Physical self-concept in adolescence and young adulthood: A comparison of Turkish and German students

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine age and gender differences in physical self-concept in two different cultural contexts. This study also aimed to study cultural differences in physical self-concept by comparing German and Turkish adolescents and young adults. 901 Turkish (mean age = 19.3 years, SD = 3.10) and 733 German students (mean age = 19.8 years, SD = 2.97) voluntarily participated in this study. The Physical Self-Description Questionnaire (PSDQ) was administered to all participants to assess their self-perceptions on multiple dimensions of physical self-concept. Results indicated significant differences in the multiple dimensions of physical self between males and females and also between adolescents and young adults favoring males and young adults, Analysis also demonstrated culture differences in which German students had higher perception scores on competence subscales while Turkish students scored higher on the appearance related subscales of PSDQ. Furthermore, significant age group x culture and gender x culture interactions were obtained. In a summary, gender and culture are possible factor that should be considered in the understanding of physical self.