Communication as a Mediator Between Personal Characteristics – Five-Factor Personality Traits, Emotional Intelligence, Self-Disclosure – and Romantic Relationship Satisfaction

The present study explored the relation between personal characteristics and romantic relationship satisfaction as mediated by communication. Couples in established heterosexual romantic relationships of at least 3 months (N = 96 couples) were recruited from an undergraduate population at a university through a Psychology Participant Pool System. It’s been hypothesized that there would be a relation between predicting variables — four of five-factor personality traits, emotional intelligence and self-disclosure — and relationship satisfaction as mediated by communication behaviours. Results indicate that for both genders, conscientiousness is related to one’s own relationship satisfaction which is mediated by communication. For females only, communication mediated the relation between emotional intelligence and her relationship satisfaction. For males and females, self-disclosure is related to both one’s own and one’s partner’s relationship satisfaction which is mediated by communication. Collectively, these results suggest that personal characteristics are related to communication which influences the relationship satisfaction of both members of a couple.

Relationships between body image dissatisfaction and BMI, self-esteem, and eating behaviors in a group of adolescent boys

Several researchers have suggested an association between body image dissatisfaction and weight, self- esteem and eating concerns in adolescent boys. However, studies on the topic are scarce and results are contradictory. The aim of the current study was to explore the relation between body image dissatisfaction and body mass index (BMI), self-esteem, food restriction and bulimic attitudes and behaviors in a group of 85 adolescent boys recruited through four high schools located in Montreal. A positive correlation was observed between body image dissatisfaction and food restriction. No significant associations were noted between body image dissatisfaction and BMI, self-esteem and bulimic attitudes and behaviors. The results of the present study suggest that BMI might not be an adequate indicator of adolescent boys’ body image dissatisfaction. Moreover, these results suggest that food restriction should be evaluated in adolescent boys dissatisfied with their body image.