Relationship between Body Image, Self-Talk, and Social Anxiety among young adults

Abstract

This study explored the relationships among self-talk, social anxiety, and five dimensions of body image in young adults. A sample of 102 participants completed measures of the self-talk scale (STS) for self-talk, Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale (LSAS) for social anxiety, and Multidimensional Body Self Relations Questionnaire–Appearance Scale (MBSRQ-AS) to measure body image. Pearson correlations revealed that self-talk was weakly positively correlated with social anxiety (r = .229, p < .05) and positively associated with Appearance Evaluation (r = .228, p < .05) and Appearance Orientation (r = .266, p < .01). Social anxiety was negatively related to Appearance Evaluation (r = –.254, p < .05) and Body Areas Satisfaction (r = –.310, p < .01). No significant links were found between either self-talk or social anxiety and weight-related concerns. These findings suggest that while self-talk is linked to both higher social anxiety and more positive appearance perceptions, its associations are specific and do not extend to weight-related aspects of body image.