Research supports the hypothesis that people with a positive body image engage in a cognitive process of protective filtering, whereby positive information is “filtered in” and negative information is “filtered out” to promote and maintain positive body image (Wood-Barcalow et al., 2010). To provide more insight into this process, this study qualitatively explored the experiences of young women self-identifying as having a positive body image (N = 20, M_age = 21.00) when they were exposed to beauty-ideal imagery. Participants wrote down their thoughts during beauty-ideal exposure on Instagram, and were interviewed. Via reflexive thematic analysis, we identified four themes concerning the protective filtering strategies the participants described using: (a) critiquing the beauty ideal/imagery; (b) appreciating their own/other’s bodies; (c) focusing on the values and personality of the women in beauty-ideal imagery; (d) linking beauty-ideal imagery with its past negative consequences. Participants described factors contributing to the effectiveness of their protective filtering, and advice for others to foster positive body image. Overall, many of the protective filtering strategies overlapped with key characteristics of positive body image. Future research may examine whether deliberately “activating” these characteristics in the face of body image-threats could protect and promote positive body image among other women as well.

研究支持这样一种假设，即具有积极身体形象的人参与了保护性过滤的认知过程，即积极信息被“过滤”，消极信息被“过滤”以促进和维持积极的身体形象（Wood-Barcalow et al. , 2010)。为了更深入地了解这一过程，本研究定性地探讨了年轻女性自我认同为拥有积极身体形象的经历（N = 20，M_年龄= 21.00) 当他们接触到美丽的理想图像时。参与者在 Instagram 上晒出理想美颜时写下了自己的想法，并接受了采访。通过反思性主题分析，我们确定了与参与者描述的保护性过滤策略有关的四个主题：(a) 批评美的理想/意象；(b) 欣赏自己/他人的身体；(c) 关注美丽理想形象中女性的价值观和个性；(d) 将理想美的意象与其过去的负面后果联系起来。参与者描述了有助于其保护性过滤有效性的因素，并为他人树立积极的身体形象提供了建议。总的来说，许多保护性过滤策略与正面身体图像的关键特征重叠。