Appearance comparison as a mediator between perceived parental body talk, sociocultural attitudes, and young adults' body dissatisfaction
Appearance comparison as a mediator between perceived parental body talk, sociocultural attitudes, and young adults' body dissatisfaction

Summary/Abstract: Body dissatisfaction (BD) is a prevalent issue, especially among adolescents and young adults, influenced by various sociocultural factors. The current study examined the association between perceived parental body talk and sociocultural attitudes towards appearance, and young adults’ BD levels, focusing on the mediating role of appearance comparison. Participants were 236 Turkish adults between the ages of 18 and 35 (M = 24, SD = 3.70) who completed an online survey including the Negative Body Talk Scale, Sociocultural Attitudes Towards Appearance Questionnaire-4 Revised, Physical Appearance Comparison Scale-Revised, and Body-Cathexis Scale. Data were analyzed using two simple mediation analyses and a multiple predictor mediation model, using the SPSS PROCESS macro and JASP software. Results indicated that frequency of parental body talk and their sociocultural attitudes, as reported by young adult participants, were positively related to BD, with appearance comparison mediating these relationships. In the multiple predictor model, indirect effects of both parental sociocultural attitudes and body talk on young adults’ BD through appearance comparison were significant. These findings highlight the critical role of parental behaviors and pressures in understanding young adults’ body image experiences and point to the importance of targeting negative body talk, appearance-related pressures, and appearance-based social comparisons in family oriented interventions.

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