Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2024 Dec 5:17:4145-4156.
doi: 10.2147/PRBM.S493355. eCollection 2024.

Class Group Attachment and Negative Body Image in Chinese Junior High School Students: The Chain-Mediating Role of Self-Compassion and Peer Fear Inferiority

Ting Li  1 , Yulei Chen  2 , Heyong Shen  3
Affiliations

Class Group Attachment and Negative Body Image in Chinese Junior High School Students: The Chain-Mediating Role of Self-Compassion and Peer Fear Inferiority

Ting Li et al. Psychol Res Behav Manag. .

Abstract

Purpose: This study aims to investigate the impact of class group attachment on negative body image among junior high school students and explore the underlying mechanisms.

Materials and methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted with 684 Chinese junior high school students using four validated instruments: the Negative Physical Self Scale, the Class Group Attachment Scale (Middle School Version), the Peer Fear of Inferiority Scale, and the Self-Compassion Scale. A chain mediation model was employed to analyze the relationships among class group attachment, negative body image, self-compassion, and peer fear of inferiority.

Results: Class group attachment anxiety and avoidance, self-compassion, peer fear of inferiority, and negative body image were significantly correlated. Class group attachment anxiety not only directly positively predicted negative body image but also had an indirect effect on negative body image through self-compassion and peer fear of inferiority. In contrast, class group attachment avoidance mainly affected negative body image indirectly through self-compassion and peer fear of inferiority.

Conclusion: Class group attachment significantly impacts negative body image, with self-compassion and peer fear of inferiority serving as important mediating factors. These findings enhance the understanding of the factors influencing negative body image among adolescents and their mechanisms, providing valuable theoretical support for body image education among middle school students.

Keywords: adolescent psychology; class group attachment; negative body image; peer fear of inferiority; self-compassion.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare that are relevant to the content of this article.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
The Hypothesized Model Diagram of Class Group Attachment, Self-Compassion, Peer Fear of Inferiority, and Negative Body Image.
Figure 2
Figure 2
The Model Diagram of Class Group Attachment, Self-Compassion, Peer Fear of Inferiority, and Negative Body Image.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Similar articles

See all similar articles

References

    1. Chen H, Huang XT, Feng WF. Development of the adolescent ideal body self scale. Psychol Sci. 2006;29:1190–1193.
    1. Shi P, Huang YF, Zhang HZ, Leng XC, Chen H. Negative impact of negative body image on adolescents. Adv Psychol Sci. 2020;28:294–304. doi:10.3724/SP.J.1042.2020.00294 - DOI
    1. Guo Q, Wu M. The relationship between self-objectification and social avoidance among Chinese middle adolescent girls: the mediating role of appearance comparison and self-esteem. Curr Psychol. 2023;42:3489–3497. doi:10.1007/s12144-021-01705-8 - DOI
    1. Hart E, Chow CM. I just don’t want to be fat! Body talk, body dissatisfaction, and eating disorder symptoms in mother-adolescent girl dyads. Eating Weight Disord. 2020;25:1235–1242. - PubMed
    1. Fredrickson BL, Roberts T-A. Objectification theory: toward understanding women’s lived experiences and mental health risks. Psychol Women Quart. 1997;21:173–206. doi:10.1111/j.1471-6402.1997.tb00108.x - DOI

LinkOut - more resources