How Internalized Sexism Shapes Appearance Anxiety in College Students: The Mediating Effect of Self-Compassion_Vol. 3 No. 3 (JHET 2026)_Journal of Higher Education Teaching (ISSN: 3005-5776)

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How Internalized Sexism Shapes Appearance Anxiety in College Students: The Mediating Effect of Self-Compassion

DOI: https://doi.org/10.62517/jhet.202615321

Author(s)

Wu Huiling*

Affiliation(s)

School of Humanities and Foreign Languages, Zhejiang University of Water Resources and Electric Power, Hangzhou, China *Corresponding Author

Abstract

Based on objectification theory, this study explores the impact of internalized sexism on appearance anxiety among college students and examines the mediating role of self-compassion. A questionnaire survey was conducted among 318 college students. The analysis indicated that: (1) internalized sexism was positively correlated with appearance anxiety and significantly negatively correlated with self-compassion; (2) self-compassion was significantly negatively correlated with appearance anxiety; (3) the connection between internalized sexism and appearance anxiety was somewhat mediated by self-compassion, with a mediation impact of 22.4%; (4) female students scored significantly higher than male students on internalized sexism and appearance anxiety. The findings suggest that internalized sexism is a significant risk factor for appearance anxiety among college students, whereas self-compassion is a crucial psychological defense mechanism. To lessen the detrimental effects of internalized sexism on appearance anxiety, it is advised to develop self-compassion skills.

Keywords

Internalized Sexism; Appearance Anxiety; Self-Compassion; Mediating Effect

References

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