Nicole Gifford

Doctor of Clinical Psychology, (Clinical Psychology)
Study Completed: 2021
College of Humanities & Social Sciences

Citation

Thesis Title
Instagram vs. Reality: Risk Factors that Make an Adolescent more Vulnerable to Engage in an Upwards Social Comparison on Instagram, Resulting in Poorer Mental Health.

Read article at Massey Research Online: MRO icon

Ms Gifford used a questionnaire and structural equation modelling to explore the impact of Instagram on adolescent mental health. She found that adolescents who do not really understand who they are, or who have a tendency to compare their abilities with others, are most likely to compare themselves negatively to the photos on Instagram, and thus experience poor mental health. Furthermore, females with these personality traits were at higher risk of poor mental health than males. Ms Gifford's findings make an important contribution to identifying factors that influence New Zealand's poor adolescent mental health.

Supervisors
Associate Professor Richard Fletcher
Professor James Liu