Paradigm 1
Relative Fixation Time: The 2 (Group: OW vs. NW) ×2 (Body: self-body vs. control body) ×2 (Body Part: most beautiful vs. ugliest) ANOVA revealed a significant main effect of Body Part [F(1,118) = 78.026, p < .001, ηp² = .398), a significant Group × Body Part interaction [F(1,118) = 28.615, p < .001, ηp² = .195) and a significant Body Part × Body interaction [F(1,118) = 35.571, p < .001, ηp² = .232). All other effects were not significant [all Fs(1,118) ≤ 1.734, ps ≥ .191, ηp²s ≤ 0.14].
Post-hoc t-tests separated for Group (see Fig. 2) showed, that women with OW spent more time looking at the ugliest compared to the most beautiful body part [t(76) = 11.913, p < .001, d = 1.33], while women with NW showed a balanced viewing pattern [t(42) = 2.153, p = .074, d = 0.296; see Fig. 2].
Questionnaires: For the PANAS, a significant main effect of Group [F(1,117) = 25.604 p < .001, ηp² = .180], Time [F(1,117) = 15.192, p < .001, ηp² = .115] and a significant interaction [F(1,117) = 34.148, p < .001, ηp² = .226] were found. Post-hoc t-tests showed a decrease in negative affect in women with NW [t(42) = 3.479, p = .001, d = 0.639] and an increase in women with OW [t(75) = -6.635, p < .001, d = 1.315].
The same pattern was found for the BISS [Group: F(1,121) = 176.630, p < .001, ηp² = .593; Time: F(1,121) = 57.840, p < .001, ηp² = .323; Group × Time: F(1,121) = 15.462, p < .001, ηp² = .113]. Post-hoc t-tests revealed a significant decrease in body satisfaction over time, albeit stronger in women with OW [OW: t(78) = 8.982, p < .001, d = 1.121; NW: t(43) = 2.697, p = .020, d = 0.464].
Correlations: The bias score for the self-body was significantly correlated with the beauty rating of the self-body (r = .432; p < .001), not the control body (r = .172; p = .066). Significant correlations between changes in state body satisfaction and the bias score of the self-body (r = .191; p = .042) and the control body (r = .223; p = .017) were found. The same result pattern emerged for changes in mood (self-body: r = .276; p = .003; control body: r = .224; p = .017).
Paradigm 2
Self-Body vs. vase: The 2 (Group: OW vs. NW) × 2 (Stimulus: self-body vs. VASE) × 2 (Cue: cue-condition vs. no-cue condition( ANOVA for the frequency of the first fixation revealed only a significant main effect of Stimulus [F(1,117) = 287.801, p < .001, ηp² = .711; all other Fs(1,117) ≤ 2.220, ps ≥ .139, ηp²s ≤ .019]. More first fixations were directed towards the self-body compared to the object.
Control Body vs. vase: The same result pattern was found for this combination [Stimulus: F(1,118) = 255.831, p < .001, ηp² = .684; all other Fs(1,118) ≤ 1.745, ps ≥ .189, ηp²s ≤ .015].
Self-Body vs. Control Body: A significant main effect of Stimulus [F(1,116) = 7.549, p = .007, ηp² = .061] and a significant Cue × Stimulus × Group interaction were found [F(1,116) = 7.274, p = .008, ηp² = .059; all other Fs(1,116) ≤ 3.556, ps ≥ .062, ηp²s ≤ .030]. Post-hoc ANOVAs separated for Group revealed no significant effects for women with NW [all Fs(1,41) ≤ 1.250, ps ≥ .270, ηp²s ≤ .030]. For women with OW, there was no main effect of Cue [F(1,75) = 2.626, p = .109, ηp² = .034], but a significant main effect of Stimulus [F(1,75) = 9.652, p = .003, ηp² = .114] and a Stimulus × Cue interaction [F(1,75) = 13.383, p < .001, ηp² = .151]. Follow-up t-tests revealed a higher number of first fixations towards the self-compared to the control body [t(75) = 4.363, p < .001, d = 0.500] in the cued condition, but not in the no-cue condition [t(75) = 0.083, p = .934, d = 0.010; see Fig. 3].
Correlations: There was a negative correlation between the fixation frequency on the self-body in the cued condition and the perceived beauty rating of the self-body (r = − .204; p = .027), but not with the control body (r = − .143; p = .123).