Gender Differences in Desire Discrepancy as a Predictor of Sexual and Relationship Satisfaction in a College Sample of Heterosexual Romantic Relationships

Abstract

The authors examined desire discrepancy and its effect on sexual and relationship satisfaction in a sample of 133 heterosexual couples attending a midsize university. Couples were required to be in a relationship for at least 1 year (M = 4.32 years, SD = 3.13 years); 23.7% of the couples were cohabitating. Hierarchical multiple regression results indicated that higher desire discrepancy scores significantly predicted women's (but not men's) lower sexual satisfaction after controlling for relationship satisfaction. Higher desire discrepancy scores significantly predicted men's (but not women's) lower relationship satisfaction after controlling for sexual satisfaction. The authors assessed gender differences using a mixed model with the dyad and gender as factors and satisfaction as the outcome. Although gender difference patterns appeared in the regression models, the differences were nonsignificant within each couple in the extent to which desire discrepancy affected sexual and relationship satisfaction. These findings suggest moving away from focusing on only one partner with low desire and shifting attention to the dyad's interaction. Also, the way in which desire discrepancy affects sexual and relationship satisfaction deserves consideration. Therapeutic implications and study limitations are discussed.

Sexually explicit media use and relationship satisfaction: a moderating role of emotional intimacy?

“…Participants' satisfaction with their romantic relationship was shown to be significantly related to a higher committed relationship status, higher levels of emotional intimacy, sexual desire and sexual satisfaction and to lower levels of sexual boredom. These findings are in accordance with the body of literature on the correlates of relationship satisfaction (Byers, 2005;del Mar S anchezFuentes & Sierra, 2015;Henderson et al, 2009;Mark & Murray, 2012;Sanderson & Cantor, 2001;Willoughby et al, 2011;Yoo et al, 2013). In the context of SEM use, these findings suggest that variables, other than SEM, may be (more) important to target in research and clinical practice focusing on relationship satisfaction.…”

“…More generally, in research on couples' relationship satisfaction a number of moderating variables have been identified, including age (King & Scott, 2005;Umberson, Williams, Powers, Chen, & Campbell, 2005); education (Karney & Bradbury, 1995); religiosity (Goddard, Marshall, Olson, & Dennis, 2012); parenthood (Adamsons, 2013;Doss, Rhoades, Stanley, & Markman, 2009;Koepke, Hare, & Moran, 1992); relationship status, i.e. whether couples are cohabiting, married or living separately (Karney & Bradbury, 1995;Tam, Lee, Har, & Chua, 2011;Willoughby, Carroll, & Busby, 2011); relationship duration (Heiman et al, 2011;Karney & Bradbury, 1995); sexual satisfaction (Byers, 2005;del Mar S anchez-Fuentes & Sierra, 2015;Henderson, Lehavot, & Simoni, 2009); sexual boredom (Tunariu & Reavey, 2003, 2007; sexual orientation (Kurdek, 2008;Mohr & Fassinger, 2006); sexual desire (Mark & Murray, 2012); and emotional intimacy (Sanderson & Cantor, 2001;Yoo, Bartle-Haring, Day, & Gangamma, 2013).…”

Zen and the art of sex: examining associations among mindfulness, sexual satisfaction, and relationship satisfaction in dating relationships

“…However, previous research has also demonstrated that sexual satisfaction and relationship satisfaction often influence each other bidirectionally over time (Byers, 2005;Sprecher & Cate, 2004) and are highly correlated (Mark & Murray, 2012;Montesi, Fauber, Gordon, & Heimberg, 2011). Thus, it is possible that individuals who are more satisfied with their current dating relationship (perhaps due, in part, to being more characteristically mindful in the context of their relationship) are thereby more able to experience a satisfied sexual relationship with their partner.…”

Across-sectional survey of prevalence and correlates of couple sexual concurrency among married couples in fishing communities along Lake Victoria in Kisumu, Kenya

“…24–26 Sexually dissatisfied spouses find missed satisfaction elsewhere within their social networks that may put the entire couple at risk of HIV. Most responses to sexual concurrency have focused on campaigns to discourage couples without paying attention to the root causes.…”