Interplay of sociocultural attitudes towards appearance, benevolent sexism, and mental well-being: A self-objectification framework

Sociocultural appearance pressures and traditional gender roles play a critical role in shaping individuals' body image and psychological well-being. Grounded in self- objectification theory, this study examined how internalized standards regarding appearance contribute to symptoms of anxiety and depression through three mediators: body surveillance, body shame, and appearance anxiety. Benevolent sexism was examined as a moderator of the relationship between appearance pressures and self-objectification. Data were collected from 314 Turkish participants and analyzed using Hayes' PROCESS macro. Results showed that sociocultural pressures had a significant direct effect on mental health symptoms. Among the proposed mediators, only appearance anxiety was significant. Benevolent sexism did not moderate any of the hypothesized pathways. Analyses by age group suggested that younger and older adults may experience appearance pressures through different psychological pathways, underscoring the potential value of age-sensitive approaches. Exploratory gender-based analyses showed that for women, sociocultural pressures predicted symptoms both directly and indirectly through appearance anxiety, while for men, the effect was fully mediated. These findings highlight appearance anxiety as the most salient mechanism linking appearance-based social pressures to mental health, emphasizing the need for culturally and gender-sensitive interventions.