I love you, but… Verbal commentary on physical appearance and its relationship with couple satisfaction, physical appearance comparison and body evaluation

Verbal commentary on physical appearance are feedback that people receive about their physical appearance. They can be positive or negative and have as content the appearance in general or specific parts of the body. Such comments are relevant in social relationships, especially if they come from significant others such as the partner. Research show that comments influence body evaluation and the tendencies to engage in physical appearance comparisons. Furthermore, verbal commentary on physical appearance also affect the quality of couple relationship. The present study aims to analyze the role of verbal commentary on couple satisfaction, physical appearance comparison and body evaluation. Participants were 226 Italian men (N=113; mean-age=27 SD=2.72) and women (N=113; mean-age=27 SD=5,84) in a couple relationship, who completed a questionnaire aimed at measuring the variables of interest. Descriptive and regression analysis were performed. Regressions show that positive and negative comments predict couple satisfaction and body evaluation among both men and women. Negative comments predict physical appearance comparison among men only. These preliminary results may be important for plan tailored couple counseling interventions about these topics. Moreover, interventions designed to reduce body dissatisfaction in both genders should consider the partner as a relevant source of influence.