Digital selfie editing shows sex specific associations between processing biases and life satisfaction

Abstract Digital technology has introduced a novel form of self-representation, the selfie. This study investigated the psychological effects of selfie editing and its relationship with well-being by measuring editing behaviors, subjective and objective evaluations of selfies, and life satisfaction. The objective assessment employed a speeded perceptual matching task where participants learned to associate selfies and stranger photos with geometric shapes, then judged the correctness of subsequent photo- shape pairings. Results demonstrated that image editing enhanced immediate selfie satisfaction across sexes. Hierarchical drift diffusion modeling revealed preferential processing of both edited and unedited selfies versus stranger photos, suggesting that edited selfies may function as an extended self-identity. Bayesian regression analysis identified significant associations between life satisfaction and individual differences in selfie perception. Women who processed unedited selfies faster, with higher drift rate, yet reported greater satisfaction with edited selfies, exhibited lower life satisfaction. In contrast, women who demonstrated preferentially processed and reported higher satisfaction with edited selfies, had greater life satisfaction. These associations were absent in men. The findings suggest that congruency of subjective self-evaluation and objective processing of selfies might influence psychological well-being, while indicating sex differences in editing behaviors, underlying cognitive processes, and life satisfaction associations.