A study of women in romantic relationships found that those experiencing more affectionate touch tend to report better body satisfaction and relationship quality. The study authors propose that receiving affectionate touch can bolster both satisfaction with their romantic relationship and self-perception among women. The findings were published in the Journal of Sex Research.
Body image refers to an individual’s perceptions, thoughts, and feelings about their physical appearance. It encompasses how one sees their body in terms of size, shape, and overall attractiveness. Body satisfaction occurs when a person feels content and positive about their appearance. It tends to be associated with high self-esteem and well-being. Conversely, body dissatisfaction arises when a person feels unhappy or critical about their body. This can lead to negative emotions, low self-esteem, and potentially harmful behaviors such as disordered eating.
A recent study showed that more than one in four American adults are at least somewhat dissatisfied with their bodies. This was especially the case for women, with 40% of women reporting some body dissatisfaction. Studies showed that women who are dissatisfied with their bodies tend to report a lower quality of life, difficulties with mental health, and poorer physical health. Longitudinal studies in Spain and the U.S. indicated that girls dissatisfied with their bodies in adolescence are more likely to develop symptoms of depression later in life.
Study author Jessica T. Campbell and her colleagues wanted to investigate the association between the frequency of affectionate touch, body dissatisfaction, and relationship quality in women. Affectionate touch is a form of physical contact that conveys warmth, love, and emotional closeness between individuals. It includes hugging, holding hands, kissing, patting, and many other forms of skin-to-skin contact. Previous studies have linked more affectionate touch with many desirable mental health and psychological outcomes, and the lack of it with mental health problems.
Because of this, the study authors hypothesized that women receiving affectionate touch more frequently would tend to be more satisfied with their relationship and show better sexual satisfaction. They would also be more satisfied with their bodies. These researchers conducted a study to examine whether this is the case.
The study participants were 1,156 women who were in committed romantic relationships. They were between 18 and 72 years of age, with an average age of 43. Seventy-five percent of them were married, and 77% had at least one child. Eighty-three percent were heterosexual.
Study participants reported on how often they engage in affectionate touch with their partner (“In general, how often do you and your partner engage in the following forms of intimacy?”), their sexual orientation, and body satisfaction (“How satisfied or dissatisfied are you with your body/overall appearance/weight, etc.”). They also completed an assessment of relationship satisfaction (the Global Measure of Relationship Satisfaction).
Results showed that women who reported engaging in affectionate touching more often tended to be more satisfied with their bodies, their romantic relationship, and their sexual satisfaction. Parents and non-parents reported engaging in affectionate touch similarly often.
The study authors tested a statistical model proposing that the frequency of affectionate touch affects relationship satisfaction at least partly through increasing women’s body satisfaction. Analysis showed that such a relationship between these factors is possible. The strength of this association did not depend on parental status or sexual orientation.
“We found that more frequent affectionate touch was associated with better body satisfaction. Further, body satisfaction partially mediated the links between affectionate touch and either relationship satisfaction or sexual satisfaction. This suggests that affectionate touch improves relationship functioning in part through improving self-evaluations relevant to one’s body or physical appearance. Such an impact could subsequently impact overall mental well-being; this is a question for future research,” the study authors concluded.
The study sheds light on the psychological importance of affectionate touch. However, the design of the study does not allow any cause-and-effect conclusions to be drawn from the data. Therefore, it remains unknown whether it is affectionate touch that leads to better relationship quality and greater sexual satisfaction or if partners whose relationship is better engage in more affectionate touch.
The paper, “Women Who Experience More Affectionate Touch Report Better Body Satisfaction and Relationship Outcomes,” was authored by Jessica T. Campbell, Margaret Bennett-Brown, Ellen M. Kaufman, Amanda N. Gesselman, David A. Frederick, Justin R. Garcia, and Kristen P. Mark.
