What Makes a Happy Couple? The Impact of Body Image, Attachment Style, and Mating Motives on Relationship Satisfaction

Abstract

For young adults, romantic relationships are essential sources of emotional and social support. As the happiness experienced in these relationships is tied to individual wellbeing, it’s important to examine the elements that contribute to overall relationship satisfaction. Previous research has indicated the importance of body image, attachment style, and mating motives on individual happiness; the present study explores the impact of these factors on relationship satisfaction utilizing a within-couples study design. Three hypotheses are tested: 1) Individuals with higher body image ratings will report greater relationship satisfaction; 2) Individuals with a secure attachment style will report greater relationship satisfaction; and 3) Higher relationship satisfaction will correlate with stronger mate retention motives and weaker mate seeking motives. 15 college-aged couples in long-term relationships are administered questionnaires assessing each of the above factors. Two-way and one-way MANOVAs are employed to analyze the hypotheses. Exploratory results found that mate retention motives and affiliation motives explained some of the variance in one’s relationship satisfaction.