Body dissatisfaction in married women: The role of spousal influence and marital communication patterns

Pole, Michele; Crowther, Janis H.; Schell, John W.

doi:10.1016/j.bodyim.2004.06.001

Cited by 49 publications

(35 citation statements)

References 31 publications

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“…Body image is influenced by the interaction of a number of factors, including cultural values, weight status, interpersonal relationships, socioeconomic status, and media messages (Abrams et al, 1993;Akan & Grilo, 1995;Allan et al, 1993;Anderson et al, 2002;Annis, Cash, & Hrabosky, 2004;Dittmar & Howard, 2004;Harris, 1994;Hawkins, Richards, Granley, & Stein, 2004;Kemper et al, 1994;Littleton & Ollendick, 2003;Lopez et al, 1995;Monro & Huon, 2005;Paeratakul et al, 2002;Pole, Crowther, & Schell, 2004;Pompper & Koenig, 2004;Rubin et al, 2003;Smith et al, 1999). In the present study, some overall differences in body image among women in the three ethnic groups emerged.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 41%

Body Image: A Study in a Tri-Ethnic Sample of Low Income Women

2007

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This study was designed to examine the evaluative, affective, and behavioral components of body image among 1,217 low-income European American, African American, and Latina women. Participants completed a multidimensional body image questionnaire while awaiting an outpatient clinic appointment. Body mass index (BMI) was determined by medical chart review. Nearly all normal weight and a number of overweight and obese African Americans characterized their weight as normal. In contrast, nearly all overweight and obese European Americans and Latinas regarded themselves as overweight as did over 30% of those of normal weight. European Americans and Latinas with higher BMIs reported more appearance shame than their lower BMI peers did; this pattern was not observed among African Americans. Among Latinas, body image was influenced by length of residency in the U.S.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 41%

Body Image: A Study in a Tri-Ethnic Sample of Low Income Women

2007

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“…For instance, in an ethnographic examination of college women, Holland and Eisenhart (1990) observed that being in romantic relationships validated women's attractiveness, which increased their self-image and popularity. More recently, in a study of communication and body-focused criticism among married couples, Pole, Crowther, and Schell (2004) found that, for married women, perceived negative evaluation by one's partner was an important predictor of body dissatisfaction. Further, one's perceptions of a partner's body ideal preferences may also influence one's own body image.…”

Section: Gender Body Image and Romantic Relationshipsmentioning

confidence: 98%

Love Thyself Before Loving Others? A Qualitative and Quantitative Analysis of Gender Differences in Body Image and Romantic Love

Ambwani

Strauss

2007

Sex Roles

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The present study was designed to explore the intersection of body esteem, romantic love, and gender through qualitative and quantitative analyses. Male (n= 107) and female (n=113) undergraduates completed the Body Esteem Scale (BES), four Romantic Love Experiences Scale (RLES) subscales, and two open-ended questions about the interrelation between body esteem and relationships. For both genders, significant correlations emerged between the BES and RLES, suggesting a link between body experience and romantic relationships. Regression analyses indicated that two individual RLES variables (i.e., trust and jealousy) predicted body esteem for women but not for men. Qualitative data coding revealed that, compared to men, women were more likely to disclose that body image influenced sexual relations and that relationships affected their self-confidence. These findings illustrate the interpersonal dimensions of body image and highlight the value of quantitative and qualitative methodologies.Gender differences and similarities in body image and in romantic love experiences have been amply documented, yet few researchers have examined the complex associations among gender, body image, and relationships. As myriad interconnected socialization processes underlie norms and rules about gender, body, and romance, the intersection of these processes warrants closer examination. In the present study we explored this intersection by asking how men's and women's body images relate to their experiences in romantic relationships. Through a combination of quantitative and qualitative techniques, we sought to expand the research literature on gender and body image within a nonclinical college population. Body Image and GenderBody image is a social construct that varies as a function of differential gender socialization (Cash, Thériault, & Annis, 2004). Frederickson, Roberts, Noll, Quinn, and Twenge (1998) argued that the cultural environment of sexual objectification socializes women to treat themselves as aesthetic objects; by internalizing others' responses to their physical appearance, women are conditioned to overemphasize the importance of good looks. Further, Frank and Thomas (2003) observed that for undergraduate women, gender role socialization (as measured by the tendency to evaluate oneself in relation to others and to suppress one's thoughts to avoid confrontation) was related to maladaptive eating-related thoughts and bulimic symptoms, which suggests that gender role socialization may have important implications for eating disorders and body dissatisfaction.Men, in contrast, do not appear to experience the same level of objectification as women (McKinley, 1998). As Bordo (1999) asserted, "Male scientists and philosophers have created a nearly unbroken historical stream of tractsSex Roles (2007) 56: [13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21]

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“…Heavier women might report lower relationship quality as a function of their perceived negative evaluations from their partners. When women perceive a negative evaluation about their body from their spouse (e.g., spouse's comments) they report greater body dissatisfaction (Pole, Crowther, & Schell, 2004) and sometimes employ unhealthy behaviors (e.g., bingeing) as a coping response to these negative feelings. One study found that in an attempt to please their male partners, overweight women suppressed their emotions, which was associated with a reduction in their partners' negative feelings about them; however, these women also ate more on days that they reported suppressing their emotions (Butler, Young, & Randall, 2010).…”

Section: Relationship Quality Among Mixed-weight Couplesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Consequently, it is important to examine the extent to which partners' use of positive (i.e., support) and negative (i.e., negative partner influence) communication is associated with conflict in mixed-weight relationships. Further, because research suggests that women are attuned to their male partners' negativity (Pole et al, 2004), perceiving that the partner is available to provide health-related support might be especially beneficial to couples including overweight women with healthy weight male partners, but perceiving that the partner is using negative influence tactics might be more harmful to these couples.…”

Section: Eating Behaviors In Mixed-weight Couplesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“You’re going to eat that?” Relationship processes and conflict among mixed-weight couples

Burke

Randall

Corkery

et al. 2012

Journal of Social and Personal Relationships

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This study examines conflict among heterosexual mixed-weight (i.e., one overweight and one healthy weight partner) and matched-weight couples (N ¼ 43 couples). Participant sex, eating together, partner health support, and negative partner influence were examined as moderators of the association between weight status and conflict. Using dyadic models, we found that mixed-weight couples, specifically couples including overweight women and healthy weight men, reported greater conflict both generally and on a daily basis, compared to matched-weight couples; however, general conflict was reduced with greater perceived support from the partner. Mixed-weight couples who reported eating together more frequently also reported greater general conflict. These findings suggest that mixed-weight couples may experience more conflict than matched-weight couples, but perceived support from the partner can buffer this conflict. This research suggests that interpersonal dynamics associated with mixed-weight status might be important for romantic partners' relational and personal health.

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Body dissatisfaction in married women: The role of spousal influence and marital communication patterns

Cited by 49 publications

References 31 publications

Body Image: A Study in a Tri-Ethnic Sample of Low Income Women

Body Image: A Study in a Tri-Ethnic Sample of Low Income Women

Love Thyself Before Loving Others? A Qualitative and Quantitative Analysis of Gender Differences in Body Image and Romantic Love

“You’re going to eat that?” Relationship processes and conflict among mixed-weight couples

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