Introducing Enhanced Appearance Identity Conflict: AR Beauty Filters and Moralized Self-Presentation in Value-Laden Societies

Abstract

The widespread use of augmented reality (AR) beauty filters has been linked to body image concerns, yet little research addresses their impact in contexts where beauty is deeply entwined with moral and cultural norms. This study introduces the enhanced appearance identity conflict (EAIC) framework to explain how AR filter use generates psychological and cultural tensions beyond appearance dissatisfaction. A survey of Moroccan social media users (N = 420) tested four hypotheses connecting perceived social pressure, identity conflict, self-comparison, filter reliance, and the emotional outcomes of guilt and perfection fatigue. Results revealed a sequential pathway: social pressure predicted identity conflict, which increased self-comparison, leading to greater filter reliance and, ultimately, heightened guilt and perfection fatigue. These findings extend existing theories of self-discrepancy and social self-comparison by demonstrating that AR filters can function as moralized self-presentation technologies in value-laden societies. EAIC provides a conceptual basis for examining how digital beauty practices intersect with cultural identity, opening new directions for cross-cultural media psychology.