Research has demonstrated a negative relationship between physical maturity and physical self-worth (PSW) in girls. However, this relationship is not particularly strong and may depend on how maturity interacts with key psychological predictors including perceived competence, conditioning, strength and body attractiveness. The purpose of this study was to test the moderating role of physical self-perceptions in the relationship between maturity status and PSW separately for females and males during early adolescence.
Method:
Students in grades 5-8 (N = 241; 57% females; 70% White, 10% Black, 4% Hispanic; Mage = 12.3 years) completed a questionnaire assessing physical self-perceptions (i.e., perceived competence, conditioning, strength and body attractiveness), PSW and maturity status. Hierarchical multiple regression was used to test the interactions between maturity status and each physical self-perception predicting PSW separately for males and females.
Analysis/Results:
In girls, the results of step 1 of the regression analysis were significant (F5, 131 = 79.90, p < 0.001, R2 = 0.75) and the interactions explained significant additional variance in step 2 (DF = 3.49, p = 0.01, DR2 = 0.02). Perceived competence and conditioning were positive predictors of PSW (p < .01) and perceived attractiveness interacted with maturity status to predict PSW (p < .01). The interaction showed that maturity was positively related to PSW only for girls with higher body attractiveness. Results were also significant for boys (F5, 98 = 46.66, p < 0.001, R2 = 0.70) and the interactions explained significant additional variance (DF = 2.5, p = 0.05, DR2 = 0.03). Perceived conditioning and attractiveness were positive predictors of PSW (p < .05) and an interaction between perceived strength and maturity (p = .01) indicated that maturity related positively to PSW, but only for boys with higher perceived strength.
Conclusions:
Results showed that the predictors of PSW differ between girls and boys and depend partly on maturity status. Supporting past research, when girls felt more competent at physical activities and in better physical condition, they experienced higher physical self-worth. Maturity status in girls, however, was a positive predictor of PSW only when perceived body attractiveness was higher. Parallel results emerged for boys except with respect to perceived strength. These findings are consistent with greater societal value placed on muscular development in males and physical appearance more generally in females. Since PSW is a key predictor of physical activity behavior, it is important to understand the interplay between maturation and physical self-perceptions.