Associations Between Positive Body Image, Sexual Liberalism, and Unconventional Sexual Practices in U.S. Adults

Abstract

While studies have documented robust relationships between body image and sexual health outcomes, few studies have looked beyond sexual functioning in women. Here, we hypothesized that more positive body image would be associated with greater sexual liberalism and more positive attitudes toward unconventional sexual practices. An online sample of 151 women and 164 men from the U.S. completed measures of sexual liberalism, attitudes toward unconventional sexual practices, and indices of positive body image (i.e., body appreciation, body acceptance by others, body image flexibility, and body pride), and provided their demographic details. Regression analyses indicated that, once the effects of sexual orientation, relationship status, age, and body mass index had been accounted for, higher body appreciation was significantly associated with greater sexual liberalism in women and men. Furthermore, higher body appreciation and body image flexibility were significantly associated with more positive attitudes toward unconventional sexual practices in women and men. These results may have implications for scholars working from a sexpositive perspective, particularly in terms of understanding the role body image plays in sexual attitudes and behaviors.

Body acceptance by others: Refinement of the construct, and development and psychometric evaluation of a revised measure – The Body Acceptance by Others Scale-2

“…The importance of measuring body acceptance by others is underlined by the findings of Study 2. Specifically, consistent with the acceptance model of intuitive eating (Avalos & Tylka, 2006) and with previous research (Andrew et al, 2016b;Augustus-Horvath & Tylka, 2011;Swami et al, 2017Swami et al, , 2018Tylka & Homan, 2015;Waring & Kelly, 2020), we found that body acceptance by others was significantly associated with scores on measures of positive body image (i.e., body appreciation and functionality appreciation). As suggested by Avalos and Tylka (2006), greater body acceptance by others likely facilitates greater appreciation of how the body feels and functions, rather than what it looks like.…”

“…According to the acceptance model of intuitive eating (Avalos & Tylka, 2006), social support and body acceptance by others are important factors that lead to more positive body image, as they allow for greater resistance of self-objectification and facilitate greater appreciation of how the body feels and functions, rather than what it looks like. Consistent with this perspective, researchers have documented significant and positive associations between greater body acceptance by others and facets of positive body image including body functionality, body appreciation, body pride, and body image flexibility (Andrew et al, 2016b;Augustus-Horvath & Tylka, 2011;Avalos & Tylka, 2006;Swami et al, 2017Swami et al, , 2018Tylka & Homan, 2015;Waring & Kelly, 2020; see also Frisén & Holmqvist, 2010;Holmqvist Gattario & Frisén, 2019). Body acceptance by others has also been found to be significantly associated with other body image-related outcomes, including greater functional exercise motives (Tylka & Homan, 2015) and lower weight concern (Logel et al, 2014).…”

The role of body image in sexual satisfaction among partnered older adults: a population-based study in four European countries

“…Strength in ideological preferences may also be related to body image. In an online survey of women and men (aged 18-67) from the United States, positive body image was associated with more sexual liberal attitudes and behavior, irrespective of age, relationship status, BMI, and sexual orientation (Swami et al, 2017).…”

Attitudes toward sexual behaviors: relationship with gender and sexual orientation

“…The main reason sexual attitudes have received so much attention is their relationship with sexual health (e.g., Carvalho et al, 2013;Sanders et al, 2006;Sierra et al, 2021) and sexual activity (e.g., Blanc et al, 2018b;Lemer et al, 2013). On the one hand, people with positive attitudes toward sexuality tend to report more permissive/liberal/erotophilic sexual attitudes than women (e.g., Ojedokun & Balogun, 2008;Ojo, 2014;Scandurra et al, 2022;Sprecher, 2013;Swami et al, 2017;Zuo et al, 2012).…”