The Effect Of Self-objectification On Restrictive Eating In University Students: The Role Of Self-compassion And Social Appearance Anxiety

Chronic restrictive eating behaviour can not only be a serious risk to an individual’s physical and mental health,but can also lead directly to the development of pathological eating disorders,and it is therefore necessary to explore the mechanisms and factors that influence them.Previous research has shown that self-objectification and social appearance anxiety are social and individual factors that cannot be ignored in the development of restrictive eating.According to objectification theory,self-objectification has a direct impact on social appearance anxiety,making individuals more likely to evaluate their own appearance negatively,which in turn leads to restrictive eating behaviour.Individuals’ levels of social appearance anxiety may be related to their own self-compassion,leading to inter-individual differences in the frequency of restrictive eating behaviours.Therefore,the effect of social appearance anxiety on the frequency of restrictive eating behaviours varies across levels of self-compassion.In this study,884 university students from three universities in province H were surveyed using the Body Monitoring Scale,the Restrictive Eating Scale,the Self-Compassion Questionnaire for University Students and the Social Appearance Anxiety Scale as research instruments to explore the relationship between self-objectification,restrictive eating,self-compassion and social appearance anxiety.The findings of the study were as follows.(1)Self-objectification,restrictive eating,social appearance anxiety,and self-compassion were significantly different in terms of gender,grade,body mass index,and major.(2)Self-objectification,social appearance anxiety and restrictive eating were all significantly and positively correlated,while self-compassion was negatively correlated with social appearance anxiety.(3)Self-objectification was a positive predictor of restrictive eating,self-objectification was a positive predictor of social appearance anxiety,and social appearance anxiety was a positive predictor of restrictive eating.(4)College students’ self-compassion negatively predicted social appearance anxiety and self-compassion negatively predicted restrictive eating.(5)Self-objectification can have both a direct effect on restrictive eating and an indirect effect on restrictive eating through social appearance anxiety,i.e.social appearance anxiety plays a part in mediating the relationship between self-objectification and restrictive eating.(6)Self-compassion plays a moderating role in the relationship between social appearance anxiety and restrictive eating,specifically,the higher the level of self-compassion,the lower the effect of social appearance anxiety on restrictive eating.