Body Image in a Sexual Context: The Relationship between Body Image and Sexual Experiences

Abstract

Given the large sociocultural emphasis on appearance and the widespread incidence of a negative body image in current society, scientific understanding of its potential psychological and physical health consequences, including sexual problems, is now of particular importance. The value of understanding the way body image and sexual experiences are linked lies eventually in using that knowledge to improve mental health care in the context of sexual problems. The aim of this thesis was to answer the following questions: Which aspects of body image are most relevant in the context of sexual experiences? And what are important mechanisms or mediating variables by which body image affects sexual experiences? To answer these questions, a literature review was conducted first. The resultsindicated that women’s body concerns are related to decreased sexual functioning and may interfere with sexual pleasure, sexual satisfaction, and sexual behavior.Negative cognitions about one’s physical appearance and self-consciousness during sexual activity seem to be key factors in understanding the relationships between body image and sexual experiences. The existing research, however, turned out to be limited in terms of attention to positive aspects of body image and sexual experiences, distinguishing general body image (i.e., one’s general feelings and evaluations about one’s body without specifying a particular situational context)from body image in a sexual context, research in males, and incorporating partner-related cognitions and evaluations. These gaps in the existing literature were addressed in five online survey studies in samples of Dutch college students. The results indicated that a positive general body image may prevent exaggerated self-consciousness of one’s body in a sexual context, which in turn facilitates positive sexual experiences. Furthermore, (positive) body image was found to be equally strongly associated with sexual experiences in men as in women. Lastly, romantic attachment and perceived relationship quality were found to be meaningfully related to positive body image and sexual experiences. With respect to the main questions of this thesis, it can be concluded that body-related cognitions and evaluations are the most relevant body features in the context of sexual experiences. Whereas negative body cognitions and evaluations are related to sexual problems and dissatisfying sexual experiences, positive body cognitions and evaluations are uniquely related to positive and satisfying sexual experiences. Cognitions and self-consciousness of one’s body during sexual activity serve as an important mechanism by which body image affects sexual experiences. Negative body evaluations may result in exaggerated self-consciousness of one’s body in a sexual context which may be distracting, thereby interfering with pleasure of the experience and sexual satisfaction. On the other hand, positive body evaluations may prevent distraction by negative appearance-related thoughts during sexual activity, which in turn facilitates focusing on sexual pleasure and positive sexual experiences. Besides, partner-related cognitions and evaluations, such as romantic attachment and perceived relationship quality, are meaningfully related to positive body image and sexual experiences. The findings of this thesis show the importance of specific attention for positive body image with potentially fruitful practical implications in the context of clinical treatment of sexual problems.