e-ISSN: 2582-5208 International Research Journal of Modernization in Engineering Technology and Science Volume:02/Issue:10/ October -2020
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BODY IMAGE AND SELF-COMPASSION AMONG ADOLESCENTS Nimisha. K. A*1, Sannet Thomas*2 *13rd year B. Sc. Psychology Student, Yuvakshetra Institute of Management Studies, Mundoor, Palakkad, Kerala – 678631 *2Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology Yuvakshetra Institute of Management Studies, Mundoor, Palakkad, Kerala - 678631
ABSTRACT Body image is a complex construct constituting the following configuration: emotional experience related to the body and function as well as mental concept (perception and thoughts) regarding physical appearance (Cash & Purinzky , 2004).Self compassion is composed of 3 main components – self blindness , common humanity ,and mindfulness(Neff , 2003) .Adolescents are persons who are in a transitional stage of physical and psychological development that generally occurs during period from puberty to legal adulthood. The present study aimed at investigating the body image and self-compassion among adolescents. The Multi-Dimensional Body-Self Questionnaire (Thomas F Cash, 2000) and SelfCompassion Scale (Kristen Neff, 2003) was employed to assess the body image and self-compassion among adolescents. The study was carried out on a sample of 120 adolescents comprising of 60 males and 60 females through purposive sampling technique. Data was analysed by using mean, standard deviation, one-way ANOVA and Pearson product moment correlation. From the result it was clear that there is a correlation between appearance orientation and self-compassion among adolescents, there is a correlation between self-classified weight and self-compassion among adolescents, there is a correlation between overweight preoccupation and self-compassion among adolescents and also there is a correlation between body area satisfaction and self-compassion among adolescents. Also that females have high level of appearance evaluation, appearance orientation, self-classified weight, overweight preoccupation and body area satisfaction than males, and the males slightly have higher self-compassion than females. Keywords; Body Image, Self-compassion, Adolescents.
I.
INTRODUCTION
Body image' refers to a person's aesthetics or sexual attractiveness of their own body. According to Cash & Pruzinsky (2004) body image is a complex construct constituting the following configuration: emotional experience related to its body and function as well as mental concept (perception and thoughts ) regarding physical appearance. Body image is also been defined as the cognition and affect regarding body , body importance , dieting behaviour ,and perceptual body image (Bainfield & McCabe,2002). This definition indicates that body image is a combination of how an individual pictures or perceives their physical self and how they feel about their body. ‘Self-compassion' is a construct from Buddhist refers to self attitude and self evaluation(Neff , 2003). According to Neff, compassion has three components with two parts each that are exhibited during times of pain and failure. (1).being kind and understanding towards oneself rather than being self-critical (2).seeing ones fallibility as part of larger human condition and experience rather than as isolating and (3).holding ones thoughts and feelings in mindful awareness rather than avoiding them or over identifying with them. Self-compassion and body image, both are concerned to the self-approach .Adolescents are the group who are greatly excited with their body image but also they are the most vulnerable to be badly affected by the threaten of body shaming. Subjecting to body shaming in such a period of life where the child grows to a man by developing his emotional skills may adversely affect the psychosocial functioning in the later stages of his or her life. Therefor it is urgent to have a positive body image for them. Self-compassion,
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