AR Filters & Appearance Study

You are invited to participate in a psychology research study at Sunway University examining how augmented reality (AR) social media filters influence state appearance self-esteem and appearance satisfaction among young adults in Malaysia.

⏱ ~20–25 min 🔁 2 Trials 📱 Researcher device provided 🔒 Fully anonymous

What will you do? You will be randomly assigned to one of two conditions: a beautifying AR filter or a non-beautifying AR filter. You will complete two trials — Trial 1 using your assigned condition, and Trial 2 without any filter. Questionnaires are completed after each trial.

Selfie verification: You will be asked to upload your selfie photograph after each trial to confirm the task was completed. Your photograph will be retained securely as part of the research record, with your informed consent.

Risks: Minimal. You may experience mild, temporary appearance-related self-consciousness. A full debriefing will be provided after the study. You may withdraw at any time without penalty.

Contact: Principal Investigator — Ayisha Abdul Rauf, Sunway University Malaysia

Informed Consent

Please check each box to confirm your agreement before proceeding.

I have read and understood the Participant Information Sheet.

I understand participation is voluntary and I may withdraw at any time without penalty, including between trials.

I understand my questionnaire responses are anonymous and will be used for research purposes only.

I consent to completing two trials: Trial 1 with my assigned condition and Trial 2 without any filter.

I consent to uploading a selfie photograph per trial for compliance verification. I understand my photograph will be retained and stored securely on a password-encrypted external hard drive accessible only to the researcher and supervisory team, and will not be shared or published.

I understand my photograph will be permanently deleted upon completion of the research in accordance with the university's data retention policy.

I confirm I am aged 18–30, currently reside in Malaysia, and have previously used Instagram or TikTok including their AR filter features.

About You

All information is collected anonymously and stored securely.

Age

Gender

Nationality

Level of Education

How often do you use social media filters?

Primary social media platform

Instagram

TikTok

Facebook

YouTube

I do not use social media

Your Assigned Condition

You have been randomly assigned to the following experimental condition for Trial 1:

✦

Condition A

Beautifying Filter

Enhances facial features — skin smoothing, complexion brightening, facial refinement

◦

Condition B

Non-Beautifying Filter

Entertainment-oriented effect — does not enhance attractiveness

📋 Study overview: Trial 1 = your assigned condition above · Trial 2 = no-filter baseline (all participants) · Questionnaires after each trial

⬡ TRIAL 1 OF 2 — Filter Exposure Task

Complete the Filter Task

▦

QR Code — Assigned Filter

Scan with this device to open the filter directly in Instagram / TikTok

Step 1: Scan the QR code above — this opens your assigned AR filter directly in Instagram or TikTok.

Step 2: Ensure your full face is clearly visible in good lighting. Take one selfie.

Step 3: Save the selfie to your camera roll, then upload it below for compliance verification.

📸

Tap to select your selfie
JPG or PNG

✅ Uploaded · Timestamp recorded

🔒 Your photograph will only be retained for research compliance verification and as research data, in accordance with your informed consent.

⬡ TRIAL 1 OF 2 — 60-Second Viewing Period

View Your Selfie Now

Look carefully at your selfie for the full 60 seconds. Pay close attention to your own facial appearance in the image.

1:00

60-second viewing period consistent with Mills et al. (2018) and Dijkslag et al. (2024).

⬡ TRIAL 1 OF 2 — Manipulation Check

About the Image You Just Viewed

Please rate the following based on the selfie you just viewed.

1 = Strongly Disagree · 3 = Neutral · 5 = Strongly Agree

1. The image made me look more physically attractive.

2. The image had digital enhancements applied (e.g. skin smoothing, facial refinement).

3. The image was primarily for entertainment rather than attractiveness enhancement.

4. The image appeared digitally altered.

5. The image looked natural and unmodified.

⬡ TRIAL 1 OF 2 — Appearance Self-Esteem

How do you feel about your appearance right now?

Rate each item according to how you feel at this moment.

1 = Not at all · 2 = A little bit · 3 = Somewhat · 4 = Very much · 5 = Extremely

Appearance Self-Esteem subscale — State Self-Esteem Scale (SSES; Heatherton & Polivy, 1991)

1. I feel unattractive right now. (R)

2. I feel pleased with my appearance right now.

3. I am worried about how my face looks. (R)

4. I feel that my face looks right.

5. I feel embarrassed about my appearance. (R)

6. I feel comfortable with the way I look.

7. I feel satisfied with my facial appearance right now.

(R) = Reverse-scored. Higher scores = more positive state appearance self-esteem.

⬡ TRIAL 1 OF 2 — Appearance Satisfaction

Your appearance right now

Indicate how much you agree or disagree with each statement at this moment.

1 = Definitely Disagree · 3 = Neither · 5 = Definitely Agree

Appearance Evaluation (AE) subscale — MBSRQ (Cash, 2000)

1. I like my looks just the way they are.

2. I wish I looked better. (R)

3. I'm physically unattractive. (R)

4. Most people would consider me good-looking.

5. I like the way I look without my clothes.

6. I dislike my physique. (R)

7. I'm not happy with the way I look. (R)

(R) = Reverse-scored. Higher scores = greater appearance satisfaction.

✓

Trial 1 Complete

Trial 1 responses saved. You will now complete Trial 2 — the same procedure but without any filter. This serves as your personal no-filter baseline.

⏸ Please take a short 2-minute rest before continuing.

2:00

⬡ TRIAL 2 OF 2 — No-Filter Baseline (All Participants)

No-Filter Task

Take a selfie using this device's front-facing camera only — no AR filter or application. Then view your image for 60 seconds.

Use the front-facing camera directly. Do not open Instagram, TikTok, or any other app.

📸

Upload your no-filter selfie
JPG or PNG

✅ Uploaded · Timestamp recorded

1:00

⬡ TRIAL 2 OF 2 — About the Image

About the No-Filter Image

Please rate the following based on the selfie you just viewed.

1 = Strongly Disagree · 3 = Neutral · 5 = Strongly Agree

1. The image made me look more physically attractive.

2. The image looked natural and unmodified.

⬡ TRIAL 2 OF 2 — Appearance Self-Esteem

How do you feel about your appearance right now?

Rate each item according to how you feel at this moment.

1 = Not at all · 2 = A little bit · 3 = Somewhat · 4 = Very much · 5 = Extremely

Appearance Self-Esteem subscale — State Self-Esteem Scale (SSES; Heatherton & Polivy, 1991)

1. I feel unattractive right now. (R)

2. I feel pleased with my appearance right now.

3. I am worried about how my face looks. (R)

4. I feel that my face looks right.

5. I feel embarrassed about my appearance. (R)

6. I feel comfortable with the way I look.

7. I feel satisfied with my facial appearance right now.

(R) = Reverse-scored. Higher scores = more positive state appearance self-esteem.

⬡ TRIAL 2 OF 2 — Appearance Satisfaction

Your appearance right now

Indicate how much you agree or disagree with each statement at this moment.

1 = Definitely Disagree · 3 = Neither · 5 = Definitely Agree

Appearance Evaluation (AE) subscale — MBSRQ (Cash, 2000)

1. I like my looks just the way they are.

2. I wish I looked better. (R)

3. I'm physically unattractive. (R)

4. Most people would consider me good-looking.

5. I like the way I look without my clothes.

6. I dislike my physique. (R)

7. I'm not happy with the way I look. (R)

(R) = Reverse-scored. Higher scores = greater appearance satisfaction.

✓

Both Trials Complete — Thank You!

Purpose of This Study

This research examined whether exposure to beautifying AR filters, non-beautifying AR filters, or no filter produces measurable differences in state appearance self-esteem and appearance satisfaction among young adults in Malaysia.

The Appearance Self-Esteem subscale of the State Self-Esteem Scale (Heatherton & Polivy, 1991) and the Appearance Evaluation subscale of the MBSRQ (Cash, 2000) were used to capture your immediate responses across both trials.

AR filters apply digital enhancements that do not represent realistic appearance standards. Any temporary feelings of appearance-related discomfort following this study are expected to resolve shortly.

Your selfie photographs are stored securely on a password-encrypted external hard drive and will be permanently deleted upon completion of the research, in accordance with the university's data retention policy and your informed consent.

If you feel distressed:

🏫 Sunway University Student Wellbeing & Counselling Centre: counselling@sunway.edu.my
📧 Primary Researcher — Ayisha Abdul Rauf: 24150898@imail.sunway.edu.my
📧 Main Supervisor — Dr Lee Ai-Suan: aisuanl@sunway.edu.my
📧 Co-Supervisor — Dr Hiran Shanake Perera: hiranp@sunway.edu.my
📞 Befrienders KL: 03-7627 2929 (24 hours)

Thank you for your valuable contribution to research on digital well-being and appearance self-esteem in Malaysia.