The Relationship Between Identity Status and Attachment Styles with Attitude toward Body Image in Adolescent Girls: The Mediating Role of Social Comparison

This study aimed to determine the relationship between identity status and attachment styles with attitude toward body image in adolescent girls with the mediating role of social comparison. The research design was correlational study-structural equation modeling. The high school students in Isfahan in 2021 were the statistical population of this study, 567 of whom participated by cluster random sampling method. Data collection instruments included the Multidimensional Body–Self Relations Questionnaire (Cash, 1997), Extended Objective Measure of Ego Identity Status-2nd Version (Bennion & Adams, 1986), Revised Adult Attachment Scale (Collins & Read), and Social Comparison Scale (Chan & Prendergast, 2007). The data were analyzed by using structural equation modeling and the results showed that all of the model fitness indices were appropriate. The results also showed that the path coefficients of identity status and attachment style to social comparison and identity status, attachment style, and social comparison to attitude to body image were significant. Also, the social comparison had a mediation role in the relationship between identity status and attachment style with body image attitude. Based on the findings of this study, it seems that people who have a successful identity status and secure attachment style, experience a better attitude towards body image due to less tendency to social comparison.