Body image and self-acceptance as predictors for psychosocial performance among young women in Jordan

ABSTRACT

This study aims to collects and analysis data to measure the predictive ability of body image and self-acceptance on psychosocial performance among young women in Jordan. Questionnaires were applied to 82 young women, whose age ranged from 18–50 years using the available method. Three scales were used, which are body image and self-acceptance and psychosocial performance scales. Three variables were examined: marital status, educational qualification, and age. The study results showed that cultural factors are the most influential on body satisfaction among Jordanian young women, and the psychological aspect is the most affected aspect by self-acceptance among Jordanian young women, and that self-acceptance predicts psychosocial performance more than the body image variable, which comes in second place. There were no statistically significant differences due to each of the variables of social status, educational qualification, and age. The study recommends conducting more research on different samples from both sexes.

KEYWORDS:

• Body image
• self-acceptance
• psychosocial performance
• young women
• Jordan

Introduction

Body image is believed to be a key, influential factor in human life in general, and in women in particular as it is viewed as a standard for women acceptance in society. To this effect, physical appearance represents a major challenge for many young women. Since their birth, many societies have focused on physical appearance of young women and considered it a criterion for acceptance or non-acceptance. This tendency has turned body image and physical appearance to become very essential for young women. However, many problems have been created for women because of this tendency. Therefore, many researchers studies body image and self-acceptance as a variable to predict psychosocial performance. In fact, unlike those with a negative body image who have lower social performance, less positive social relationships, and many psychological problems, accepting body image would mean better social performance, positive social relationships, and more integration into the societies to which people belong. Hence, the present study intends to measure such variables of body image and self-acceptance.

The researchers believe that the context of the study at hand is quite novel as these variables had never been studied in the Jordanian environment before. In this regard, body image, self-acceptance, and their impact on psychosocial performance change according to the culture. Jordanian culture differs greatly from Western and/or East Asian culture as Arab beauty criteria or standards differ from those of Western culture. In Jordanian culture, body image is directly related to marriage and establishing romantic relationships. However, Jordan is a small country, where people living in different regions have different views of body image. For example, the views of people coming from major cities, such as Amman, the capital city, regarding body image are different from those of people coming from rural and Bedouin societies. Therefore, the researchers selected one of the rural communities (a small village) in Jordan to measure cultural differences between rural society and the capital city society regarding body image.

Body image is one of the most important psychological issues around the world as it is related to many problems that may impede an individual’s life, especially females’ lives compared to those of males. This is due to the assumption that females are naturally more concerned with their appearance and their bodies because of pressures imposed on them from society. Women are demanded to show an ideal body image. Caring for body image is an essential component of human personality, which is the mental image that the individual holds about his or her body, and there is no doubt that females are more concerned with body image. It is widely believed that any physical or health problem may affect the body image, causing frustration and depression among some individuals (Al-Rasheed, 2019). For example, Berg et al. (2010) indicated in their study that there is a strong association between low self-acceptance and self-esteem with dissatisfaction with body image. They highlighted the impact of this relationship on the development of some unhealthy problems and behaviours, such as problems associated with eating disorders and psychological stress in general. Currently, considering great media promotion of certain ideal standards of beauty for both sexes, specialists see that these standards negatively affect individuals and lead to many problems, including low self-acceptance, self-esteem problems, mood disorders, anxiety, eating disorders, and depression (Pollina et al., 2018). Individual’s feelings about their body, self-acceptance, and mental health are closely related. Dissatisfaction with the body image, for example, causes problems related to low self-esteem and many psychological problems, which in turn affect social performance. Diengdoh and Ali (2021).

Body image

Body image refers to the individual’s perceptions of his or her body mentally and visually, and this image is often affected by beauty standards that exist in society. These standards are often described through social media, and they include, for example, the ideal height, the ideal body, and the ideal colour and hair. Body image changes in line with ageing and different standards of beauty imposed by society (Banjade, 2022). According to Candidate et al. (2020), body image includes three dimensions: the cognitive side, the personal or subjective side, and the behavioural side. The cognitive side includes mental images and the individual’s cognitive perception of individual appearance (weight, height, and body shape). However, the personal side includes self-satisfaction or dissatisfaction with the shape of the body, while the behavioural side includes avoidance behaviours related to appearance, anxiety, and discomfort towards appearance.

Body image also refers to a person’s emotional attitudes, beliefs, and perceptions of individual body. It is defined as a complex perception of an individual about his or her body. Body image relates to the following: What do individuals think about their body and appearance? How do they feel about their bodies, their height, weight, and shape? A positive body image is associated with the individual’s satisfaction and acceptance of his or her body, while a negative body image is associated with dissatisfaction and the desire for a person’s body to be different. Social culture and media play an important role in imposing a certain body image that affects how the individual sees his or her body, but these criteria are often not of importance. The intense focus of media on the image and shape of a particular body leads to the creation of psychological pressures on individuals, physical and psychological ill health, and imbalances in personal and community life. Diseases, serious and long-term health conditions, and exposure to aggression because of appearance at school or work result in the emergence of problems related to body image (White, 2022).

Self-acceptance

Self-acceptance refers to the individual’s acceptance of all his or her positive and negative qualities and traits. Through this acceptance, the individual evaluates his or her effective and ineffective traits in objective ways and accepts them as essential parts of personality. Self-acceptance consists of three main aspects. The first is acceptance of the body through expressing comfort with the body and love for it, along with accepting physical defects. The second is protecting one’s own self from negative judgement of the other. The third is the individual’s feeling and belief in his or her own abilities, which includes realizing, appreciating, and trying to develop positive thoughts and feelings about the individual’s abilities and capabilities. Morgado et al. (2014).

The concept of self-acceptance begins in childhood and continues through the various stages of development, especially in adolescence. Based on certain variables, individuals gradually acquire the idea of themselves through experiences in their lives. Self-acceptance is an important aspect of personal development in all its aspects (mental, psychological, social, physical, and personal). The way individuals view themselves affects all aspects of their lives. Self-acceptance indicates that individuals are more confident in themselves, in their judgements, less prone to anxiety, less sensitive to criticism, more tolerant during discussions, and more socially active. Al-Masarwa (2020).

MacInnes (2006) believes that developing positive self-acceptance among individuals is very important as it reduces mental health problems that individuals may experience. Low self-acceptance is associated with many health problems, such as depression and anxiety. Morgado et al. (2014) believes that decrease in positive acceptance is positively associated with problems of anxiety, depression, eating disorders, and the emergence of problems related to body image. According to (Mualifah et al., 2019), the concept of positive self-acceptance is associated with social adjustment as individuals who enjoy positive self-acceptance, have more confidence, accept criticism, and have more self-respect, which reflects on their social performance and makes them more capable of social adaptation.

The sense of body image is acquired from experiences before and after birth, where complex interactions between neurophysiological, social, cultural, and cognitive factors contribute to the development of body image in addition to other influences, such as gender, fashion, peer groups, cultural, social, and educational background, and physical changes during the stages of life, especially in adolescence. Body image is a complex construct consisting of thoughts, feelings, assessments, and behaviours towards an individual’s perception of his or her body. Accordingly, fault in body image predicts many psychological and social problems. It is considered an essential component that leads to many serious diseases, including body dysmorphic disorder, anorexia nervosa, and bulimia nervosa. It also has effects on mood, self-esteem, competence, social performance, and occupational performance (Hosseini & Padhy, 2022). In addition, people who suffer from low self-acceptance are exposed to more psychological stress, lack of self-confidence, decreased ability to tolerate pain and manage it, and lack of motivation to fight diseases, which in turn affects social performance Merlin et al. (2019).

Psychosocial performance

Psychosocial performance refers to the psychological, mental, and social factors and their impact on the individual’s life (Pugh, 2002). Psychosocial performance is considered in light of a group of psychological and social factors combined together, which include the individual’s internal factors, such as emotions, thinking style and needs, and external factors represented by the mutual relationships between the individual and their environment. Positive psychological performance is the individual’s ability to deal with his motivations, conflicts, and problems, the ability to rely on themselves, their sense of self-worth, and their ability to know and determine their goals, desires, and needs and to achieve them. Positive social performance is represented by the individual’s ability to establish positive social relationships and communicate with individuals at all levels. It is also represented by the speed of their adaptation to the circumstances that surround them, in addition to their ability to accept others and keep up with the customs, traditions and culture in which they live (Bouderbala, 2020). When an individual is exposed to personal, marital, emotional, or social problems, their psychosocial performance is affected, their quality-of-life decreases, and psychological problems, such as anxiety, depression, sleep problems, and eating disorders may appear. Moreover, the quality of social life decreases, and the individual is exposed to poor social adaptation, their feeling of loneliness increases, and their social interactions decrease, which affects their psychological health Iseselo et al. (2016).

Body image and self-acceptance are considered one of the elements that control psychosocial performance of individuals, having a negative self-image means problems in psychosocial performance, while having a positive self-image and positive self-acceptance means better psychosocial performance. Recently, social movements have emerged to improve the psychosocial performance of women, especially regarding their body images and self-acceptance, such as:

• Body positivity is a social movement that encourages body acceptance and appreciation of all body types and shapes, including shapes, sizes, characteristics, and colours, without focusing on traditional aesthetic standards. It aims to increase self-confidence, improve individual’s relationship with their body, and increase self-acceptance.

• Body neutrality means the individual’s focus on the functions and capabilities of their body rather than focusing on physical appearance. The concept depends on achieving balance and acceptance of the body without excessive focus on physical appearance.

• Body liberation means liberating the individual from social, cultural and media restrictions and standards imposed by societies regarding physical appearance of females and males. This movement seeks to achieve self-liberation and full acceptance of the body, including the rights of the body and freedom of expression.

These concepts are considered as a set of principles and values aimed at changing cultural and social attitude towards the body and promoting acceptance and love for bodies in their various shapes, sizes, and characteristics. Therefore, when individuals and societies adopt these ideas and these movements, it means that problems in psychosocial performance will be less. Heath and Fuller (2023); Fuller (2022).

According to Satghare et al. (2019), body image and self-acceptance predict psychosocial functioning. Low satisfaction with body image predicts many psychological problems, where prevalence rates of body image dissatisfaction range from 19.5% to 77% among adolescents and are associated with disorders, such as social anxiety, depression, thinking of suicide, and low self-acceptance. In Lacroix et al. (2023), body image issues were identified to be the most powerful causal risk factors for all forms of eating disorders in both sexes. In addition, negative body image predicts many negative body health outcomes, including poor overall physical, mental health and depressive symptoms. This includes low self-esteem, avoidance of social interactions, starting to smoke cigarettes, and low negative sexual health. However, negative body image is common in most different settings. Concerns about body image have been found to appear in children under the age of six. Although estimates vary depending on study sample and methodology, 50% of children of school age (6–12 years) usually express dissatisfaction with at least one aspect of body size or shape. In adolescence, more than 70% of girls report wanting to change their weight or shape, in relation to self-acceptance. According to Mualifah et al. (2019), individuals who have positive self-acceptance are more confident and self-respecting, are more able to accept negative criticism, and can better develop themselves and improve their potential. The results of the study also indicated that self-acceptance is associated with satisfaction with life, less attempt to show off and boast compared to others with negative self-acceptance, more sense of security and empathy, and more ability to communicate with others and build more positive relationships.

Study problem

Body image among young women is a serious problem that has existed since ancient times. Its forms change, but it remains rooted in women, even if the degree and severity of the problem varies. This problem is considered an issue that requires much more attention from researchers. Women’s body image is inseparable from their self-acceptance, as both influence each other. Global reports conducted by the British Parliament published in 2020 (UK Parliament) indicate that women are the most affected by negative body images, as 6 out of 10 women suffer from it. Another report published by Linardon (2023) indicated that older women are more affected by negative body image, especially regarding their weight, as 70% of women aged between 60–70 years expressed their desire to be thin. The same study, using a sample of 50,000 young women, indicating that 60% of young women declared that they were overweight and that they felt ashamed of their weight.

However, there are no official statistics on the extent of the problem among women in the Arab world, specifically in Jordan, but women’s nature does not differ, no matter how different the cultures are. In a study conducted in Jordan, Alzaben and Almaghaireh (2021) concluded that most teenage girls suffer from a negative body image that negatively affects self-acceptance, confidence, and self-esteem. As for self-acceptance, the British global research company Geehair (2023) conducted a study on the level of self-acceptance, confidence, and appearance, which indicated not very positive results. It indicated a real problem, as it stated that 85% of young women believe that they are unattractive, which means that 4 out of 5 young women do not feel confident about their appearance, which certainly affects their self-confidence and self-acceptance. This study indicated that 27,400 women searched on Google for ‘How to lose weight quickly’ in the past 12 months. Hence, according to the aforementioned global data and statistics, it is clear that the problem of body image and self-acceptance is a global and widespread issue. Research results indicated that negative body image leads to serious problems that affect mental health and social performance, and that media has made matters worse. Instead of encouraging women to accept their natural appearance, media would spread unreal and exaggerated beauty standards. Accordingly, women fall under pressure to appear beautiful or in more accurate terms are captive to certain aesthetic standards that change with the change in standards adopted by social networking. Accordingly, the lack of statistics, and the lack of studies that address the problem of body image and self-acceptance in the Jordanian society has been a motif to the researchers to conduct the present research in the Jordanian society context, which is considered an Eastern society, where young women are subject to increasing pressures compared to Western societies. In Arab societies, females, no matter how much they are exposed to problems with body image and self-acceptance, find less psychological support as the family is not supportive and the society is not aware of the importance of spreading a culture of body acceptance and self-acceptance. This entails problems for young women regarding their psychosocial performance.

Significance of study

To the best of the researchers’ knowledge, this study is considered the first in Jordan to address this category of young women. It is also considered the first in terms of combining two variables: self-acceptance and body image, and their predictive ability on psychosocial performance. These variables have not been examined before. In short, the importance lies in obtaining information related to the level of satisfaction with body image among young women in the Jordanian society.

Study objectives

This study aims to determine the levels of satisfaction with body image and self-acceptance among a sample of young women in the Jordanian society. It also aims to observe the predictive ability of the variables of body image and self-acceptance on the psychosocial performance of those to whom the scales will be applied.

Hypotheses

• There is a predictive ability of body image on psychosocial performance among young women in Jordan.

• There is a predictive ability of self-acceptance on psychosocial performance among young women in Jordan.

• There are differences in the predictive ability of body image on the psychosocial performance of young women in Jordan.

• There are differences in the predictive ability of self-acceptance on the psychosocial performance of young women in Jordan.

Study questions

The present study attempts to answer the following questions.

1. What is the level of satisfaction with the body image of women in Jordanian society?

2. What is the level of self-acceptance among women in Jordanian society?

3. What is the level of psychosocial performance among women in Jordanian society?

4. What is the predictive ability of body image and self-acceptance on psychosocial performance among women in Jordanian society?

5. Does the predictive ability of body image and self-acceptance differ on psychosocial performance among Jordanian women, according to social status, age, and educational qualification?

Method

Procedures and participants

The study was applied to the Jordanian Balqa Governorate, which is considered a rural governorate (a small village) in Jordan. The study population consists of 11,139 people according to statistics from the Jordanian Ministry of Interior, but there are no accurate statistics regarding the number in terms of gender. The sample was taken using the available sample method, which, according to the researchers, is appropriate for the purposes of the study. In the beginning, 151 young women, who willingly agreed to fill out the questionnaire, were counted. Noting that the nature of women in this rural community finds it difficult to undergo tests or respond to a study due to the lack of knowledge among them about the importance of filling out questionnaires or to determine its value in scientific research, it took the researchers a long time to be able to apply the scales to a sufficient number of young women who agreed to respond to the questionnaire. After the study participants responded to the questionnaire, 40 questionnaires were excluded because the answers were not complete, and 28 other questionnaires were excluded because they had stereotypical answers, and thus the sample was limited to 82 questionnaires. Table 1 shows distribution of the study sample.

Table 1. Distribution of the study sample.

Variable	Category	Frequency	%
Age	18–30	49	59.8
	More than 30	33	40.2
Academic qualification	Diploma and less	32	39
	Bachelor and above	50	61
Social status	Married	27	32.9
	Others	55	67.1
	Total	82	100

Measurements

• Body image scale: The body image scale was translated and developed from a study by Jalali-Farahani et al. (2022) entitled ‘Development and validation of the body image scale for youth (BISY)’, with the aim of preparing a Jordanian vision of the scale. In its initial form, the scale consists of 52 items distributed over 10 dimensions. The scale was prepared for the purpose of this study through the following steps:

1. The scale was translated by researchers and reviewed by a translation specialist, and its items were reformulated to suit the environment and to be applicable to the category of young women in Jordan.

2. The scale items were prepared based on measurement tools used in studies related to body image.

Validity of the scale

The scale was translated and prepared to be suitable for the Jordanian environment, and it was developed within this framework. Important issues were considered during the translation and development of the scale, the most important of which is that the scale was applied to adolescents in general, and it contains items that do not fit the present study sample. In addition, it was designed for the Iranian environment, which differs from the Jordanian one in many aspects. Furthermore, the purpose of the scale in the original study focused mainly on weight and obesity among the study sample members, which is not consistent with the purpose and objective of the present study. The validity indicators for the scale were obtained using two methods: content validity and construct validity.

Content validity

The tool was presented in its initial form, translated and prepared for the Jordanian environment, to 10 of university professors at Jordanian universities (Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychological Counseling) to demonstrate the suitability of the items to what they were designed to measure. After professors opinion They decided to delete 10 item.

Construct validity

As an indicator of construct validity, the tool was applied in its modified form to an exploratory sample consisting of 25 young Jordanian women from outside the study sample. To extract implications of construct validity for the scale, correlation coefficients were extracted for each item and the total score, between each item and its association with the field to which it belongs, and between the fields and the total score. The correlation coefficients of the items with the tool ranged between (0.48–0.73) and with the field (0.49–0.96), and the following Table 2 explains this.

Table 2. Correlation coefficients between the item, the total score, and the field to which it belongs.

Correlation coefficient with the tool	Correlation coefficient with the field	Item	Correlation coefficient with the tool	Correlation coefficient with the field	Item	Correlation coefficient with the tool	Correlation coefficient with the field	Item
0.64**	0.96**	29	0.50*	0.93**	15	0.69**	0.76**	1
0.60**	0.75**	30	0.60**	0.92**	16	0.73**	0.83**	2
0.65**	0.87**	31	0.60**	0.95**	17	0.50*	0.70**	3
0.66**	0.82**	32	0.56**	0.64**	18	0.56**	0.76**	4
0.49*	0.78**	33	0.63**	0.77**	19	0.49*	0.85**	5
0.60**	0.83**	34	0.52*	0.85**	20	0.50*	0.77**	6
0.52*	0.78**	35	0.50*	0.52*	21	0.66**	0.80**	7
0.60**	0.72**	36	0.48*	0.67**	22	0.60**	0.49*	8
0.63**	0.86**	37	0.60**	0.86**	23	0.63**	0.65**	9
0.60**	0.77**	38	0.50*	0.81**	24	0.63**	0.71**	10
0.52*	0.65**	39	0.48*	0.82**	25	0.65**	0.84**	11
0.60**	0.67**	40	0.49*	0.84**	26	0.68**	0.75**	12
0.13	0.15	41	0.50*	0.69**	27	0.70**	0.80**	13
0.12	0.13	42	0.56**	0.87**	28	0.48*	0.75**	14

*Statistically significant at the significance level (0.05).

**Statistically significant at the significance level (0.01).

It should be noted that the correlation coefficients were of acceptable degrees and statistically significant, except for items 41 and 42, as they obtained correlation coefficients of less than 0.20 with the item and with the total score. Thus, they were deleted due to the presence of an unacceptable correlation, as indicated by Odeh (2011), who considered that the acceptable correlation coefficient values are from 0.20 and above.

Scale stability

The original scale consisted of 52 items, and to ensure the stability of the study tool, the test-retest verification method was used to apply the scale, and it was re-applied two weeks later to a group outside the study sample consisting of 20. Then, the Pearson correlation coefficient was calculated between their estimates for the two times, and the reliability coefficient was also calculated using the internal consistency method according to the Cronbach Alpha equation. Table 3 explains this.

Table 3. Cronbach’s alpha internal consistency coefficient and test-retest reliability of the fields and the total score.

Internal consistency	Test-retest reliability	Field
0.71	0.88	Emotional and physical aspect
0.75	0.83	Physical assessment
0.84	0.84	Personal characteristics and strategies
0.82	0.85	Importance of appearance for the future
0.79	0.86	Social models
0.76	0.82	Social support
0.79	0.84	Spiritual – physical aspect
0.71	0.87	Appearance and social interactions
0.77	0.81	Cultural values
0.8	0.87	Empowerment
0.86	0.89	Body image scale

Table 3 shows the internal consistency coefficient according to the Cronbach alpha equation and the Test-retest reliability of the fields and the total score. These values were considered appropriate for the purposes of this study, and the table explains that.

Self-acceptance scale

The self-acceptance scale was designed from several studies: Berger (1952,1955), Chamberlain and Haaga (2001a), Robinson and Shaver Phillip (1969), Su et al. (2019), Al-Masarwa (2020), as well as from the extensive experience of researchers specialized in the field. In its initial form, the scale consisted of 41 items and three dimensions were developed by the researchers after reviewing the above studies.

Scale validity

Content validity

The tool was presented in its initial form, translated and prepared for the Jordanian environment, to 10 of university professors in Jordanian universities (Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychological Counseling) to demonstrate the suitability of the items to what they were designed to measure, and to ensure their suitability to the study population in the Jordanian environment, and the suitability of the language. So, appropriate amendments and additions were made after the approval of at least 7 arbitrators to keep the items. However, 4 items were deleted from the scale, and thus the scale consisted of 37 items after deletion.

Construct validity

To extract the implications of the construct validity of the scale, correlation coefficients were extracted for each item and the total score, and between each item and its association with the field to which it belongs, and between the fields and the total score, to an exploratory sample from outside the study sample consisting of (20) young Jordanian women, The correlation coefficients of the items with the tool as a whole ranged between (0.44–0.70) and with the field (0.46–0.77). Table 4 shows this.

Table 4. Correlation coefficients between the item, the total score, and the field to which it belongs.

Correlation coefficient with the tool	Correlation coefficient with the field	Item	Correlation coefficient with the tool	Correlation coefficient with the field	Item	Correlation coefficient with the tool	Correlation coefficient with the field	Item
0.62**	0.46*	27	0.62**	0.57**	14	0.62**	0.60**	1
0.48*	0.72**	28	0.64**	0.63**	15	0.63**	0.66**	2
0.52*	0.55*	29	0.47*	0.46*	16	0.64**	0.72**	3
0.52*	0.60**	30	0.47*	0.57**	17	0.63**	0.55*	4
0.59**	0.52*	31	0.68**	0.66**	18	0.62**	0.60**	5
0.68**	0.66**	32	0.47*	0.71**	19	0.64**	0.61**	6
0.59**	0.53*	33	0.52*	0.46*	20	0.45*	0.55*	7
0.52*	0.55*	34	0.48*	0.57**	21	0.59**	0.77**	8
0.55*	0.53*	35	0.50*	0.53*	22	0.52*	0.57**	9
0.44*	0.60**	36	0.70**	0.54*	23	0.55*	0.60**	10
0.59**	0.60**	37	0.64**	0.53*	24	0.52*	0.54*	11
			0.48*	0.52*	25	0.45*	0.46*	12
			0.70**	0.61**	26	0.50*	0.46*	13

*Statistically significant at the significance level (0.05).

**Statistically significant at the significance level (0.01).

Table 4 shows that all correlation coefficients were of acceptable and statistically significant degrees, and therefore none of these items were deleted.

The field correlation coefficient with the total score and correlation coefficients between the fields were extracted. Table 5 illustrates this.

Table 5. Correlation coefficients between the fields.

Self-acceptance scale	Social aspect	Psychological aspect	Body acceptance	Field
			1	Body acceptance
		1	0.575**	Psychological aspect
	1	0.531*	0.817**	Social aspect
1	0.895**	0.820**	0.900**	Self-acceptance scale

*Statistically significant at the significance level (0.05).

**Statistically significant at the significance level (0.01).

Table 5 shows that all correlation coefficients were of acceptable and statistically significant degrees, indicating an appropriate degree of construct validity.

Reliability of the self-acceptance scale

To ensure the stability of the study tool, it was verified using the test-retest method by applying the scale and re-applying it after two weeks to a group of 20 outside the study sample, and then the Pearson correlation coefficient was calculated between their estimates both times.

The reliability coefficient was also calculated using the internal consistency method according to the Cronbach Alpha equation. Table 6 explains this.

Table 6. Cronbach’s alpha internal consistency coefficient and test-retest reliability of the fields and the total score.

Internal consistency	Test-retest reliability	Field
0.79	0.84	Body acceptance
0.77	0.81	Psychological aspect
0.8	0.83	Social aspect
0.84	0.89	Self-acceptance scale

Table 6 shows the internal consistency coefficient according to the Cronbach alpha equation, test-retest reliability of the fields, and the total score. These values were considered appropriate for the purposes of this study.

Psychosocial performance scale

The scale was designed from several studies: Tindle et al. (2022), the Hojat et al. (1993) study, and the Gwen et al. (2005) study in addition to taking the views of young women from the sample about psychological symptoms or social problems that they may face. These views were revised by the researchers. The scale in its original form consists of 33 items and two dimensions.

Validity of the scale

Content validity

The tool was presented in its initial form to ten professors of psychological counselling and psychology to verify its suitability to the environment and to the category of women in Jordanian rural society and to demonstrate the suitability of the items to what they were designed to measure. Appropriate modifications or additions were made considering the received feedback. Based on the arbitrators’ comments, 13 items of the tool were deleted, and some items were modified or reformulated.

Construct validity: psychosocial performance scale

To extract the implications of the construct validity of the scale, correlation coefficients were extracted for each item and the total score, and between each item and its association with the field to which it belongs. This was also done between the fields and the total score, in an exploratory sample from outside the study sample consisting of 20 young Jordanian women. The correlation coefficients of the items with the tool ranged between (0.45–0.85) and with the field (0.47–0.93). Table 7 shows this.

Table 7. Correlation coefficients between the item, the total score, and the field to which it belongs.

Correlation coefficient with the tool	Correlation coefficient with the field	Item	Correlation coefficient with the tool	Correlation coefficient with the field	Item	Correlation coefficient with the tool	Correlation coefficient with the field	Item
0.74**	0.69**	15	0.77**	0.87**	8	0.74**	0.68**	1
0.62**	0.64**	16	0.51*	0.64**	9	0.57**	0.74**	2
0.69**	0.89**	17	0.60**	0.80**	10	0.45*	0.57**	3
0.50*	0.58**	18	0.51*	0.77**	11	0.53*	0.67**	4
0.60**	0.82**	19	0.53*	0.57**	12	0.82**	0.77**	5
0.68**	0.93**	20	0.61**	0.79**	13	0.85**	0.82**	6
			0.73**	0.78**	14	0.45*	0.47*	7

*Statistically significant at the significance level (0.05).

**Statistically significant at the significance level (0.01).

It should be noted that all correlation coefficients were of acceptable and statistically significant degrees, and therefore none of these items were deleted.

The field correlation coefficient with the total score, and correlation coefficients between fields were also extracted. The following table shows this.

Reliability of the psychosocial performance scale

To ensure the stability of the study tool, it was verified using the test-retest method by applying the scale and re-applying it after two weeks to a group of 20 outside the study sample, and then the Pearson correlation coefficient was calculated between their estimates both times. The reliability coefficient was also calculated using the internal consistency method according to the Cronbach Alpha equation. Table 8 illustrates this.

Table 8. Cronbach’s alpha internal consistency coefficient and test-retest reliability of the fields and the total score.

Internal consistency	Test-retest reliability	Field
0.75	0.83	Psychological performance
0.71	0.85	Social performance
0.82	0.87	Psychosocial performance scale

Table 8 shows the internal consistency coefficient according to the Cronbach alpha equation and the test-retest reliability of the fields and the total score. These values were considered appropriate for the purposes of this study.

Statistical analysis

A set of statistical analysis was used, they were arithmetic means, standard deviations, Pearson correlation coefficient, and multiple regression test.

Results and discussion

To answer the first question, that is, what is the level of satisfaction with the body image of the women of Jordanian society, the arithmetic means, and standard deviations of the level of satisfaction with the body image of Jordanian women were extracted. Table 9 illustrates this.

Table 9. Means and standard deviations of the level of satisfaction with body image among Jordanian women are arranged in descending order according to the means.

Rank	No	Field	SMA	Standard deviation	Level
1	9	Cultural value	3.08	0.749	High
2	5	Social models	2.95	0.842	Middle
3	4	Importance of appearance for the future	2.83	0.795	Middle
4	7	Spiritual-physical side	2.55	0.767	Middle
5	8	Appearance and social interaction	2.55	0.834	Middle
6	6	Social support	2.50	0.863	Middle
7	3	Properties and personal strategies	2.48	0.648	Middle
8	2	Physical evaluation	2.44	0.754	Middle
9	1	Emotional physical side	2.35	0.690	Middle
10	10	Empowerment	2.04	1.046	Middle
		Scale of body image	2.54	0.482	Middle

Table 9 shows that the means ranged between (2.04–3.08), where the field of cultural values ranked first with the highest mean of (3.08), while the field of empowerment had the last rank with a mean of (2.04). The mean of the level of satisfaction with the body image of the women of the Jordanian society was (2.54).

It is clear from Table 9 that the cultural values dimension is the highest in the mean. This indicates that the culture experienced by Jordanian and Arab women, in general, has the most influence on them in terms of body image and low satisfaction with it among women in Jordanian society. In such a society, culture as a whole has impacts on feelings, ideas, and opinions, playing an important role in shaping what we feel, whether positively or negatively, towards our bodies. It is certain that cultural influences have the most influence on self-awareness and its respect. Women have a certain pattern and shape of the body, which causes pressure on them and a lack of self-acceptance. Because often we as individuals are affected by what others say about us and how others and society view us, culture plays this important role. This study lends support to the study of Pollina et al. (2018), which indicated that media plays an important role in setting important standards for beauty, which affects the psychological health of individuals. It also agrees with Banjade (2022), who indicated the importance of social culture imposed by media in placing images of the ideal body. In addition, the study agrees with White (2022), who believes that social culture and media focusing on the image and shape of a specific body lead to creating psychological pressures on individuals, physical and psychological ill health, and lead to imbalances in personal life.

To answer the second question, that is, what is the level of self-acceptance among women in Jordanian society, the means, and standard deviations of the level of self-acceptance of women in Jordanian society were extracted. Table 10 illustrates this.

Table 10. Means and standard deviations of the level of self-acceptance among Jordanian women are arranged in descending order according to the means.

Rank	No	Field	SMA	Standard deviation	Level
1	2	Psychological side	3.43	0.648	Middle
2	1	Body acceptance	3.29	0.673	Middle
3	3	Social side	3.22	0.584	Middle
		Self-acceptance scale	3.32	0.576	Middle

Table 10 shows that the mean ranged between (3.22–3.43), where the psychological aspect came in first place with the highest mean (3.43), while the social aspect had the last rank with a mean of (3.22). However, the mean of self-acceptance among women in the Jordanian society as a whole was (3.32). The psychological aspect was higher in means, which indicates that psychological and emotional aspects are the most affected domain by self-acceptance. This explains that problems related to body image and self-acceptance are specifically related to psychological aspects. Decreased satisfaction with the body is associated with increased feelings of anxiety, depression, and other psychological problems, such as problems related to eating. The results of this study indicate that Jordanian women are not different from women from any other cultures. Women are more concerned with body image than men, and women are subject to cultural and social standards for a specific body image. The result of this study is consistent with the result of Al-Rasheed (2019), which indicates that problems with body image cause depression and anxiety for individuals. It is also consistent with the result of Berg et al. (2010), which concludes that there is a strong association between low self-acceptance and self-esteem, lack of satisfaction with body image and problems associated with eating disorders and psychological stress in general. In addition, the present study agrees with Diengdoh and Ali (2021), where a significant correlation indicates that dissatisfaction with body image causes problems associated with low self-esteem and many psychological problems.

To answer the third question, that is, what is the level of psychosocial performance among Jordanian women, the means and standard deviations were extracted for the level of psychosocial performance among Jordanian women. Table 11 illustrates this.

Table 11. Means and standard deviations for the level of psychosocial performance among Jordanian women are arranged in descending order according to the means.

Rank	No	Field	SMA	Standard deviation	Level
1	2	Social performance	2.17	0.570	Middle
2	1	Psychological performance	2.14	0.525	Middle
		Psycho-social performance scale	2.16	0.486	Middle

Table 11 shows that the means ranged between (2.14–2.17), where the social performance domain came in the first place with the highest mean (2.17), while the psychological performance domain came in the last rank with the mean (2.14). The mean of the level of psychosocial performance among women in Jordanian society was (2.16). These results indicate that the social aspect is more affected in individuals who record a decrease in body image and self-acceptance. Dissatisfaction with body image leads to a decrease in social interactions, a decrease in social activities, and psychological problems develop later. For women in the Jordanian society, it becomes clear that the social aspect is more affected. We can attribute this to the fact that Jordanian women are highly impacted by social and family rituals (to which they must submit). For those who feel that there is a decrease in satisfaction with their body image, it is clear that their social performance decreases in terms of activities, visits, and interactions. It seems that the Jordanian society is a society that focuses a lot on social aspects more than on psychological aspects, which are usually neglected in the Jordanian environment. Jordanian women tend to show social problems more than they tend to show clear psychological problems. The result of this study agrees with Diengdoh and Ali (2021), where he indicated that low self-acceptance and low satisfaction with body image affect social performance. It also agrees with Hosseini and Padhy (2022), who highlighted that body image distortion problems and low acceptance affect mood and help developing psychological problems and low social performance.

To answer the fourth question, that is, what is the predictive ability of body image and self-acceptance on psychosocial performance among women in Jordanian society, Pearson correlation coefficient was extracted between the body image scale and the self-acceptance scale, and the psychosocial performance scale of Jordanian women. Table 12 illustrates this.

Table 12. Pearson correlation coefficient for the relationship between the body image scale and the self-acceptance scale and the psychosocial performance scale of Jordanian women.

		Body image scale	Self-acceptance scale
Performance psycho-social scale	Correlation coefficient	0.583 **	0.684 **
	Statistically significant	0.000	0.000
	number	82	82

*Statistically significant at the level of significance (0.05).

**Statistically significant at the level of significance (0.01).

Table 12 shows that there is a statistically significant positive relationship between the body image scale and the self-acceptance scale, and the psycho-social performance scale of Jordanian women. With the aim of revealing the predictive ability of the set of variables predicting the variable, multiple linear regression analysis was used by adopting the method of entering the predicted variables into the regression equation using the Stepwise method, as shown in Table 13.

Table 13. Multiple regression test results for predictor variables, their multiple correlation coefficients, and their interpretation according to the method of entering the predictor variables into the equation.

Predictive variable	Multiple correlation coefficient (R)	Cumulative explained variance ratio(R2)	How much the variable adds to the total explained variance(R2)	regression coefficient (B)	value(F)	value(t)	Regression constant	Statistical significance
Self-acceptance scale	0.684	0.468	0.468	0.577	70.281	8.383	0.241	0.000
Body image scale	0.715	0.512	0.044	0.267	41.411	2.673	0.017	0.000

It is clear from Table 13 that the variables involved in predicting the psychosocial performance scale are the self-acceptance scale and the body image scale, which together explain (51.2%) of the explained variance of the psychosocial performance scale. The self-acceptance scale variable had the greatest ability to predict the measure of psychosocial performance. It explained (46.8%) of the variance, followed by the body image scale variable, which added (4.4%) to the variance. The percentage of variance explained by these variables was statistically significant at the level of significance (α = 0.05). It is also clear from Table 6 that a rise in the self-acceptance measure by one standard unit (standard deviation) increases psychosocial performance by 0.577 of a standard unit, and that a rise in body image by one standard unit (standard deviation) increases psychosocial performance by (0.267). These predictive variables were statistically significant at the significance level (α = 0.05).

It is clear from the results that there is a positive and clear relationship between the body image scale and the self-acceptance scale on the psychosocial performance of women in the Jordanian society. Self is an integral part of psychological and social performance. The image in which the individual sees his or her appearance affects positively or negatively self-acceptance and social performance. An individual who has a positive image and considers his or her appearance to be appropriate reflects positively on self-acceptance, which means that he or she is more positive in engaging in social behaviour. People suffering from low self-acceptance and low satisfaction with their body image are not positively involved in social activities. The results also showed that self-acceptance predicts more psychosocial performance because when an individual enjoys self-acceptance, he or she becomes more acceptable of body image. Whether it is appropriate social media standards or not, the element of self-acceptance is stronger in predicting psycho-social performance. Based on that, it is natural that the greater the self-acceptance and satisfaction with body image, the better the social and psycho-social performance of individuals. This result is consistent with Al-Rasheed (2019), who found that there was a strong association between low self-acceptance and self-esteem with dissatisfaction with body image and its impact on the development of some problems and unhealthy behaviours, such as problems associated with eating disorders and psychological stress. It is also consistent with Diengdoh and Ali (2021), who found that there is a significant correlation between dissatisfaction with body image and problems related to low self-esteem and many psychological problems, which in turn affects social performance. In addition, the present study agrees with Morgado et al. (2014), who believed that the decrease in positive self-acceptance is positively associated with problems of anxiety, depression, eating disorders, and the emergence of problems related to body image. According to Mualifah et al. (2019), the concept of positive self-acceptance is associated with social adjustment, as individuals who have positive self-acceptance have greater confidence in accepting criticism. They respect themselves more, which is reflected in their social performance and makes them more capable of social adaptation.

To answer the fifth question, that is, does the predictive ability of body image and self-acceptance differ on the psychosocial performance of Jordanian society women according to the variables of age, academic qualification, and marital status, the means, and standard deviations of the predictive ability of body image and self-acceptance on the psychosocial performance of Jordanian women were extracted according to the variables of age, academic qualification, and marital status. Table 14 shows this.

Table 14. Arithmetic means and standard deviations of the predictive ability of body image and self-acceptance on psychosocial performance among Jordanian women according to the variables of age, academic qualification, and marital status.

Variable	Description	SMA	Standard deviation	Frequency
Age	18–30	0.20	0.942	49
	More than 30	0.30	1.024	33
Academic qualification	Diploma or less	0.22	0.945	32
	Bachelor’s and above	0.14	1.019	50
Marital status	Married	0.32	1.245	27
	Unmarried	0.16	0.823	55

Table 14 shows an apparent variation in the means and standard deviations of the predictive ability of body image and self-acceptance on psychosocial performance among Jordanian women due to the different categories of the variables age, academic qualification, and marital status. To show the significance of the statistical differences between the means, the triple analysis of variance was used in Table 15.

Table 15. Triple variance analysis of the effect of age, academic qualification, and social status on the predictive ability of body image and self-acceptance on psychosocial performance among Jordanian women.

Variable	Sum of squares	Degree of freedom	Mean of squares	f value	Statistical significance
Age	2.435	1	2.435	2.602	0.111
Academic qualification	0.684	1	0.684	0.731	0.395
Social condition	2.113	1	2.113	2.258	0.137
Error	72.991	78	0.936
Total	81.000	81

The following can be seen from Table 15:

• There were no statistically significant differences (α = 0.05) because of age, as the f- value was 2.602 and the statistical significance was 0.111.

• There were no statistically significant differences (α = 0.05) because of the academic qualification, as the f-value was 0.731 and the statistical significance was 0.395.

• There were no statistically significant differences (α = 0.05) because of the social status, as the f- value was 2.258 and the statistical significance was 0.137.

The results of the study indicate that there are no differences because of age, academic qualification, and social status in predicting self-acceptance and body image on psychosocial performance. For women who usually suffer from low satisfaction with body image at an early stage, dissatisfaction remains present in all stages usually, and this also applies to self-acceptance, as low self-acceptance is present in all age stages. As for marital status, no statistically significant differences appeared for married women or an unmarried woman, whose social status does not affect her body image. For the individual who has a positive or negative body image, his or her social status does not affect that. We can explain that the low satisfaction with body image and self-acceptance is more related to personality, past experiences, childhood, and some other variables than it is related to marital status. Finally, the academic qualification variable also did not play any role in predicting body image and self-acceptance. The academic degree did not prove to have any role in body satisfaction and self-acceptance. This study agrees with Satghare et al. (2019).

Conclusions and recommendations

The present study examined the predictive ability of body image and self-acceptance on psychosocial performance among young women in Jordan. The new elements in this research are the self-acceptance variable, the psychosocial performance variable, and the rural community, to which no study had not been applied before. The results of the study showed that cultural factors had the greatest influence on the level of satisfaction with body image. The culture of the region imposes special beauty standards. Young women who are slightly plump and have white skin are more accepted by society than thin women and women with dark skin. Dark-skinned women suffer from less social acceptance, especially in the Jordanian rural environment. As a result, curvy young white women may be more involved in romantic relationships and be more desirable for marriage than others. We must not forget the new element, which is the Internet and social networking, which impose different aesthetic standards. In all cultures, culture is considered exhausting for women in general, and in Jordan, it is more dangerous once we add religion, customs, traditions, and modern technology. Regarding self-acceptance, which is affected by body image and vice versa, the researchers considered it to be the greatest control among personality elements. It was clear from interviewing the study participants that women who had high self-acceptance, even if they did not have high aesthetic standards, had positive body image and vice versa. Accordingly, self-acceptance can be considered the variable that significantly controls and predicts psychological and social performance. No statistically significant differences appeared due to the variables of gender, marital status, and age. All these variables were not considered a primary and main control of body or self-image acceptance because there are deeper elements related to experiences, personality, environment, and exposure to trauma that control body image more.

The researchers recommend the necessity of having awareness and educational campaigns, especially in schools and universities, related to the need for females to accept their bodies, colours, and weight, along with the need to maintain their physical health. They also recommend the necessity of publishing content on the Internet and social media, such as Facebook, Tik-Tok, and Instagram that breaks the stereotype of ideal body image, such as advertisements for women (obese, dark-skinned, or women who do not have perfect skin) so that women will be more acceptable of their different body shapes. The present study focused on the cultural aspect, and it is very useful to study the cultural dimension of rural and remote areas, especially regarding body image and self-acceptance and their impact on the personal and social aspects because, specifically in Jordan, these communities are marginalized. Therefore, focusing on these areas may reveal a lot. One of the limitations of the research is the attention to the sample, as it was limited only to Jordanian women who are distinguished by a specific culture and belong to a small geographical region in the Middle East.

We can also say that the study sample was somewhat small, which encourages future studies to be done, but on larger samples. We can also point out that we applied our study to women belonging to a small village, and we did not apply the study to women belonging to the Bedouin or urban area.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).