Objective Self-face perception is critical to physical self-concept, yet its importance in body image disorders among males is underexplored. This study examines how self-face recognition accuracy and evaluations are influenced by the severity of body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) and muscle dysmorphia (MD) symptoms in males and whether symptom severity moderates the relationship between recognition accuracy and evaluations

Methods Sixty-eight White and East/Southeast Asian males in Australia completed measures assessing BDD and MD symptoms (appearance intolerance, drive for size, and functional impairment), self-face recognition accuracy (self-reported difficulty and objective sensitivity using a video-morphing task), and self-face evaluations (perceived attractiveness, adiposity, and dissatisfaction)

Results Hierarchical regressions revealed that higher BDD symptoms and MD-related appearance intolerance predicted greater self-reported recognition difficulties and more negative evaluations (lower attractiveness, higher dissatisfaction). However, symptoms were unrelated to objective recognition sensitivity and perceived adiposity. Preliminary analyses suggested that recognition accuracy and evaluations were also unrelated, with no moderating effects of symptom severity.

Conclusions These findings suggest that elevated BDD and MD symptoms, particularly appearance intolerance, disrupt self-face recognition and evaluations in males. Addressing these disturbances could enhance theoretical models of body image. Future research should investigate these processes in diverse clinical populations and longitudinal contexts before considering implications for intervention.

Highlights

Higher body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) symptoms were linked to greater self-face recognition difficulty and lower perceived facial attractiveness in males.

Muscle dysmorphia (MD) symptoms, specifically appearance intolerance, related to greater self-face recognition difficulty, lower perceived facial attractiveness and greater head dissatisfaction.

Preliminary evidence that self-face recognition difficulty and evaluations are unrelated, independent processes in males with BDD and MD symptoms.

The authors have declared no competing interest.

This study did not receive any funding

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Ethics committee of The University of Melbourne gave ethical approval for this work

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