title: Coorientation of body image among older married couples.
abstract: This study examined how older husbands and wives perceived their bodies and appearance in the framework of coorientation effect. Data were collected via a mail survey of older married couples residing in three metropolitan areas in Florida. A total of 94 married couples who were 60 years older participated in this study. Results indicated that older husbands' self-assessment of appearance was positively correlated with wives' self-assessment of appearance. Husbands' evaluation of their wives' appearance was positively associated with wives' self-assessment of their own appearance (self-other agreement), and wives' evaluation of their husbands' appearance was also positively correlated with husbands' self-assessment of their own appearance (self-other agreement). In addition, husbands' evaluation of their wives' appearance corresponded to wives' evaluation of their husbands' appearance (reciprocity). These results indicated that the agreement in two spouses' self-assessment of appearance can be explained by the two coorientation effects (self-other agreement and reciprocity) occurred in two partners of married couples.
authors.affiliation: Buffalo State College, State University of New York, Buffalo, NY 14222-1095, USA. ohk@buffalostate.edu
authors.forename: Keunyoung
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Oh
authors.forename: Mary Lynn
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Damhorst
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001828:Body Image; D005260:Female; D005431:Florida; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008960:Models, Psychological; D012647:Self-Assessment; D018454:Spouses / Q000523:psychology*