Is It Good to Be Giving in the Bedroom? A Prosocial Perspective on Sexual Health and Well-Being in Romantic Relationships

Sexual Compliance in Finnish Committed Relationships: Sexual Self-Control, Relationship Power, and Experienced Consequences

We studied sexual compliance (i.e., consensual engagement in partnered sexual activity despite lack of sexual desire) in committed relationships using a large Finnish sample. First, we tested if previous theories on sexual self-control and partner sexual relationship power could be extended to a Finnish setting. As little is known about the personal and relational consequences of compliance, we also explored the experienced consequences and their association with the aforementioned aspects. The convenience survey sample (n = 1,496) included individuals who were or had recently been in committed intimate relationships. As 93% of the participants were women, our analyses focused on these (64.3% heterosexual, 24.5% bisexual, 11.3% other). Sixty-five percent of women reported having complied at least once in their current or most recent relationship. Women with lower sexual self-control and higher partner sexual relationship power reported more compliance, corroborating previous research. Lower age was uniquely associated with more compliance, whereas the association between more compliance and lower education diminished when including sexual self-control and partner sexual relationship power in the regression model. Experienced consequences of compliance varied greatly among women. However, roughly two-fifths reported only negative consequences for their well-being and relationships. Fewer approach motives, more avoidance motives, lower sexual self-control, and higher partner relationship control were associated with experiencing fewer positive consequences. Our results corroborate previous studies conducted in North America, suggesting that sexual compliance is common among women in committed relationships. We suggest careful consideration in instances of compliance, considering possible negative consequences.

Motives between the Sheets: Understanding Obligation for Sex at Midlife and Associations with Sexual and Relationship Satisfaction

Reasons for sex are associated with sexual and relational outcomes. This study investigated reasons for sex at last sex, with a focus on obligation (an avoidance motivation) and doing something nice for a partner (an approach motivation), and their associations with sexual and relationship satisfaction, while controlling for marital duration, age, and sexual desire. We investigated these reasons among married, midlife Canadian women (n = 324), men (n = 275), and 25 non-binary/gender queer participants 40 to 59 years of age. Participants were recruited from a Qualtrics analytics panel and completed an online questionnaire. Obligation was reported as a reason for having sex by 12.4% of women and 1.8% of men; "doing something nice" was reported by 10.2% of women and 9.5% of men. In regression analyses, women who reported having sex for obligation had significantly lower relationship satisfaction and sexual satisfaction than women who did not report this reason. In contrast, having sex to do something nice for one's partner was associated with higher sexual satisfaction among women. Findings indicate that having sex when feeling obligated may be associated with negative sexual and relational outcomes among midlife women.

Obtaining help by standing higher: The mediating role of moral reputation

Drawing on the social cognitive chain of being (SCCB) theory and heuristic perspective, the present study explored whether and how social targets' vertical spatial position influences the help the social targets can get from others. Study 1 demonstrated that individuals would be more likely to help social targets who were presented on a higher vertical spatial position than those who were presented on a lower vertical spatial position. In Study 2, an experimental-causal-chain design was adopted for further testing the mediating role of moral reputation between the social targets' vertical spatial position and the amount of help that the social targets obtain from others. Study 3 cross-validated this mediating process by a measurement-of-mediation design. Those three studies help us comprehend how helping behavior occurs from the characteristics of help recipients as well as extend the influence of vertical spatial metaphor of morality from cognitive connection to action-relevant outcomes.

What Does It Mean to Be Responsive to a Partner's Sexual Needs? Toward a Definition of Sexual Need Responsiveness

Being responsive to a partner's sexual needs in relationships (i.e., sexual need responsiveness) is associated with higher sexual and relationship satisfaction. Previous research has focused on researcher-led definitions of sexual need responsiveness. The purpose of the present study was to develop a participant-informed definition of sexual need responsiveness. A total of 305 individuals responded to five open-ended questions concerning the definition and behaviors pertaining to sexual need responsiveness. The content analysis results showed that the most common elements in participants' definition included listening to and accommodating each other's sexual needs and wishes whenever possible, while respecting both partners' safety and boundaries. Both verbal and non-verbal communication in various forms was used to express and share needs with partners and participants often evaluated responsiveness in terms of their sexual satisfaction. The results provide a participant-informed definition of sexual need responsiveness and can be used to inform research and clinical practice.

Reduced Sexual Desire in Young Norwegian Women: A Mixed-Methods Study

Sexuality has become an area of social competence in which individuals strive to be recognized as sexually competent performers. However, a large proportion of young women experience reduced sexual desire. In this study, both quantitative and qualitative methods were applied. Using data from a questionnaire, the aim of this study was to explore the prevalence of, and the factors associated with, lack of sexual interest and desire among young women in Norway. Further, with the help of in-depth interviews, we investigated how young women with reduced sexual desire experience living with their desire problems and what they experience as the cause of their problems. The sample in the quantitative study consisted of 505 Norwegian women between the ages of 18 and 29 years. ANOVA was employed to explore differences in scores on psychological factors and relational factors, as well as between participants who experienced a lack of sexual interest and desire, and those who did not. The results indicate a high prevalence of lack of sexual interest and desire among women (37.1%), while low appearance satisfaction and low relationship satisfaction were central predictors of lack of sexual interest and desire. The sample in the qualitative study consisted of ten Norwegian women with reduced sexual desire between the ages of 18 and 29 years. Through thematic analysis, four themes emerged as experiences of living with reduced sexual desire: (1) physical and mental health, (2) being a young woman in today's society, (3) relational factors, (4) negative experiences, personal expectations toward sexuality, and sexual trauma.

Will I have sex to please you? Evaluating whether mindfulness buffers links between attachment and sexual motivations in daily life

Insecurely attached individuals are more likely to report more maladaptive sexual motivations that predict worse personal and interpersonal outcomes. Given that mindfulness has been linked with improved relationship and sexual experiences, and that these effects may be moderated by attachment, the current study examined the possible buffering role of trait mindfulness on the links between attachment insecurity and daily sexual motives. Participants from New Zealand (N = 70) took part in a daily diary study that overcame limitations associated with previous cross-sectional research in the area (e.g., recall and aggregation biases). Online measures of trait mindfulness and attachment were completed, before participants reported their sexual motivations on each day they had sex for the next 14 days. Results provided some evidence that trait mindfulness has a therapeutic effect among more anxiously attached persons insofar as it reduced the degree to which attachment concerns manifested in maladaptive daily sexual motivations. In contrast, trait mindfulness did not buffer (and in some cases intensified) the links between attachment avoidance and maladaptive sexual motives. No significant interactions were detected between attachment insecurity and mindfulness in the prediction of adaptive daily sexual motivations. These findings suggest that mindfulness may differentially affect the manifestations of anxious and avoidant attachment. Practical and theoretical implications of the findings are discussed.

Are Playboy (and girl) Norms Behind the Relationship Problems Associated with Pornography Viewing in Men and Women?

Research has indicated that pornography viewing is related to romantic relationship problems. However, the correlations across past studies have been small. We tested a model in which playboy norm conformity (i.e. desires to have frequent sex with multiple partners) functions as a confound between pornography viewing constructs on three romantic relationship wellbeing indicators: Relationship satisfaction, relationship commitment, and infidelity proclivity. Results from men (n = 286) and women (n = 717) indicated that the significant inverse correlations between relationship satisfaction and relationship commitment with pornography viewing constructs becomes non-significant when playboy norm conformity is accounted. Further, the positive relationship between pornography viewing and infidelity proclivity also becomes non-significant in women (no initial connection between pornography viewing and infidelity proclivity was found in men). Though conformity to playboy norms was more strongly related to all romantic relationship wellbeing indicators across genders, pornography viewing frequency was still significantly inversely correlated with relationship satisfaction for women; though the effect size was small. Moderation analyses suggested that pornography viewing frequency was more strongly inversely correlated with relationship satisfaction for women than men. Cumulatively, our results suggest conformity to playboy norms is a significant confounding variable between pornography viewing and romantic relationship wellbeing.

Perceived Partner Responsiveness Moderates the Associations Between Sexual Talk and Sexual and Relationship Well-Being in Individuals in Long-Term Relationships

Sexual communication promotes sexual and relationship well-being. Previous research has frequently neglected couples' communication that occurs exclusively during sexual activity, and that is specific to that sexual interaction (i.e., sexual talk). We examined associations between individualistic and mutualistic (i.e., self- and other-focused) sexual talk and sexual and relationship well-being, and the potential moderating role of perceived partner responsiveness to sexual talk (PPR). An MTurk community sample of 303 individuals (171 female) in committed relationships completed online measures assessing sexual satisfaction, sexual functioning, sexual distress, relationship satisfaction, sexual talk, and PPR. Greater mutualistic talk was associated with higher female sexual functioning, whereas greater individualistic talk was associated with lower relationship satisfaction. At higher levels of PPR, using more mutualistic talk was associated with less sexual distress and more individualistic talk was associated with greater sexual satisfaction. At lower levels of PPR, more mutualistic talk was associated with more sexual distress and more individualistic talk was linked to poorer sexual satisfaction. PPR may help buffer against the negative associations between self-focused (i.e., individualistic) sexual talk and sexual and relationship well-being, whereas other-focused (i.e., mutualistic) sexual talk may be beneficial for sexual and relationship well-being, unless a partner is perceived as very unresponsive.

Genito-Pelvic Pain Through a Dyadic Lens: Moving Toward an Interpersonal Emotion Regulation Model of Women's Sexual Dysfunction

Researchers and clinicians alike widely acknowledge the inherently interpersonal nature of women's sexual dysfunctions given that both partners impact and are impacted by these difficulties. Yet theoretical models for understanding the role of interpersonal factors in women's sexual dysfunctions are severely lacking and have the potential to guide future research and inform more effective interventions. The most widely studied sexual dysfunction in women that has espoused a dyadic approach by including both members of affected couples is genito-pelvic pain/penetration disorder (GPPPD). In this article we use the example of GPPPD to introduce a novel interpersonal emotion regulation model of women's sexual dysfunction. We first review current knowledge regarding distal and proximal interpersonal factors in GPPPD. Then, we describe our theoretical model and consider relevant pain and sex-related research on emotion regulation processes-emotional awareness, expression, and experience-in the context of GPPPD, including sexual function, satisfaction, and distress. Next, we review how existing theories from the fields of chronic pain and sex and relationships research have informed our model and how our model further builds on them. Finally, we discuss the implications of our model and its applications, including to other sexual dysfunctions in women.

What Theories and Methods From Relationship Research Can Contribute to Sex Research

Sexual and relationship satisfaction tend to be closely linked in the context of romantic relationships. Understanding how sexual processes influence relationships and how aspects of the relationship influence a couple's sex life can provide insight into the maintenance of sexual desire and satisfaction over time. In this article, we review how theories and methods that form the foundation for relationship research have made-and will continue to make-sexuality research a stronger, more theoretical, and methodologically sophisticated science. We discuss the key theories that have been used to advance our understanding of who is more likely to be sexually satisfied in relationships, when sex is most satisfying, and how couples can have more satisfying sex lives and relationships. We then provide an overview of dyadic and repeated-measures designs and demonstrate how the use of these types of research methods allows relationship and sexuality researchers to answer novel and nuanced questions about how romantic partners influence each other, as well as how sexual processes unfold in couples' daily lives and over time. Throughout the review, we highlight what we see as fruitful directions for future research at the intersection of sexuality and relationships.

Understanding the Sexual Satisfaction of Women With Provoked Vestibulodynia and Their Partners: Comparison With Matched Controls

Provoked vestibulodynia (PVD)-a recurrent, localized vulvar pain-interferes with couples' sexual relationships as evidenced by lower sexual satisfaction compared to controls. Little is known about what components of sexual satisfaction contribute to this lower satisfaction. Using the Interpersonal Exchange Model of Sexual Satisfaction (IEMSS), we compared the sexual exchanges (sexual rewards and costs, relative sexual rewards and costs, balance of sexual rewards and costs, balance of relative sexual rewards and costs, equality of sexual rewards and costs) and sexual satisfaction of 50 women with PVD and their male partners to 50 matched-control couples. We also compared women with PVD and their partners on these same components. Participants completed standardized measures of sexual exchanges and sexual satisfaction. Women with PVD and their partners reported lower relative sexual rewards, a less favorable balance of relative sexual rewards to costs, and lower sexual satisfaction than controls, although differences were larger for women. Women with PVD also reported lower levels of sexual rewards, higher levels of sexual costs, a less favorable balance of sexual rewards to costs, and lower equality of sexual costs, than control women. Findings identify IEMSS exchange components that may contribute to overall lower satisfaction in couples affected by PVD.

"That's Kind of One of Our Jobs": Sexual Activity as a Form of Care Work Among Women with Sexual Difficulties

Willing engagement in unwanted or undesired sexual activity, often associated with fulfilling a partner's needs or sustaining intimate relationships, is common. Acquiescence with undesired sexual activity can be conceptualized as sexual care work, that is, domestic "labor" that women undertake with the goal of caring for their partners' well-being. Drawing on interviews with 53 women with dyspareunia (pain experienced during intercourse) and low desire, the aim of this study was to examine how women with sexual difficulties engage in sexual care work, the implications of the inability to perform such work for gender identity, and the ways in which sexual care work may blur the lines between women's perceptions of coercion and consent. The women in this study engaged in sexual activity for a number of reasons, including the pursuit of intimacy, to care for their partner, and to fulfill their perceived sexual obligations. Sexual compliance was conceptualized as a form of work, similar to other forms of unpaid care work such as housework or childcare, which negatively affected women's gender identities when it could not be performed. For many women, sex was simultaneously wanted and unwanted, contributing to women's ambivalence regarding the meaning of consent. Further exploration of these issues may lead to a better understanding of how gender is achieved through normative sexuality.

Understanding When a Partner Is Not in the Mood: Sexual Communal Strength in Couples Transitioning to Parenthood

Situations in which one partner is interested in having sex but the other partner is not "in the mood" are common in relationships. We extend previous work on sexual communal strength-the motivation to be responsive to a partner's sexual needs-to demonstrate that in addition to the motivation to meet a partner's need to have sex, the motivation to be understanding about a partner's need not to engage in sex is uniquely associated with sexual and relationship satisfaction. In Study 1, we adapted a measure of sexual communal strength for having sex (SCSS) to create a new measure of sexual communal strength for not having sex (SCSN). We demonstrated that SCSN is distinct from SCSS and associated with more positive and less negative responses to an imagined situation of sexual rejection. In Study 2, both SCSS and SCSN were uniquely associated with greater sexual and relationship satisfaction in couples transitioning to parenthood-a time when many couples experience changes to their sexual relationship. Having a partner who is higher in SCSN is associated with greater sexual satisfaction and relationship quality for new mothers but not new fathers, suggesting that during the transition to parenthood, it might be more important for women to have a partner who is understanding about their need not to engage in sex. The results suggest that the motivation to be understanding about a partner's need not to engage in sex may be an additional way that partners can show communal care in their sexual relationships.

Interpersonal Goals and Well-Being in Couples Coping with Genito-Pelvic Pain

In the context of genito-pelvic pain, consideration of interpersonal goals is particularly relevant given that couples' distress is often predicated upon the relational setting. However, relationship goals have not been examined in this population. We investigated (1) the associations between relationship goals and women's pain during intercourse as well as the sexual, relational, and psychological well-being of women with provoked vestibulodynia (PVD) and their partners and (2) the moderating role of sexual goals in these associations. Women with PVD (N = 134) and their partners completed measures of relationship goals, sexual goals, sexual satisfaction, relationship satisfaction, and depressive symptoms. Women also reported on their average pain intensity during intercourse. Women with stronger relationship approach goals reported more sexual satisfaction. When the partner pursued more relationship approach goals, both women and partners reported more sexual and relationship satisfaction and partners reported less depression. Stronger relationship avoidance goals in the partner were associated with less sexual satisfaction in women. Several significant interactions showed that the combination of relationship and sexual approach goals was associated with greater relationship and sexual satisfaction, and fewer depressive symptoms, whereas the combination of relationship and sexual avoidance goals was related to lower relationship satisfaction as well as to greater pain during intercourse for women. Targeting relationship approach and avoidance goals as well as those goals specific to sexual activity may improve the quality and efficacy of couples-based psychological interventions for PVD.

A Comparison of Approach and Avoidance Sexual Goals in Couples With Vulvodynia and Community Controls

BACKGROUND

Provoked vestibulodynia (PVD) is a prevalent form of vulvodynia that interferes with the sexual and relational functioning of affected couples. Approach and avoidance sexual goals are associated with the sexual and relationship well-being of women with PVD and their partners. However, whether sexual goals differ in couples coping with PVD compared with community couples is unknown.

AIMS

To compare the approach and avoidance sexual goals of women with PVD and their partners with a control sample of community women and their partners to build on an established motivational model and to compare the sexual goals of women with PVD with those of their partners.

METHODS

Women diagnosed with PVD and their partners (n = 161) and control couples (n = 172) completed measures of approach and avoidance sexual goals.

OUTCOME

Approach and Avoidance Sexual Goals Questionnaire.

RESULTS

Women with PVD reported lower approach and higher avoidance sexual goals than control women, whereas partners of women with PVD did not differ from control partners in their sexual goals. Women with PVD also reported lower approach and higher avoidance sexual goals compared with their partners, whereas there were no differences between partners in the control sample.

CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS

Given that avoidance sexual goals have been linked to negative sexual and relational outcomes, clinicians could strive to help couples with PVD become aware of their sexual motives, with the aim of weakening avoidance sexual goals and bolstering approach sexual goals.

STRENGTHS AND LIMITATIONS

This is the first study to empirically document differences in sexual goals between couples affected by PVD and community couples. Limitations include the study's correlational design, differences in demographic characteristics between samples, and the homogeneity of participants' sexual orientation.

CONCLUSIONS

Findings suggest that the sexual goals of women affected by PVD differ from those of community women and from their partners and support sexual goals as targets for psychological interventions to help couples coping with PVD. Dubé JP, Bergeron S, Muise A, et al. A Comparison of Approach and Avoidance Sexual Goals in Couples With Vulvodynia and Community Controls. J Sex Med 2017;14:1412-1420.

Dyadic Empathy Predicts Sexual and Relationship Well-Being in Couples Transitioning to Parenthood

Becoming a new parent is typically a time of great joy, yet it is also marked by significant declines in sexual and relationship functioning. Dyadic empathy, a combination of perspective taking and empathic concern for one's romantic partner, may facilitate sexual and relationship quality for new parents. The purpose of this study was to examine the associations between dyadic empathy and sexual satisfaction, relationship adjustment, and sexual desire in a sample of first-time parents. Couples (N = 255) with an infant aged three to 12 months completed an online survey assessing dyadic empathy, sexual satisfaction, relationship adjustment, and sexual desire. Data were analyzed using multilevel analyses guided by the actor-partner interdependence model. When new mothers and fathers reported greater dyadic empathy, both they and their partners reported higher sexual satisfaction and relationship adjustment. New mothers who reported higher dyadic empathy also had higher sexual desire, although when they had more empathic partners new mothers reported lower sexual desire. Results remained significant after controlling for potential challenges unique to the postpartum period (e.g., fatigue, breastfeeding), as well as relationship duration. Targeting dyadic empathy in interventions aimed at helping couples transition to parenthood may promote the maintenance of sexual and relationship well-being.

Seeking Connection Versus Avoiding Disappointment: An Experimental Manipulation of Approach and Avoidance Sexual Goals and the Implications for Desire and Satisfaction

Previous correlational research has demonstrated an association between people's reasons for having sex (i.e., their sexual goals) and their sexual desire and sexual and relationship satisfaction. Across two studies of people in romantic relationships (N = 396) we extend previous research and demonstrate, for the first time, that manipulating the salience of approach sexual goals (i.e., engaging in sex to pursue positive outcomes, such as enhanced intimacy) compared to avoidance sexual goals (i.e., engaging in sex to avert negative outcomes, such as a partner's disappointment) or a control condition leads people to feel higher sexual desire for their romantic partners and to report higher sexual and relationship satisfaction. In addition, in Study 2 we demonstrate that focusing on approach sexual goals over the course of a week leads people to report more satisfying sexual experiences during that week, as well as higher desire and overall relationship satisfaction, compared to a control group. The current findings advance approach-avoidance theory by providing evidence that it is possible to manipulate people's sexual goals and, in turn, impact their feelings of desire and satisfaction. Results are promising for the development of interventions to promote sexual and relational well-being.