Using spectral and cross-spectral analysis to identify patterns and synchrony in couples' sexual desire.

Abstract

Sexual desire discrepancy and low sexual desire are two of the most frequently reported sexual concerns for individuals and couples and both have been shown to be negatively associated with sexual and relationship satisfaction. Sexual desire has increasingly been examined as a state like construct that ebbs and flows, but little is known about whether there are patterns in the fluctuation of sexual desire. Utilizing spectral and cross-spectral analysis, we transformed 30 days of dyadic daily diary data for perceived levels of sexual desire for 133 couples (266 individuals) into the frequency domain to identify shared periodic state fluctuations in sexual desire. Spectral analysis is a technique commonly used in physics and engineering that allows time series data to be analyzed for the presence of regular cycles of fluctuation. Cross spectral analysis allows for dyadic data to be analyzed for shared rates of fluctuation between partners as well as the degree of (a)synchrony (or phase shift) between these fluctuations. Men and women were found to exhibit fluctuations in sexual desire at various frequencies including rates of once and twice per month, and to have sexual desire that was unlikely to fluctuate over periods of three days or less and therefore exhibited persistence. Similar patterns of fluctuation were exhibited within couples and these patterns were found to be largely synchronous. The results have important implications for researchers, clinicians, and educators in that they corroborate the supposition that sexual desire ebbs and flows and suggest that it does so with predictable regularity. Further, while instances of desire discrepancy may arise due to differences in rates of sexual desire fluctuation, such instances may be normal for romantic relationships.

Strategies for Mitigating Sexual Desire Discrepancy in Relationships

“…We recognize that ebbs and flows are a natural part of the experience of sexual desire (Acevedo & Aron, 2009;Herbenick et al, 2014;Vowels et al, 2018). Within relationships, sexual desire discrepancy is an inevitable experience and can be difficult for couples to navigate successfully.…”

“…A recent study found that while couples are generally in sync with their sexual desire (i.e., they ebb and flow at the same time), there may be regular instances of sexual desire discrepancy. The study used spectral and cross-spectral analysis to identify cycles in sexual desire and found that individuals exhibited periodic fluctuations in their desire over the course of a month indicating that there may be regular and predictable fluctuations in desire (Vowels, Mark, Vowels, & Wood, 2018). If desire ebbs and flows naturally, then it is unlikely partners will always be in sync with each other, making desire discrepancy inevitable and potentially problematic for the relationship unless there are strategies employed to mitigate these phases in relationships (Herbenick, Mullinax, & Mark, 2014).…”

Sexual Desire Discrepancy: A Position Statement of the European Society for Sexual Medicine

“…23e25 Given that any 2 individuals likely differ in their level of sexual desire, which fluctuates over contexts and time, discrepancies in desire have been described as an inevitable feature of long-term sexual relationships [refer to Table 1]. 2,26,27 SDD is not necessarily a clinical condition that causes distress and requires treatment. 7 It is thus crucial to determine the level of distress evoked by the SDD, distinguishing between personal e because one of the partners is missing something (that has been there before) e and relational distress because the SDD strains the relationship.…”

“…Some studies report positive outcomes of SDD on the (sexual) relationship, 35,50 whereas others show negative effects. 11,13,27,51 Most often, the outcome variables are broadly defined in terms of relationship and sexual satisfaction, 11e13,29,32,48,51,50 leaving unexplored how SDD may affect other parts of individual functioning (eg, mood, coping), relationship functioning (eg, communication, support, partner responsiveness), and well-being. In addition, we currently lack a clear understanding of what it means for partners to experience different levels of sexual desire and why some couples handle differences in sexual desire better than the other.…”

Typical Yet Unlikely: An Information Theoretic Approach to the Quantification of 'Normality'

“…For example, the family of longitudinal daily diary methods [2], as well as hierarchical models [27] can be used to capture different levels of variability associated with the data generating process. Alternatively, other methods have sought to leverage techniques from the engineering sciences, such as spectral analysis, in order to model dynamic fluctuations and shared synchrony between partners over time [35,12]. Machine learning methods provide powerful, data-adaptive function approximation methods for 'letting the data speak' [31] as well as for testing the predictive validity of psychological theories [34,37], and in the world of big data, comprehensive meta-analyses allow us to paint complete pictures of the gardens of forking paths [11,24].…”