Document Type

Article

Publication Date

2022

DOI

10.1037/fam0000945

Publication Title

Journal of Family Psychology

Volume

36

Issue

5

Pages

780-790

Abstract

Nearly all past research about body dissatisfaction and romantic relationship factors is among heterosexual couples; little is known about these associations in sexual minority couples. The present study aimed to fill gaps in the current literature by using actor-partner interdependence models (APIMs) to examine dyadic patterns of association between body dissatisfaction and different aspects of relationship functioning among same-sex female couples. Participants were 163 same-sex female romantic dyads (326 women) between the ages of 18-35 years who completed measures of body dissatisfaction and relationship factors. Results from significance testing of actor and partner effects indicated higher levels of women's own body dissatisfaction were associated with lower levels of their own, but not their partner's, relationship satisfaction, closeness, sexual satisfaction, and intimacy/connectedness. Significance testing alone indicated that the association between one's own body dissatisfaction and their partner's relationship satisfaction was not significant. However, dyadic pattern testing identified a partner pattern for this effect, which suggests that the association between one's own body dissatisfaction and one's own relationship satisfaction is similar in magnitude and direction as that between an individuals' own body dissatisfaction and their partner's relationship satisfaction. In this study, women's own body dissatisfaction was found to be negatively associated with their own relationship functioning, which is consistent with findings of women in male-female couples. Thus, these findings highlight the important role that body dissatisfaction plays in women's relationship experiences. More research is needed to better understand potential cross-partner effects of body dissatisfaction and relationship factors in same-sex female couples.

Rights

© American Psychological Association, 2022. This paper is not the copy of record and may not exactly replicate the authoritative document published in the APA journal. The final article is available, upon publication, at: https://doi.org/10.1037/fam0000945

Original Publication Citation

Sandoval, C. M., Romano, K. A., Heron, K. E., Dawson, C. A., Sutton, T. G., Winstead, B. A., & Lewis, R. J. (2022). Associations between body dissatisfaction and relationship functioning among same-sex female couples: An actor-partner interdependence model. Journal of Family Psychology, 36(5), 780-790. https://doi.org/10.1037/fam0000945

ORCID

0000-0002-7452-876X (Heron)

Download

Share

COinS