The Effects of Fitness-related Images on Women’s Self-Perceived Sexual Attractiveness

he present study looks at how exposure to Instagram #tspiration images affects self-rated sexual attractiveness among women. An experimental pre-test/post-test control group design was implemented. Four hundred and forty-two female undergraduate students (mean age of 22.06  2.15 years) wererandomly exposed to either tspiration (N = 233) or travel Instagram images (N = 209). Well known self-report measures of Instagram use, bodysatisfaction, and self-perceived sexual attractiveness were completed. The results showed that viewing tspiration models on Instagram was more likely tolower self-perceived sexual attractiveness among women than travel images. This effect was mediated by body satisfaction. The present ndings built uponprevious research that focuses on the detrimental effects of exposure to appearance-focused Instagram prole images on body image satisfaction byshowing that exposure to Instagram tspiration might also inuence women perceived sexual attractiveness. Negative consequences of social mediaexposure on women’s sexual well-being need to be further investigated.