WHEN COMPARISON BREEDS CONCERN: SOCIAL COMPARISON, BODY DISSATISFACTION, AND DEPRESSION

Abstract

The current study aimed to explore the relationship between body dissatisfaction and depression, with a particular focus on gender differences in physical appearance comparison and its psychological effects. A sample of 80 participants among university students were selected, comprising 40 males and 40 females. Three standardized self-report instruments were employed: The Body Attitude Test (test-retest reliability = 0.91), (PACS-R; internal reliability = 0.94 which showed high reliability, and the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI). All instruments utilized a Likert-type scale. The findings revealed that both male and female participants engaged in PACS-R. However, physical appearance comparison did not significantly affect body attitude or depressive symptoms among males. In contrast, for females, physical appearance comparison had a significant negative impact on both body attitude and depressive symptoms. The results revealed that females exhibit higher levels of physical appearance comparison, greater body dissatisfaction, and more severe depressive symptoms compared to males. These results underscore the gender-specific psychological vulnerabilities associated with body image and highlight the importance of addressing appearance-based comparisons, particularly among women, in mental health interventions targeting depression.