Impact of body image, social support, and psychological well-being on gender identity

Abstract

Gender is a social construction. From the ancient time to till date society is always on an exploration of the concept of gender and sexuality. The studies on these topic is very much needed in modern times as the concepts are changing with the flow of the time. The present study has opted a mixed-method approach whereby the quantitative part of the study aimed to determine whether body image, social support and psychological well-being can predict the gender identity of a person. Hence, the three variables are measured through the following scales: Body Self-Image Questionnaire-Short Form, Social Support Questionnaire-Short Form and Ryff’s Psychological Well-Being Scale. In the first part of the study, the Snowball sampling technique was used. The sample was divided into two groups, each consisting of 30 participants, whereby one groups consisted of LGBTQ+++ individuals and the other of CIS gender individuals. Logistic Regression analysis showed that the sub-domains of Body Self-Image Questionnaire such as Overall Appearance Evaluation (OAE) and Investment in Ideals (II) along with Psychological Well-being can predict Gender identity.