THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN BODY IMAGE SATISFACTION AND CLASSROOM PARTICIPATION ANXIETY AMONG UNIVERSITY STUDENTS

Abstract

This study examined the relationship between body image satisfaction and classroom participation anxiety among university students. Body image played an important role in shaping how students felt about themselves, and concerns about physical appearance could affect their confidence and willingness to participate in classroom activities. Although appearance-related stress and anxiety had been widely studied in different countries, limited research had explored this relationship among university students in Pakistan. Therefore, the present study investigated whether body image satisfaction was associated with classroom participation anxiety. It was hypothesized that there would be a significant relationship between body image satisfaction and classroom participation anxiety among university students. A quantitative, cross-sectional correlational research design was used. Using convenience sampling, 304 university students (147 females and 157 males) from public and private universities in Karachi participated in the study through online surveys. Most participants were enrolled in undergraduate BS programs. Data were collected using the Body-Image Questionnaire (BIQ; Koleck et al., 2002; α = .82) and the Classroom Anxiety Measure (CAM; Richmond et al., 2001; α = .90). The data were analyzed using SPSS Version 27. The findings revealed a significant negative relationship between body image satisfaction and classroom participation anxiety r (304) = −.489, p < .001. Students who were more satisfied with their appearance reported lower levels of anxiety when participating in class, whereas students who were less satisfied with their appearance experienced greater classroom participation anxiety. The study's limitations, recommendations for future research, and counseling implications were also discussed.