Correlates of appearance anxiety in late adolescence and early adulthood among young women

Abstract

The relation of childhood and early adolescent social experiences with young women's concern over physical appearance (appearance anxiety) in late adolescence and early adulthood was examined. Female under-graduates completed questionnaires assessing appearance anxiety and a questionnaire assessing childhood and early adolescent experiences hypothesized to relate to appearance anxiety as well as current behaviors hypothesized to reflect it. The results suggest that appearance anxiety in women is related to reported negative social experiences in childhood and early adolescence. These experiences were suggested to lead to dissatisfaction with their childhood and early adolescent appearances which in turn was related to appearance anxiety in late adolescence and early adulthood. Appearance anxiety was also found to be related to current social experiences. The most obvious manifestation of appearance anxiety in young women was relatively greater reported attention to improving their appearance.