GENDER DIFFERENCES IN YOUNG ADULTS’ BODY IMAGE AND SELF-ESTEEM

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to examine gender differences in young adults’ perceptions of body image and self-esteem. The study was conducted on a purposive sample of 200 young adult students from different educational institutions in Lahore, including men and women in equal numbers. The instruments used in this study included the Rosenberg Self-esteem Scale and the Multidimensional Body Self-Relations Questionnaire- Appearance Scale (MBSRQ-AS). Statistical analysis was done by using SPSS 20. A correlation and independent sample t-test were also carried out. Findings for this sample suggest that men are more image-conscious than women; their scores are higher in every scale, but men’s self-esteem scores are lower than those of women.