Body functionality appreciation and body satisfaction in Indian young adults: The mediating role of cognitive fusion and the moderating role of emotion dysregulation

Recent research in positive body image has found positive associations between functionality appreciation and a positive body image but there is a lack of research on the mechanisms of this relationship, particularly within non-western populations. The current study explored a moderated mediation model for this relationship between functionality appreciation and body satisfaction which incorporated body image-related cognitive fusion as a mediator and emotional dysregulation as a moderator based on the Acceptance-Commitment Therapy framework and the Developmental Theory of Embodiment. 401 young Indian adults completed an online survey, and the data was analysed through simple mediation and moderated mediation analyses. Results showed that functionality appreciation was positively associated with body satisfaction. Body image-related cognitive fusion significantly mediated this relationship, but emotion dysregulation did not significantly moderate the direct or the indirect effects. The findings contribute evidence from a non-western context that body-image relative cognitive fusion as a key mechanism between functionality appreciation and that body satisfaction which could be considered for designing future interventions to improve positive body image.