A nervous wait: Instagram’s sensitive-content screens cause anticipatory anxiety but do not mitigate reactions to negative content

Figures & data

Figure 1. Screen stimuli: (a) example of sensitive-content screen with warning and blurred image (all studies), (b) opaque grey screen with no warning (Study 2), (c) example of greyscale geometric shape used as filler stimuli (Study 3).

Table 1. Means (and standard deviations) for state anxiety and negative affect, by uncovering behaviour and time (Study 1).

	Time
Uncovering behaviour	T1 M (SD)	T2 M (SD)	Total M (SD)
State Anxiety
Uncovered all	9.7 (3.9)	14.4 (4.9)	12.1 (3.5)
Did not uncover all	9.6 (3.2)	13.4 (4.6)	11.5 (3.5)
Total	9.7 (3.5)	13.9 (4.8)
Negative Affect
Uncovered all	13.4 (6.0)	18.9 (8.5)	12.1 (5.8)
Did not uncover all	13.1 (4.8)	17.7 (7.6)	11.5 (3.8)
Total	13.3 (5.4)	18.3 (8.1)

Notes: N = 263. Possible scores range from 6–24 for state anxiety, and 10–50 for negative affect.

Table 2. Means (and standard deviations) for state anxiety and negative affect, by condition and time (Study 2).

	Time
Condition	T1 M (SD)	T2 M (SD)	Total M (SD)
State Anxiety
Warning	10.5 (4.3)	11.7 (4.4)	11.1 (5.4)
Control	9.9 (3.7)	9.8 (3.8)	9.8 (5.3)
Total	10.2 (4.0)	10.7 (4.1)
Negative Affect
Warning	13.2 (5.2)	14.4 (5.6)	13.8 (6.8)
Control	12.6 (4.4)	12.4 (5.0)	12.5 (6.5)
Total	12.9 (4.8)	13.4 (5.3)

Notes: N = 203. Possible scores range from 6–24 for state anxiety, and 10–50 for negative affect.

Table 3. Means (and standard deviations) for state anxiety and negative affect, by condition and time (Study 3).

	Time
Condition	T1 M (SD)	T2 M (SD)	Total M (SD)
State Anxiety
Image + warning	10.8 (4.5)	16.9 (4.8)	13.8 (5.1)
Image-only	9.8 (3.3)	15.6 (4.2)	12.7 (5.1)
Total	10.3 (4.0)	16.3 (4.5)
Negative Affect
Image + warning	13.5 (5.5)	22.1 (9.0)	17.8 (8.2)
Image-only	12.6 (4.1)	19.7 (7.9)	16.1 (8.2)
Total	13.0 (4.8)	20.9 (8.5)

Notes: N = 220. Possible scores range from 6–24 for state anxiety, and 10–50 for negative affect.