Struggle for Beauty or Grades？The Impact of Appearance Anxiety on Adolescent Academic Performance (Poster 54)

• In Event: AERA Poster Session Sunday 8:00 a.m.
  In Poster Session: Student and Parent Perspectives on Motivation and Performance

Abstract

Adolescent appearance anxiety is increasingly prevalent, yet few empirical studies explored its impact on academic performance. Analyzing data from 5,189 Chinese adolescents, the study compared the impact of appearance anxiety with test anxiety. Results indicated that: (1) Appearance anxiety exerted more multifaceted impact on academic performance by negatively affecting persistence and self-efficacy, while test anxiety only impacted on self-efficacy. (2) Based on the path coefficients, the impacts of appearance anxiety on persistence, self-efficacy, and academic performance were greater than those of test anxiety. (3) Higher SES levels mitigated the negative impact of appearance anxiety. (4) Both the indirect and direct effects of appearance anxiety on academic performance was much greater in the female group than in the male group.

Authors

• Yihan Chen, Peking University

• Liting Guo, Peking University