Professor Viren Swami

Viren is a social psychologist whose research focuses on the psychology of body image, mental health, and the benefits of spending time in nature.

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View Viren's ResearchGate profile

Background

Viren joined Anglia Ruskin University as a Professor of Social Psychology in 2015, having previously worked at the University of Westminster and the University of Liverpool. He is co-director of the ARU Centre for Societies and Groups, and director of the Centre for Psychological Medicine, a collaborative research centre between ARU and Perdana University in Malaysia. He is a Chartered Psychologist and Associate Fellow of the British Psychological Society, and is ranked in the top 2% of the most-cited scientists in the world.

Viren is a prominent science communicator and author, with extensive experience in television, radio, and digital and print media work. He also frequently presents his research at science, literary, and music festivals, and works with various public engagement organisations, including One Tenth Human. Viren’s most recent book, Attraction Explained (now in its second edition), has received critical acclaim, being praised as “beautifully written” while managing to be “scrupulously accurate”.

Research interests

Viren’s work is focused on understanding body image in different cultural, economic, and socio-political contexts. He is particularly interested in cross-cultural differences in body image and beauty ideals, and his research seeks to map changing patterns of body image across world regions. His related work applies psychometric theory and methods to understand how body image should be conceptualised across different national and linguistic groups.

The overarching aim of this research is to develop positivist, interventionist methods that can effectively promote healthier body image and well-being across diverse populations. For example, Viren’s recent research has highlighted the ways in which exposure to nature can promote a more positive body image in diverse national context environments. Separately, he is also interested in the study of mental health literacy, especially societal understandings of paternal postnatal depression.

Areas of research supervision

• Body image within different cultural and subcultural contexts
• The promotion of positive body image
• Nature exposure and psychological well-being
• Embodying activities and influences
• Psychometrics, including the translation and validation of measures
• Postnatal depressiom in fathers

Find out more about our Psychology PhD.

Qualifications

• PhD in Psychology, University College London, 2005
• BSc (Hons) Psychology, University College London, 2002

Memberships, editorial boards

• Chartered Psychologist and Associate Fellow, British Psychological Society
• Fellow, Advance HE
• Editorial boards: Body Image, Eating and Weight Disorders, Healthcare, Routledge Open

Selected recent publications

Swami, V., Maïano, C., & Morin, A. J. S. (2023). A guide to exploratory structural equation modelling (ESEM) and bifactor-ESEM in body image research. Body Image, 41, 101641.

Swami, V., Tran, U. S., Stieger, S., Aavik, T., Abdollahpour Ranjbar, H., Adebayo, S. O., Afhami, R., … Voracek, M. (2023). Body appreciation around the world: Measurement invariance of the Body Appreciation Scale-2 (BAS-2) across 65 nations, 40 languages, gender identities, and age groups. Body Image, 46, 449-466.

Swami, V., Voracek, M., Furnham, A., Robinson, C., & Tran, U. S. (2023). Support for weight-related anti-discrimination laws and policies: Modelling the role of attitudes toward poverty alongside weight stigma, causal attributions about weight, and prejudice. Body Image, 45, 391-400.

Stieger, S., Aichinger, I., & Swami, V. (2022). The impact of nature exposure on body image and happiness: An experience sampling study. International Journal of Environmental Health Research, 32, 870-884.

Swami, V., Barron, D., & Furnham, A. (2022). Appearance orientation and dating anxiety in emerging adults: Considering the roles of appearance-based rejection sensitivity, social physique anxiety, and self-compassion. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 51, 3981-3992.

Swami, V., Hochstöger, S., Kargl, E., & Stieger, S. (2022). Hangry in the field: An experience sampling study on hunger, anger, irritability, and affect. PLoS ONE, 17, e0269629.

Swami, V., Punshon, S., & Paul, T.-D. (2022). Promoting positive body image in children through theatre: An evaluation of Cinderella: the AWESOME Truth. Body Image, 42, 50-57.

Swami, V., Todd, J., & Tylka, T. (2022). Measuring positive breast experience: Development and psychometric evaluation of the Breast Appreciation Scale (BrAS). Body Image, 43, 275-291.

Swami, V., Tran, U. S., Stieger, S., & Voracek, M. (2022). Developing a model linking self-reported nature exposure and positive body image: A study protocol for the Body Image in Nature Survey (BINS). Body Image, 40, 50-57.

Swami, V., Grüneis, G. C., Voracek, M., & Tran, U. S. (2021). Mental health literacy of depression: A preregistered study reconsidering gendered differences using filmed disclosures. Psychology of Men and Masculinity, advance online publication. 

Andersen, N., & Swami, V. (2021). Science mapping research on body image: A bibliometric review of publication in Body Image, 2004 to 2020. Body Image 38, 106-119.

Swami, V., Horne, G., & Furnham, A. (2021). COVID-19 related stress and anxiety are associated with negative body image in adults from the United Kingdom. Personality and Individual Differences, 170, 110426.

Swami, V., Todd, J., Stieger, S., Furnham, A., Horne, G., & Tylka, T. (2021). Body acceptance by others: Refinement of the construct, and development and psychometric evaluation of a revised measure – the Body Acceptance by Others Scale-2. Body Image, 36, 238-253.

Swami, V. (2020). Body image benefits of allotment gardening. Ecopsychology, 12, 19-23. 

Swami, V., Mohd. Khatib, N. A., Vidal-Mollón, J., Vintila, M., Barron, D., Goian, C., Mayoral, O. Toh, E. K. L., Tudorel, O., Vazirani, S., & Zahari, H. S. (2020). Visits to natural environments improve state body appreciation: Evidence from Malaysia, Romania, and Spain. Ecopsychology, 12, 24-35.

Swami, V., Barron, D., Smith, L., & Furnham, A. (2020). Mental health literacy of maternal and paternal postnatal (postpartum) depression in British adults. Journal of Mental Health, 29, 217-224. 

Swami, V., Tran. U. S., Barron, D., Afhami, R., Aimé, A., et al. (2020). The Breast Size Satisfaction Survey: Breast size dissatisfaction and its antecedents and outcomes in women from 40 countries. Body Image, 32, 199-217.

Swami, V., & Barron, D. (2019). Translation and validation of body image instruments: Challenges, good practice guidelines, and reporting recommendations for test adaptation. Body Image, 31, 204-220