Relationship Between Self-objectification and Social Anxiety in Adolescent Girls: Mediating Role of Self-worth and Concern About Body Image

Abstract

Background: Previous studies have shown that adolescent girls are more frequently affected by social anxiety disorder compared to boys. Various factors contribute to this condition, including challenges in emotion regulation, depressive symptoms, and low self-esteem. A significant factor influencing social anxiety among adolescent girls is their physical development, which can adversely affect their social relationships. Although research has established the crucial role of physical appearance in social avoidance among adolescent girls, the underlying reasons remain unclear. Objectives: The present study aimed to explore the mediating roles of self-worth and body image concern in the relationship between self-objectification and social anxiety in adolescent girls. Methods: This cross-sectional study utilized a multi-stage cluster sampling technique to select and examine 384 adolescent girls in Isfahan city during the 2022 - 2023 academic years. Data were collected using the Social Anxiety Scale for Adolescents (SAS-A), the Contingencies of Self-worth Scale (CSWS), the Self-objectification Questionnaire (SOQ), and the Body Image Concern Inventory (BICI). Data analysis was conducted using Pearson correlation coefficients and structural equation modeling (SEM). Results: The findings indicated that self-objectification and body image concern were significantly positively associated with social anxiety (P < 0.01), while self-worth demonstrated significant negative relationships with all three variables (P < 0.05). The findings indicated that self-worth mediates the relationship between self-objectification and social anxiety. Conclusions: These results suggest that mental health professionals can develop targeted interventions to address the interplay between self-objectification, body image concern, and social anxiety in adolescent girls. Such interventions could potentially mitigate the development of social anxiety and its associated challenges in this population.