Date

10-2019

Department

School of Behavioral Sciences

Degree

Doctor of Education in Community Care and Counseling (EdD)

Chair

Angel Golson

Keywords

Body Image, Body Appreciation, Social Media Engagement, Self Esteem, Body Positive

Disciplines

Education | Social and Behavioral Sciences

Abstract

Dissatisfaction with one’s body and low self-esteem are significant issues that many women experience throughout their lives. Researchers have substantiated the relationship between self-esteem and body appreciation, with limited and conflicting correlations reported between body appreciation and engagement with social media. Accordingly, further research was needed to develop a more comprehensive understanding of the ways that self-esteem and engagement with social media may affect body appreciation. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the relationship between women’s self-reported social media engagement, body appreciation, and self-esteem. This study was guided by three research questions and results were interpreted through the lenses of sociocultural theory and social comparison theory. This quantitative examination followed a correlational design. The sample consisted of 112 female participants between the ages of 18 and 45, who were recruited via Survey Monkey. The online survey consisted of the Body Appreciation Scale-2, the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, and a demographic questionnaire. Results of the two Pearson correlations and a moderation analysis revealed no significant relationships between body appreciation, self-esteem, and social media engagement. Implications of these findings are discussed.

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