Interpersonal relationships are innate in human nature and are an important component of the human experience. Romantic relationships are a type of interpersonal relationship that have been shown to be a prevalent component of the human experience and many theories have tried to discover the different factors that define relationship satisfaction. Self-esteem is an internal psychological monitor that is important in individual human nature. Body esteem is an important dimension of general self-esteem. Recent psychological research has focused on the connection between romantic relationships and self-esteem. The present study focused on more specific components of romantic relationships and self-esteem, determining whether there is a connection between relationship satisfaction and body esteem in Guam’s population. 49 students from the University of Guam PY100 classes were asked to complete a survey packet containing, the Relationship Assessment Scale and Body Esteem Scale. The results showed that relationship satisfaction did not significantly predict body esteem for participants within a relationship, except for female weight concern (p = 0.020) and female physical condition (p = 0.051). The results also showed that there was no statistically significant difference between participants who are single and those in a romantic relationship or married in terms of body esteem.
Does This Make Me Look Fat? The Intersection of Relationship Satisfaction and Body Esteem in Guam's Population
1. DOES THIS MAKE ME LOOK
FAT?
THE INTERSECTION OF RELATIONSHIP
SATISFACTION AND BODY ESTEEM IN GUAM’S
POPULATION
JERICHO MICHAEL S. TOBIAS
PY413 Research Methods in the Behavioral Sciences
Dr. Yoshito Kawabata
Fall 2015
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3. Introduction
• Why This Topic?
• While previous research
has been done, applicability
to Guam has not been
studied (i.e. the effects of
relationships, or lack
thereof, on the way people
see themselves in the
context of Guam culture).
• Personal
3
4. Introduction
• Literature Review
• Previous research has shown both positive and
negative effects of romantic love experiences on
an individual’s body image:
• Holland & Eisenhart, 1990;
• Pole, Crowther, & Schell, 2004;
• Tantleff-Dunn & Thompson, 1995.
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5. Introduction
Hypotheses:
1. Within Relationships:
• Higher Relationship Satisfaction
> Higher Body Esteem
• Lower Relationship Satisfaction
> Lower Body Esteem
2. Between Groups:
• Singles will have lower body
esteem than those in romantic
relationships.
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6. Methods
• Participants
• Demographics:
• 49 University of Guam, PY-100 Students
• Males - 42.9% (n = 21)
• Females - 53.1% (n = 26)
• Unspecified - 4.1% (n = 2)
42.9%
53.1%
4.1%
Sex
Female Male Unspecified
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8. Methods
• Participants
• Relationship Status
• Single - 47.4% (n = 18)
• In a Relationship or Married - 52.6% (n =
20)
47.4%
52.6%
Relationship Status
Single In a Relationship or Married
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9. Methods
• Materials
1. Cover Letter
2. Informed Consent Form
3. Demographics Information
Sheet
4. Relationship Assessment
Scale (RAS)
5. Body Esteem Scale (BES)
6. Debriefing Form
• Survey packet was included with
other surveys and arranged in a
controlled sequence.
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10. Methods
• Procedures
1. Introduction to experiment.
2. Demographics and
relationship status.
3. Relationship status is
single.
4. Relationship status is in a
romantic relationship or
married.
5. Debriefing.
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12. Results
• Correlational Analyses
• Relationship Satisfaction vs. Body Esteem Scale sub scales
1. Female n = 14
1. Sexual Attraction: r = -0.180, p = 0.538
2. Weight Concern: r = -0.613, p = 0.020
3. Physical Condition: r = -0.531, p = 0.051
2. Male n = 6
1. Physical Attractiveness: r = 0.476, p = 0.340
2. Upper Body Strength: r = 0.723, p = 0.105
3. Physical Condition: r = 0.595, p = 0.213
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13. Results
• Regression
• How well did relationship status and Relationship Assessment
Scale scores predict Body Esteem Scale scores?
• Only for:
• Female Weight Concern: p < 0.05
• Female Physical Condition: p = 0.051
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14. Results
Between-Groups Analysis
41
27 28
48
35
31
0
12.5
25
37.5
50
62.5
Sexual
Attractiveness
Weight Concern Physical Condition
Means for Body Esteem
Scale: Female Subscales
Single In a Relationship or Married
36
31
48
39
34
47
0
12.5
25
37.5
50
62.5
Physical
Attractiveness
Upper Body Strength Physical Condition
Means for Body Esteem
Scale: Male Subscales
Single In a Relationship or Married
p = 0.155 p = 0.077 p = 0.275 p = 0.525 p = 0.450 p = 0.806
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15. Discussion
• Hypotheses:
1. Participants with higher relationship satisfaction will
have higher higher body esteem compared to those
with lower relationship satisfaction.
• Opposite was proven for female weight concern.
• Supported by Sheets and Ajmere (2005).
2. Participants in relationships will have higher body
esteem than those who are single.
• Was not supported in this study.
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16. Discussion
• What could have affected the results?
• SAMPLE SIZE too small for each condition
• significance strongly affected by sample size.
• DISCREPANCY in number of subjects between conditions
• RELIABILITY of scales
• significance was found in female weight concern, which had the
lowest Chronbach’s Alpha score (α = 0.571).
• POPULATION used in study
• only used college students.
• CONTROLLED SEQUENCE of surveys
• CONFOUNDING VARIABLES (that were not accounted for by the study).
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17. Discussion
• For the future!
• larger sample size.
• equal distributions in each condition.
• broaden the population.
• conduct study independently of other studies.
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