Body Image Projection Bias in Heterosexual Romantic Relationships: A Dyadic Investigation

2021 ◽  
pp. 014616722110252
Author(s):  
Allanah Hockey ◽  
Caroline L. Donovan ◽  
Nickola Christine Overall ◽  
Fiona Kate Barlow
Keyword(s):  
Body Mass Index ◽  
Body Image ◽  
Romantic Relationships ◽  
Relationship Satisfaction ◽  
Body Mass ◽  
Sexual Satisfaction ◽  
Romantic Relationship ◽  
Married Couples ◽  
The Self ◽  
Projection Bias

Guided by projection bias perspectives, this article sought to advance understanding of the associations between body image and relationship and sexual satisfaction within heterosexual romantic relationships. Across two studies, both members of heterosexual dating and/or married couples reported on their body image, perceptions of partner’s attraction to the self, own attraction toward the partner, and relationship satisfaction. Study 2 also incorporated measures of participants’ body mass index (BMI) and sexual satisfaction. Across both studies, women with poorer body image perceived their partner to be less attracted to them (irrespective of their partner’s actual attraction to them, or how attracted they were to their partner), which in turn was associated with lower relationship and sexual satisfaction. For men, attraction to their partner was consistently associated with their own relationship satisfaction. Results demonstrate that projection biases are a possible mechanism through which body image is associated with romantic relationship and sexual satisfaction, and hint at the particular relevance of appearance-related projection biases for women’s relationship and sexual satisfaction.

The Draw-A-Person Test and Body Image

2014 ◽  
Vol 35 (1) ◽  
pp. 3-22 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jonathan E. Handelzalts ◽  
Yael Ben-Artzy-Cohen
Keyword(s):  
Body Mass Index ◽  
Body Image ◽  
Body Mass ◽  
Significant Relationship ◽  
Diet Group ◽  
Female Students ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Body Image Scale ◽  
Healthy Female

The Draw-A-Person (DAP) test has been the center of a long-lasting debate regarding its validity. This study investigated the DAP indices of height, width (size), and inclusion/omission of details and their relation to body image as measured by a self-report scale (Gray’s body image scale) and manifested by the diet behaviors and body mass index of 55 healthy female students. Although the drawings of the diet group were smaller, there was no significant relationship between figure size and diet behaviors. However, body image as measured by a self-report scale did result in significant differences between groups. Moreover, there was a significant correlation between the size of the figure drawn and body image as measured by a self-report scale (larger figures correlated with better body image). No significant results were found for the omission/inclusion indices of the DAP. These results are discussed in light of previous findings regarding the DAP.

Ideal body image for the opposite sex and its association with body mass index

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-9
Author(s):  
María Eugenia Ibáñez-Zamacona ◽  
Alaitz Poveda ◽  
Esther Rebato
Keyword(s):  
Body Mass Index ◽  
Body Image ◽  
Body Mass ◽  
Normal Weight ◽  
Age Group ◽  
Younger Age ◽  
Opposite Sex ◽  
Ideal Body Image ◽  
Ideal Body ◽  
Spearman’S Correlation

Abstract This research studied the preferences reported by women and men about their Ideal Body Image for the Opposite Sex (IBIOS), and its association with body mass index (BMI). It also analysed the preferences of each sex for a woman’s ideal body image (W-IBI) and a man’s ideal body image (M-IBI). A total of 450 participants aged 18–70 years with different weights were studied. Their IBIOS was assessed using standard figural stimuli. The sample was divided in four groups by sex and age (<45 years; ≥45 years). Sex and age differences in IBIOS, as well as sex differences in the preferences for a woman’s ideal body image (W-IBI) and a man’s ideal body image (M-IBI), were tested using a non-parametric Mann-Whitney U test. The association between IBIOS and BMI was analysed using Spearman’s correlation. In all groups, the most chosen silhouette as IBIOS was number 4. In the under-45 years group, women chose bigger silhouettes for the opposite sex than men did (p<0.05). In this age group women chose as ideal smaller silhouettes for the female body than men did (p<0.01). In addition, women and men in the younger age group and with normal weight chose smaller silhouettes, while those who were overweight or obese selected larger silhouettes (p<0.001). Age was found to be a relevant factor in IBIOS preferences, and in the association between IBIOS and nutritional status as measured by BMI, which was only observed to be significant in the younger age group.

Examining Whether Social Anxiety Influences Satisfaction in Romantic Relationships

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-13
Author(s):  
Frances L. Doyle ◽  
Andrew J. Baillie ◽  
Erica Crome
Keyword(s):  
Social Anxiety ◽  
Romantic Relationships ◽  
Relationship Satisfaction ◽  
Romantic Relationship ◽  
Online Questionnaire ◽  
Socially Anxious ◽  
Self Disclosure ◽  
Relationship Processes ◽  
Conflict Initiation ◽  
Romantic Relationship Satisfaction

Abstract Research investigating social anxiety and the impacts on romantic relationships remains scarce. An online questionnaire examining romantic relationship status, social anxiety and depression symptomology, relationship satisfaction, and several relationship processes was completed by 444 adults. Individuals with higher social anxiety were less likely to be in romantic relationships. For the 188 adults in our sample in current relationships, relationship satisfaction was not influenced by social anxiety when controlling for depression. Although it was proposed that self-disclosure, social support, trust, and conflict initiation might influence romantic relationship satisfaction, none of these mechanisms interacted with social anxiety to explain additional variance in relationship satisfaction. These findings indicate that depression symptomology may be a treatment target for socially anxious individuals wishing to improve romantic relationship satisfaction.

scholarly journals Agreement and association between different indicators of body image and body mass index in adolescents

2014 ◽  
Vol 17 (3) ◽  
pp. 747-760 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carla Fernandez dos Santos ◽  
Inês Rugani Ribeiro de Castro ◽  
Letícia de Oliveira Cardoso ◽  
Letícia Ferreira Tavares
Keyword(s):  
Body Mass Index ◽  
Body Image ◽  
Nutritional Status ◽  
Body Mass ◽  
Private Schools ◽  
Weighted Kappa ◽  
Continuous Variable ◽  
The Body ◽  
Kappa Statistics ◽  
Image Variables

The aim of the study was to examine the correlation among different indicators of body image; between each one of these and nutritional status; and the association of these indicators with the Body Mass Index (BMI) of adolescents. A random sample of 152 students from public and private schools in the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, was studied. On four occasions, two silhouette scales and two questions regarding the opinion of the student about his/her body and weight were applied and weight and height were measured. The BMI was examined both as a continuous and as a categorical variable. The agreement between the variables was analyzed using the quadratic weighted Kappa statistics. The association between body image variables and BMI was examined by the comparison among median, mean, standard deviation and 95% confidence interval of BMI for each category of the body image variables. In general, the correlation among the body image variables ranged from reasonable to good; between these and the variable nutritional status, correlation ranged from regular to reasonable. Best results were observed among boys and students from private schools. All body image variables showed good discriminatory power for BMI, when it was analyzed as a continuous variable, even when controlling for potential confounders. The question about body seems to be better than that about weight to compose the questionnaire of a surveillance system for risk and protective factors for adolescent health.

Empathy and Romantic Relationship Quality Among Cohabitating Couples

2017 ◽  
Vol 25 (3) ◽  
pp. 208-214 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emilio C. Ulloa ◽  
Julia F. Hammett ◽  
Nicole A. Meda ◽  
Salvador J. Rubalcaba
Keyword(s):  
Romantic Relationships ◽  
Relationship Quality ◽  
Romantic Relationship ◽  
Statistical Significance ◽  
Married Couples ◽  
Dyadic Data Analysis ◽  
Dyadic Data ◽  
National Longitudinal Study ◽  
Partner Effect ◽  
Romantic Relationship Quality

This study employed a dyadic data analysis approach to examine the association between partners’ empathy and relationship quality among cohabitating couples. Data were collected from 374 cohabitating but nonmarried couples who were participants in the Wave 3 romantic pairs subsample of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health). Men’s higher empathy was related to their own perceptions of better relationship quality and women’s higher empathy was related to their own as well as their partner’s perceptions of better relationship quality. These findings show that individuals’ abilities to be understanding, compassionate, and sympathetic may be related to the overall feeling of satisfaction and love in romantic relationships. The only effect that did not reach statistical significance was the partner effect from men’s empathy to women’s relationship quality. Although previous research with married couples has shown that men’s empathy may play a more important role in shaping couples’ perceptions of relationship quality, according to the current findings, these findings may not extend to cohabitating couples. The current results provide beneficial guidance to clinicians working with distressed, nonmarried couples.

scholarly journals Incongruence in body image and body mass index: A surrogate risk marker in Black women for type 2 diabetes mellitus

2013 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Rynal Devanathan ◽  
Viveka Devanathan ◽  
Tonya M. Esterhuizen
Keyword(s):  
Diabetes Mellitus ◽  
Type 2 Diabetes ◽  
Body Mass Index ◽  
Body Image ◽  
Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus ◽  
Black Women ◽  
Body Mass ◽  
Risk Marker ◽  
Diabetes Group

Background: Excess weight contributes to the development and progression of Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Distorted body image amongst urban Black women and the perception that thinness is linked with HIV, may however be compounding the problem, particularly in areas with a high HIV burden.Objectives: This study aimed to compare the perception of body image in urban Black women with and without T2DM.Methods: A cross-sectional comparative study was conducted on 328 Black women systematically sampled into two groups (with and without T2DM). Body mass index (BMI) (weight [kg]/height[m2]) was determined and the adapted Stunkard Body Image Silhouettes for Black women was used to determine perceived body image (PBI).Results: Seventy-two per cent had T2DM and in this group 89% were obese, with a mean BMI of 39.5 kg/m2 (s.d. ± 8.5). In the non-diabetes group (NDG) 44% were obese, with a mean BMIof 31.3 kg/m2 (s.d. ± 9.0) Black women underestimated their body image across all weight categories (p < 0.05). Both groups (99% of the study group) also perceived thinness as being associated with HIV.Conclusions: This study identified an incongruence between PBI and actual BMI amongst urban Black women. This, combined with their belief that thinness is associated with HIV, places those with T2DM at risk of secondary complications arising from diabetes mellitus, and those without diabetes mellitus at a higher risk of developing T2DM. A discrepancy between PBI and BMI may therefore serve as a risk marker to alert clinicians to use a more ethno-cultural specific approach in engaging with urban Black women regarding weight loss strategies in the future.

scholarly journals Responses to sexual advances and satisfaction in romantic relationships: Is yes good and no bad?

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kiersten Dobson ◽  
Jenney Zhu ◽  
Rhonda Nicole Balzarini ◽  
Lorne Campbell
Keyword(s):  
Romantic Relationships ◽  
Relationship Satisfaction ◽  
Sexual Activity ◽  
Sexual Satisfaction ◽  
Daily Diary ◽  
Sexual Advance

We examine the relations between accepting and rejecting a partner’s sexual advances with sexual and relationship satisfaction, and assess how long these effects endure. Couples (N =115) completed a 21-day daily diary indicating whether a partner made a sexual advance each day, and if so, whether the advance was accepted or rejected. Having one’s sexual advance accepted was associated with increased sexual and relationship satisfaction that day, and increased sexual satisfaction up to 24 hours later. Having one’s sexual advance rejected was associated with decreased sexual satisfaction that day and up to 48 hours later. Sexual advances made by one’s partner were associated with increased sexual satisfaction that day and for up to 72 hours later, regardless of whether the advance was accepted or rejected. Findings indicate benefits of sexual activity, but also prolonged post-rejection decreases in sexual satisfaction.

scholarly journals The Relationship of Perceived Body Image, Body Mass Index and Physical Activity with Weight Status among Students at King Abdulaziz University Hospital

2021 ◽  
pp. 218-227
Author(s):  
Futoon S. Alobiri ◽  
Roaa A. Alharbi ◽  
Mohammed R. Algethami ◽  
Raghdah H. Ateeq ◽  
Aseel M. Badurayq ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Body Mass Index ◽  
Body Image ◽  
Body Weight ◽  
Body Mass ◽  
Body Satisfaction ◽  
Weight Status ◽  
Rating Scale ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
King Abdulaziz University

Aim: Identify the relation between poor esteem for body image and weight-related behaviors. The results will help increase awareness and improve students’ lifestyles to have a better body image and achieve ideal body weight. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among King Abdulaziz University medical students (n= 460) between July to the end of August 2019. Data was collected using the International physical activity questionnaire (IPAQ), figure rating scale (FRS) and analyzed using SPSS software. Result: The results showed that the average Body Mass Index (BMI) was 24.80 ± 11.89. Participant sex was an important factor influencing the prevalence of obesity; male students were more obese than female students with a significant difference (p<0.001). The level of body satisfaction was also affected by gender. Students in preclinical years were more likely to gain weight more than clinical years students. Conclusion: The results show a significant relationship between body satisfaction and gender (P<0.0001) despite having diverse BMIs. Overweight and obese males and females' participants had the lowest body satisfaction. Females who were too thin and had low BMIs described themselves as normal, while males describe themselves as too thin. Conversely, females with high BMIs described themselves as too fat, while males described themselves as normal. This could be due to different factors. Also, underweight females and males have high body satisfaction, which can lead to dangerous behaviors to maintain low body weight which cause negative health consequences.

Influence of body image on estimation of body mass index based on self-reported weight and height

1990 ◽  
Vol 10 ◽  
pp. S155-S158 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alicja Kuskowska-Wolk ◽  
Gunnel Boström ◽  
Stephan Rössner
Keyword(s):  
Body Mass Index ◽  
Body Image ◽  
Body Mass
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