Public and Private Physical Affection Differences between Same-Sex and Different-Sex Couples: The Role of Perceived Marginalization
Despite its connection with relationship satisfaction, research on physical affection is scarce and fails to disentangle private and public displays of affection. It is important to examine both types if marginalized couples are less comfortable displaying affection publicly. The present study exam...
Main Authors: | , |
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Format: | Article |
Language: | English |
Published: |
PsychOpen GOLD/ Leibniz Institute for Psychology
2011-12-01
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Series: | Interpersona: An International Journal on Personal Relationships |
Subjects: | |
Online Access: | http://interpersonaabpri.files.wordpress.com/2012/03/03_kent-el-alayli1.pdf |
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author | Amani El-Alayli Erin Kent |
author_facet | Amani El-Alayli Erin Kent |
author_sort | Amani El-Alayli |
collection | DOAJ |
description | Despite its connection with relationship satisfaction, research on physical affection is scarce and fails to disentangle private and public displays of affection. It is important to examine both types if marginalized couples are less comfortable displaying affection publicly. The present study examined whether same-sex couples display less public (but not private) physical affection than different-sex couples due to stronger feelings of relationship marginalization. It also examined how public/private affection and marginalization relate to relationship satisfaction. Women in committed same-sex and different-sex relationships completed surveys of public affection, private affection, marginalization, and relationship satisfaction online. As predicted, women in same-sex relationships displayed less public affection than those in different-sex relationships, an effect mediated by general societal marginalization. Both private and public affection predicted higher relationship satisfaction, whereas feelings of marginalization by friends/family predicted lower relationship satisfaction. We discuss implications for relationship counseling and propose new ways of looking at marginalization. |
first_indexed | 2024-04-11T02:41:04Z |
format | Article |
id | doaj.art-62fb5e640f2d4b8ea33ee598fd5d9830 |
institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
issn | 1981-6472 |
language | English |
last_indexed | 2024-04-11T02:41:04Z |
publishDate | 2011-12-01 |
publisher | PsychOpen GOLD/ Leibniz Institute for Psychology |
record_format | Article |
series | Interpersona: An International Journal on Personal Relationships |
spelling | doaj.art-62fb5e640f2d4b8ea33ee598fd5d98302023-01-02T18:57:32ZengPsychOpen GOLD/ Leibniz Institute for PsychologyInterpersona: An International Journal on Personal Relationships1981-64722011-12-0152149167Public and Private Physical Affection Differences between Same-Sex and Different-Sex Couples: The Role of Perceived MarginalizationAmani El-AlayliErin KentDespite its connection with relationship satisfaction, research on physical affection is scarce and fails to disentangle private and public displays of affection. It is important to examine both types if marginalized couples are less comfortable displaying affection publicly. The present study examined whether same-sex couples display less public (but not private) physical affection than different-sex couples due to stronger feelings of relationship marginalization. It also examined how public/private affection and marginalization relate to relationship satisfaction. Women in committed same-sex and different-sex relationships completed surveys of public affection, private affection, marginalization, and relationship satisfaction online. As predicted, women in same-sex relationships displayed less public affection than those in different-sex relationships, an effect mediated by general societal marginalization. Both private and public affection predicted higher relationship satisfaction, whereas feelings of marginalization by friends/family predicted lower relationship satisfaction. We discuss implications for relationship counseling and propose new ways of looking at marginalization.http://interpersonaabpri.files.wordpress.com/2012/03/03_kent-el-alayli1.pdfphysical affectionpublic affectionmarginalizationrelationshipshomosexual relationships |
spellingShingle | Amani El-Alayli Erin Kent Public and Private Physical Affection Differences between Same-Sex and Different-Sex Couples: The Role of Perceived Marginalization Interpersona: An International Journal on Personal Relationships physical affection public affection marginalization relationships homosexual relationships |
title | Public and Private Physical Affection Differences between Same-Sex and Different-Sex Couples: The Role of Perceived Marginalization |
title_full | Public and Private Physical Affection Differences between Same-Sex and Different-Sex Couples: The Role of Perceived Marginalization |
title_fullStr | Public and Private Physical Affection Differences between Same-Sex and Different-Sex Couples: The Role of Perceived Marginalization |
title_full_unstemmed | Public and Private Physical Affection Differences between Same-Sex and Different-Sex Couples: The Role of Perceived Marginalization |
title_short | Public and Private Physical Affection Differences between Same-Sex and Different-Sex Couples: The Role of Perceived Marginalization |
title_sort | public and private physical affection differences between same sex and different sex couples the role of perceived marginalization |
topic | physical affection public affection marginalization relationships homosexual relationships |
url | http://interpersonaabpri.files.wordpress.com/2012/03/03_kent-el-alayli1.pdf |
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