Role of Personality, Appearance Comparison, Fear of Negative evaluation in Predicting Social Physique Anxiety among Young Adults

Abstract

Young adults are prone to concerns about being evaluated as society places a heightened emphasis on appearance comparison. Frequency in anticipating how the bodies are being perceived in societal situations can increase body image concerns and anxiety. The purpose is to investigate the relationship between appearance comparison, social physique anxiety, fear of negative evaluation and personality traits among adults. 201 adults between the ages of 18 and 29 participated in the research. Participants were administered an upward and downward physical appearance comparison scale, a brief big5 personality inventory, a social physique anxiety Scale, and a brief fear of negative evaluation scale. A Pearson correlation study showed that social physique anxiety correlated negatively with agreeableness and positively with fear of negative evaluation, upward and downward appearance comparison, and upward appearance comparison. Multiple regression analysis was computed considering upward appearance comparison, agreeableness and fear of negative evaluation predicting social physique anxiety and downward appearance comparison, agreeableness and fear of negative evaluation predicting social physique anxiety. Findings of study revealed that fear of negative evaluation strongly predicted social physique anxiety and appearance comparison moderately predicted social physique anxiety. These findings imply that it is important to promote healthy social interactions and the development of positive body image.