Thesis Title: Social Grooming on Facebook, Physical Appearance Comparisons and Body Image Concerns in Youth
Student Name: Mehak Azam
Supervisor: Farah Malik, PhD
Degree: BS
Year: 2014-2018
Department: Institute of Applied Psychology
University: Punjab University, Lahore, Pakistan
Corresponding Address: Department of Applied Psychology, University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan. Email: chairperson@appsy.pu.edu.pk, Phone: 92-42-9231245
Abstract
The present study was conducted to investigate the relationship between social grooming on facebook, physical appearance comparisons and body image concerns in youth. It was hypothesized that there would be a significant positive relationship between social grooming on facebook, physical appearance comparisons and body image concerns in youth. It was also hypothesized that physical appearance comparisons would be a significant moderator for the relationship between social grooming on facebook, and body image concerns. Furthermore, it was hypothesized that there would be significant gender differences on social grooming on facebook, physical appearance comparisons and body image concerns in youth. Sample of the study comprised of youth (N = 150) including both men (n = 60) and women (n = 90) with age range of 18-25 years (M = 21.16, SD = 2.32). Instruments including, Facebook use for Social Grooming (Utz & Beukeboom, 2011), Physical Appearance Comparison Scale –Revised (PACS-R; Thompson & Schaefer, 2014) and Body Image Concerns Inventory (BICI; Littleton & Pury, 2005) were used to collect data. Pearson product moment correlation analysis showed that there was a positive relationship between social grooming on facebook, physical appearance comparisons and body image concerns in youth. Furthermore, Independent sample t-test showed that there were no gender differences among study variables. Physical appearance comparisons appeared to be a significant moderator for the relationship between social grooming and body Image concerns. Findings of the current study may be helpful for developing media literacy programs to combat negative body image and to increase critical awareness of social media content and activities that may escalate appearance-related pressure.
Keywords: Social grooming, facebook, physical appearance comparisons, body image concerns, youth.
