Minding the gaps: The adolescent's experience in front of the mirror

The relationship of individuals to their image as reflected in the mirror raises a range of thoughts and emotions. Adolescence is a period of rapid change in self- and body image and therefore it may be assumed that the mirror scene may be charged with intense thoughts and emotions about oneself.
The aim of this study was to explore what motivates adolescents to approach the mirror and the meaning of this experience. Recalled thoughts and emotions while being in front of a mirror were collected from 30 healthy adolescents to study this phenomenon. Based on the Grounded Theory approach, thematic analysis of the interview transcripts was conducted. As a result, the following
themes were identified: (1) motives for approaching the mirror, i.e., need to know how others see me, need to manage and enhance the image, need to be in touch with and understand one's intimate thoughts and feelings, need to track developmental changes; (2) experience of four different types of ‘gaps' in front of the mirror, i.e., between self-perception and ideal images, social-cultural norms, one's beliefs regarding the way others perceive him/her, and one's perception of the image of others; (3) behavioral and cognitive coping strategies with these gaps; and (4) processing identity issues. A model that describes the motivation and the meanings of adolescents' going to and away from the
mirror is proposed and discussed.