Does Repeated Mirror Checking Cause Memory Distrust

This study investigated the effect of mirror checking on memory confidence, and the relationship between memory distrust and urges to check in the mirror. Undergraduate participants were provided false feedback about their appearance (i.e., some were told their appearance was flawed; others were told their appearance was normal). Then, participants were asked to check themselves in the mirror, either once, or several times. No differences were found between conditions, but results suggest that those who looked at themselves in the mirror once (vs. several times), and those who received the negative feedback (vs. neutral) reported a less vivid and detailed memory of themselves after checking the mirror. These results do not support the study’s original hypotheses, but they do generate more interesting questions about the mechanisms underlying a complex and problematic behaviour, that is mirror checking, in body dysmorphic disorder.