The Influence of Appearance Comparison and Fear of Negative Evaluation on Self- Esteem among Young Adults

Abstract

Negative Evaluation on Self-Esteem. The research targeted individuals aged 18-30 years, purposively selected from various districts in Kerala. The objective was to examine how appearance comparison and fear of negative evaluation affect self-esteem. A total of 120 participants, comprising an equal number of females and males (60 each), were included in the study. Data collection was carried out using the Physical Appearance Comparison Scale (PACS-R), the Fear of Negative Appearance Evaluation Scale (FNAES), and the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale. These instruments were administered both directly and via online Google Forms. The collected data were analyzed using Spearman correlation and the Mann-Whitney U test. The findings indicated that self-esteem is negatively correlated with physical appearance comparison and fear of negative appearance evaluation. Furthermore, the results revealed significant gender-based differences in physical appearance comparison, fear of negative appearance evaluation, and self-esteem.