A Slim Majority: The Influence of Sex Ratio on Women's Body Dissatisfaction and Weight Loss Motivations

The current investigation examined whether women's perceptions of the sex ratio (ratio of women to men) in the local population influence their body dissatisfaction and weight loss motivations. A higher ratio of women to men in a given population signifies a relative abundance of same-sex mating competitors, intensifying female intrasexual competition. Five studies (N = 1,776) tested the hypotheses that women's perceptions of a female-skewed sex ratio would correspond to increased feelings of intrasexual competitiveness and perceptions of unfavorable mating prospects, which would, in turn, be associated with heightened body dissatisfaction and weight loss motivations. Among university and community women (Studies 1and 2), perceptions of a female-skewed sex ratio corresponded to greater intrasexual competitiveness, increased body dissatisfaction, and increased dieting inclinations. Among single women, assessments of a female-skewed sex ratio corresponded to perceptions of unfavorable mating prospects, increased romantic pressure to alter their appearance, and higher body dissatisfaction (Study 3). Studies 4 and 5 experimentally manipulated perceived sex ratio. Women in the female-skewed condition felt less satisfied with their weights and shapes, but only if they believed the manipulation (Study 4). In Study 5, using a within-subjects design, women who evaluated a male-skewed (vs. female-skewed) dating profile array subsequently desired to lose less weight. Findings suggest women's perceptions of their social environments may contribute to body image and dieting motivations.

Longitudinal associations between prenatal testosterone and postpartum outcomes in a sample of first-time expectant lesbian couples

Although increasing numbers of gay and lesbian individuals ultimately become parents, the vast majority of research on the transition to parenthood focuses exclusively on heterosexual samples. Even less is known about the physiological implications of this major life transition among those who identify as sexual minorities. The present study begins to redress these gaps in the literature by assessing prospective links between prenatal testosterone, a steroid hormone that is negatively associated with nurturance and caregiving, and postpartum outcomes in a sample of 25 first-time expectant lesbian couples (N = 50 individuals). Consistent with prior work in heterosexual samples, which suggests that lower testosterone promotes both partnering and parenting, we found that, in both partners, lower testosterone during the prenatal period predicted better romantic relationship and parenting outcomes at three-months postpartum (e.g., higher relationship quality, more time spent doing baby care). There was also evidence for dyadic associations; for instance, birth mothers reported more overprotective behavior, and non-birth mothers reported greater commitment, when their female partners had lower testosterone. Together, our findings contribute important new knowledge about the functionality of testosterone in close relationships contexts, including some of the first evidence among sexual minorities.

Review of the Experience of Weight-Based Stigmatization in Romantic Relationships

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

This narrative review summarizes literature on the stigma and prejudices experienced by individuals based on their weight in the context of romantic relationships.

RECENT FINDINGS

Individuals presenting with overweight or obesity, particularly women, are disadvantaged in the formation of romantic relationships compared with their normal-weight counterparts. They are also more prone to experience weight-based stigmatization towards their couple (from others), as well as among their couple (from their romantic partner). Currently available studies showed that weight-based stigmatization by a romantic partner was found to be associated with personal and interpersonal correlates, such as body dissatisfaction, relationship and sexual dissatisfaction, and disordered eating behaviors. Scientific literature on weight-based stigmatization among romantic relationships is still scarce. Prospective researches are clearly needed to identify consequences of this specific type of stigmatization on individuals' personal and interpersonal well-being. The use of dyadic designs could help to deepen our understanding as it would take into account the interdependence of both partners.

Honey, Do I Look Fat? Perceptions of Spouses' Weight and Weight Concerns Predict Marital Relationship Quality

The majority of adults in the United States are overweight or obese, and yet Western ideals of beauty mean that low body fat composition is a component of physical attractiveness. In turn, perceived discrepancies between actual and ideal body shape and weight mean that many adults experience weight concerns-- and they also may be dissatisfied with their spouse's weight. This study examined whether weight concerns were linked to romantic relationship quality, an important domain of adult development. Specifically, we applied the Actor-Partner Interdependence Model to test how wives' and husbands' weight concerns and perceptions of their spouses' overweight contributed to their own and their spouse's reports of marital satisfaction and conflict over time. The sample was 197 heterosexual married couples (M age = 40.85 and 42.81 years for wives and husbands, respectively; M length of marriage = 18.6 years at Time 1) with children, who participated in a short-term longitudinal study of family relationships and adolescent development. Two-way interactions between partner perceptions of spouses' weight and gender indicated that husbands' perceptions that their wives were overweight predicted decreases in wives' marital satisfaction and increases in wives' reports of marital conflict across one year. In contrast, wives' perceptions of husbands' weight were not associated with changes in husbands' marital satisfaction or conflict. A two-way interaction between actor and partner weight concerns indicated that individuals reported more marital conflict when there was a discrepancy between their own and their spouse's weight concerns. Finally, a two-way interaction between actor and partner perceptions of spouse's weight indicated that, for individuals whose spouses rated them as below ideal weight, their perceptions of the spouse's overweight predicted their own lower marital satisfaction. Findings suggest that concerns about one's own and one's spouse's weight have negative ramifications for marital relationships.

Quantifying Interpersonal Dynamics for Studying Socio-Emotional Processes and Adverse Health Behaviors

OBJECTIVE

We introduce a new statistical software R package, rties, that simplifies the use of dynamic models for investigating interpersonal emotional processes. We demonstrate the package by using it to test whether emotional dynamics in romantic couples can predict, or are predicted by, shared unhealthy behaviors (SUBs).

METHODS

We use data from 74 romantic couples discussing their health behaviors. The conversations were videotaped and rated for evidence that the couples engaged in unhealthy behaviors that benefitted the relationship in some way (e.g., increasing closeness). Participants also provided video-prompted continuous recall of their emotional experience during the conversation. We use the rties package to estimate the parameters for inertia-coordination and coupled-oscillator models of the couples' emotional experience. Those parameter estimates are then used as predictors and outcomes of the couple's SUB.

RESULTS

The coupled-oscillator model accounted for 17% of the variance in unhealthy behavior, with both partner's amplification predicting higher unhealthy behavior (women: B = 0.95, SE = 0.31, t(63) = 3.06, p = .003, 95% confidence interval = 0.25-1.45; men: B = 0.9, SE = 0.29, t(63) = 3.09, p = .003, 95% confidence interval = 0.32-1.47). These results suggest that co-dysregulation, an unstable interpersonal pattern of amplified emotional oscillations is associated with more SUBs. In contrast, the dynamics assessed with inertia coordination were not associated with behavior.

CONCLUSIONS

The new rties package provides a set of relatively easy-to-use statistical models for representing and testing theories about interpersonal emotional dynamics. Our results suggest that emotional co-dysregulation may be a particularly detrimental pattern for health.

Maximizing Tendencies in Marriage: Accentuating the Implications of Readily Observable Partner Characteristics for Intimates' Satisfaction

People differ in their tendencies to labor over decisions and to make choices that maximize their outcomes-a difference known as maximization. Here, we used two independent, 3-year longitudinal studies of newlywed couples to demonstrate that this individual difference in decision making has important implications for romantic relationships. Consistent with the idea that maximizers are more likely to compare their current romantic partners to potential alternative partners' readily observable qualities, such as their physical attractiveness and status, results demonstrated that intimates' maximization moderated the implications of these sex-differentiated variables for marital satisfaction. Specifically, maximizing men who had attractive (vs. unattractive) wives were more satisfied at the start of their marriages. Likewise, maximizing women who had high (vs. low) status husbands experienced less steep declines in satisfaction over time. These findings demonstrate that maximization has important implications for long-term romantic relationships by accentuating the effects of readily observable partner qualities on relationship outcomes.

Understanding body image among adults in mid-late life: Considering romantic partners and depressive symptoms in the context of diabetes

Although our bodies change as we age, there is limited research exploring body image among middle-aged and older adults. This study considered 70 adults with diabetes' (M_age = 60.01 years) body image and revealed relatively high levels of body dissatisfaction in this sample. Furthermore, participants' own and perceptions of their partners' dissatisfaction with their bodies were moderately associated, and participants' body dissatisfaction was associated with higher levels of depressive symptoms. These findings highlight the need for further research, exploring the social and psychological correlates of body image among men and women in mid-late adulthood.

Adopting a dyadic perspective to better understand the association between physical attractiveness and dieting motivations and behaviors

The relationship between women's objective physical attractiveness and their dieting motivations and behaviors may depend upon their social environment-specifically, their romantic partners' attractiveness-such that less attractive women with more attractive partners may be particularly motivated to diet. Theoretically, men's dieting motivations should not depend on their partners' attractiveness. We tested this possibility using a sample of 223 U.S. newlywed spouses. After completing measures assessing dieting motivations, each participant was photographed; we used those photographs to code spouses' objective facial and body attractiveness. Results demonstrated that own and partner attractiveness interacted to predict only women's dieting motivations and behaviors. Less attractive wives married to more (versus less) attractive husbands reported more dieting motivations and behaviors. In contrast, men's dieting motivations were not significantly associated with their own and their partners' attractiveness. These findings highlight the value of adopting a dyadic approach to understanding dieting motivations.

Women Like Being Valued for Sex, as Long as it is by a Committed Partner

How do women respond to being valued for sex by their partners? Although research supporting objectification theory suggests that women's reactions to sexual valuation are primarily negative, a separate body of research indicates that women expend significant effort to enhance their sexual appeal. Evolutionary perspectives suggest that whether women are more or less satisfied with partners who value them for sex may depend on how committed those partners are. Being sexually valued by a relatively uncommitted partner may violate women's desire to avoid short-term sexual relationships and thus may be negatively associated with relationship satisfaction. In contrast, being sexually valued by a highly committed partner may positively influence women's relationship satisfaction because it signals to them that they have successfully attracted a long-term relationship partner. Two studies of newly married couples supported these predictions. In Study 1 (N = 109), husbands' sexual valuation was positively associated with marital satisfaction among wives who perceived that those husbands were highly committed, but negatively associated with marital satisfaction among wives who perceived that those husbands were relatively less committed. Study 2 (N = 99) revealed the same pattern for wives (but not husbands) using a likely manifestation of sexual valuation-engaging in frequent sex. These findings join others to demonstrate that interpersonal processes do not have universally positive or negative implications for relationships; rather, their implications depend on the context in which they occur, including contexts that were reproductively beneficial or costly throughout evolutionary history.

Health, health behaviors, and health dissimilarities predict divorce: results from the HUNT study

Background

Poor health and health behaviors are associated with divorce. This study investigates the degree to which six health indicators and health behaviors among husbands and wives are prospectively related to divorce, and whether spousal similarities in these factors are related to a reduced risk of marital dissolution. Theoretically, a reduced risk is possible, because spousal similarity can help the couple’s adaptive processes.

Methods

The data come from a general population sample (19,827 couples) and 15 years of follow-up data on marital dissolution. The following characteristics were investigated: Poor subjective health, obesity, heavy drinking, mental distress, lack of exercise, and smoking. Associations between these characteristics among husbands and wives and later divorce were investigated with Cox proportional hazards regression analyses.

Results

All the investigated characteristics except obesity were associated with marital dissolution. Moreover, spousal similarities in four of these characteristics (heavy drinking, mental distress, no exercise, and smoking) reduced the risk of divorce, compared to the combined main effects of husbands and wives. Nevertheless, couples concordant in these health issues still had higher risks of divorce than couples without these characteristics.

Conclusion

Couples with similar health and health behavior are at a lower risk of divorce than are couples who are dissimilar in health. Health differences may thus be seen as vulnerabilities or stressors, supporting a health mismatch hypothesis. This study demonstrates that people who are similar to each other are more likely to stay together. Harmonizing partners’ health behaviors may be a target in divorce prevention.

"Tell me I'm sexy…and otherwise valuable:" Body Valuation and Relationship Satisfaction

Although extant research demonstrates that body valuation by strangers has negative implications for women, Studies 1 and 2 demonstrate that body valuation by a committed male partner is positively associated with women's relationship satisfaction when that partner also values them for their non-physical qualities, but negatively associated with women's relationship satisfaction when that partner is not committed or does not value them for their non-physical qualities. Study 3 demonstrates that body valuation by a committed female partner is negatively associated with men's relationship satisfaction when that partner does not also value them for their non-physical qualities but unassociated with men's satisfaction otherwise. These findings join others demonstrating that fully understanding the implications of interpersonal processes requires considering the interpersonal context. (120 words).