Applying the developmental model of marital competence to sexual satisfaction: Associations between conflict resolution quality, forgiveness, attachment, and sexual satisfaction

2021 ◽  
pp. 026540752098485
Author(s):  
David B. Allsop ◽  
Chelom E. Leavitt ◽  
Matthew T. Saxey ◽  
Joshua E. Timmons ◽  
Jason S. Carroll
Keyword(s):  
Conflict Resolution ◽  
Sexual Satisfaction ◽  
Empirical Support ◽  
Married Couples ◽  
Sexual Relationships ◽  
Developmental Model ◽  
Heterosexual Couples ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Nationally Representative ◽  
Comprehensive Framework

Sexual satisfaction is a complex construct that is affected by many diverse factors. Without a comprehensive framework guiding their work, scholars and practitioners who work with married couples may inadvertently focus on a single factor affecting sexual satisfaction and subsequently limit the effectiveness of their research and practice. Through discussion and an empirical example, the current study explores how the developmental model of marital competence—a comprehensive theory for understanding marital processes—can be used by scholars and practitioners to guide their work on sexual satisfaction and broaden their approach. Utilizing U.S. nationally representative data from 2,114 mixed-sex couples and guided by the actor-partner-interdependence-model, cross-sectional and longitudinal associations between wives’ and husbands’ sexual satisfaction and three factors—conflict resolution quality, forgiveness, and anxious and avoidant attachment—that correspond to the three domains of the developmental model of marital competence—marital communication, marital virtues, and marital identities—were tested. Results of the current study provide empirical support for the use of the developmental model of marital competence when approaching work on sexual relationships among married, heterosexual couples. For both partners, variables from each of the three domains of this model were associated with sexual satisfaction cross-sectionally, and variables in one domain—attachment avoidance and anxiety—were associated with changes in sexual satisfaction over time. The merits of researchers and practitioners integrating the developmental model of marital competence into their work are discussed.

scholarly journals The Roles of Social Anxiety and Sexual Communication in Marriage Relationships

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthew Ogan ◽  
Melissa Hall
Keyword(s):  
Social Anxiety ◽  
Relationship Satisfaction ◽  
Sexual Satisfaction ◽  
Sexual Communication ◽  
Married Couples ◽  
Past Research ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Heterosexual Couples ◽  
Fear Of Intimacy ◽  
Satisfaction Relationship

Past research shows strong connections between sexual satisfaction, sexual communication, and relationship satisfaction in romantic couples. However, social anxiety tends to inhibit communication and self-disclosure about sensitive topics, including sex. In this research, I aimed to determine the role social anxiety plays in sexual satisfaction, sexual communication, and relationship satisfaction in married couples. I hypothesized that social anxiety would not have strong impacts on sexual satisfaction, sexual communication, and relationship satisfactionin married couples because of the familiarity that comes along with marriage. 16 heterosexual couples, or 32 individuals, completed a five-section survey to measure each individual’s sexual satisfaction, relationship satisfaction, sexual communication satisfaction, fear of intimacy, and social anxiety. Results showed significant moderate correlations between social anxiety and every other variable: sexual satisfaction, r(30) = -.44, p= .01; relationship satisfaction, r(30) = -.43, p= .01; sexual communication, r(30) = -.47, p< .01; and fear of intimacy, r(30) = .55, p< .01. Socially anxious individuals also reported significantly decreased sexual satisfaction compared to non-anxious individuals. Implications for future research are discussed.Keywords:social anxiety, sexual satisfaction, relationship satisfaction, sexual communication, fear of intimacy, marriage

A closer look at attachment, sexuality, and couple relationships

2020 ◽  
Vol 37 (4) ◽  
pp. 1362-1385 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dean M. Busby ◽  
Veronica Hanna-Walker ◽  
Jeremy B. Yorgason
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Satisfaction ◽  
Sexual Debut ◽  
Married Couples ◽  
Sexual Partners ◽  
Insecure Attachment ◽  
Attachment Patterns ◽  
Time Points ◽  
Relationship Outcomes ◽  
Number Of Sexual Partners ◽  
Nationally Representative

In this study, the relationships between attachment patterns and relationship outcomes were explored through the mechanism of sexuality with two large samples from the U.S. In the first sample ( N = 4,834), the associations between insecure attachment patterns, the number of committed and casual sexual partners, timing of sexual debut, and relationship status were explored. In the second sample, a nationally representative sample of recently married couples ( N = 4212), an actor–partner model was used to explore the associations with attachment on the number of sexual partners and sexual timing and their subsequent influence on relationship and sexual satisfaction over two time points. The results indicated that, for Sample 1, insecure attachment was associated with both the number of casual and committed sexual partners and an increased likelihood of being single for men and women. For Sample 2, the actor–partner measures of attachment were associated with relationship and sexual satisfaction over two time points but had weak associations with the number of sexual partners and sexual timing.

Sociocultural and Behavioral Contexts of Condom Use in Heterosexual Married Couples in India: Challenges to the HIV Prevention Program

2004 ◽  
Vol 31 (1) ◽  
pp. 101-117 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gauri Bhattacharya
Keyword(s):  
Hiv Prevention ◽  
Hiv Infection ◽  
Condom Use ◽  
Health Beliefs ◽  
Cultural Beliefs ◽  
Married Couples ◽  
Holistic Health ◽  
High Risk Group ◽  
Sexual Relationships ◽  
Heterosexual Couples

This article examines sociocultural expectations of sexual behavior and the reasons why not using condoms may be logical to married heterosexual couples in India. Married women who report monogamous sexual relationships with their husbands are a high-risk group for HIV infection in India. Based on the public health model and a population-based perspective on HIV infection prevention, this article illustrates the underlying mechanisms that link the role of women in society, holistic health beliefs, and cultural beliefs about the transmission of HIV with the precursors to nonuse of condoms. The author concludes that promoting condom use requires an emphasis on family health, not only as contraceptives. Challenges for reducing the social stigma and developing a comprehensive policy on HIV prevention and AIDS treatment and care are discussed.

scholarly journals How Does Geographical Distance between Married Couples Matter? Analysis of Domains of Marital Conflict and Resolution Styles

2020 ◽  
pp. 20-29
Author(s):  
Shikha Johari ◽  
Ritu Singh ◽  
Manisha Mehra
Keyword(s):  
Conflict Resolution ◽  
Marital Conflict ◽  
Sampling Technique ◽  
Married Couples ◽  
Geographical Distance ◽  
Heterosexual Couples ◽  
Snowball Sampling ◽  
Conflict Resolution Strategies ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Resolution Strategies

Conflicts are an inescapable part of every relationship. Between married people, conflicts are not necessarily destructive since they provide valuable clues that show the growing edges of the relationship and the areas that need to be worked on for making it richer and deeper. Hence, the key to successful marital relationship is not to avoid conflicts but learn how to effectively deal with them. Geographical distance between married partners is likely to influence the relationship dynamics and strategies of conflict resolution. Holding onto this thought, the present study was undertaken to identify the common areas of conflict and strategies to resolve them among Living Apart Together Couples (LATC) and Proximal couples (PC). The sample comprised of a total of 150 heterosexual couples (75 LATC and 75 PC) drawn through snowball sampling technique from Distt. Udham Singh Nagar, Uttarakhand. Both, husbands’ and wives’ responses on their areas of conflict and strategies of resolution were recorded using self-structured and standardized tools respectively. Mixed methods of data collection were used in the present study namely mail questionnaire, face to face and telephonic interviews. Findings reveal almost similar patterns and frequency of conflicts in all domains of marriage among LATC and PC. However, LATC and PC slightly differed on their conflict resolution strategies. LATC were seen to adopt separation strategy and PC practiced avoidance strategy significantly more to resolve conflict with their marriage partners. Conflict resolution strategies like compromise, interactional reactivity, domination and submission were seen to be equally prevalent among the two groups under study.

scholarly journals But What’s Your Partner Up to? Associations Between Relationship Quality and Pornography Use Depend on Contextual Patterns of Use Within the Couple

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Taylor Kohut ◽  
Kiersten A. Dobson ◽  
Rhonda N. Balzarini ◽  
Ronald D. Rogge ◽  
Amanda M. Shaw ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Relationship Quality ◽  
Sexual Satisfaction ◽  
Romantic Partners ◽  
Heterosexual Couples ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Patterns Of Use ◽  
Sex Drive ◽  
Pornography Use ◽  
Negative Impacts ◽  
Use Behavior

It is commonly assumed that exposure to pornography harms relationships because pornography changes the way that individuals think, feel, and behave in problematic ways. In the current research, we contribute to a small but growing body of work that challenges this assumption by carefully scrutinizing the relational context of pornography use. In contrast to dominant theoretical explanations in this field, we argue that at least some of the apparent negative “impacts” of pornography use on relationship quality may reflect partner dissimilarity in pornography use behavior rather than the consequences of exposure to such materials. Moreover, we further examine a particular type of pornography use – shared use with a partner – which previous evidence suggests may be positively associated with relationship quality. To this end, we sought to test whether dyadic patterns of pornography use, and related attributes, were associated with sexual and relationship satisfaction in two cross-sectional (N1 = 200; N3 = 207) and two longitudinal (N2 = 77; N4 = 277) samples of heterosexual couples. Across these samples, we found consistent evidence that partners who watch pornography together report higher relationship and sexual satisfaction than partners who do not, and notably, this association was not moderated by gender. Independent of this association, we also found evidence of a similarity-dissimilarity effect, such that the solitary pornography use of one partner was negatively associated with their own relationship and sexual satisfaction, but only in cases where their romantic partners used little or no pornography alone. Further consideration of several correlates of pornography use established comparable patterns of results for dissimilarity in attitudes toward pornography, erotophobia-erotophilia, sexual preferences, and sex drive. Importantly, only dissimilarity in sex drive statistically accounted for dissimilarity in solitary pornography use, suggesting that differences in sex drive may be implicated in the associations between pornography use and relationship quality. These findings demonstrate that links between pornography use and relationship health are partially a function of different dyadic patterns of pornography use within couples and do not always suggest relational harm.

scholarly journals Risk factors for HIV infection among married couples in Rakai, Uganda: A cross-sectional study

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anne M. Nabukenya ◽  
Aminah Nambuusi ◽  
Joseph KB Matovu
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Hiv Infection ◽  
Married Couples ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Hiv Prevalence ◽  
Bivariate Analysis ◽  
Couple Relationships ◽  
Heterosexual Couples ◽  
Sectional Study ◽  
Cross Sectional

Abstract Background: Evidence suggests that married couples are at an elevated risk of HIV infection. We explored the risk factors for HIV infection among married couples in settings with differing HIV prevalence in Rakai, Uganda.Methods: This was a cross-sectional study conducted among 664 heterosexual couples living in three HIV prevalence strata (low: 9-11.2%; medium: 11.4-20% or high HIV prevalence: 21% or higher) in Rakai District, south-western Uganda, between November 2013 and February 2014. Data were collected on socio-demographic and behavioural characteristics from all consenting adults and aggregated to allow for couple-level analyses. We conducted bivariate and multivariable Logistic regression to assess the factors that were independently associated with HIV infection among married couples.Results: Of the 664 couples, 6.4% ( n =42) were in HIV-discordant relationships; 5.8% ( n =39) were in concordant HIV-positive relationships while 87.8% ( n =583) were in concordant HIV-negative relationships. At the bivariate analysis, we found that individuals residing in a high HIV prevalence stratum had 4 times the odds of living as part of an HIV infected couple (odds ratio [OR]=4.29; 95% CI:2.95 6.25) than those in other lower HIV prevalence strata. Individuals who had been in at least three previous couple relationships were six times more likely to be part of an HIV infected couple (OR=6.25, 95% CI:4.11, 9.17) than their counterparts. After adjusting for potential cofounders, living in a high HIV prevalence stratum (Adjusted OR [AOR] =2.31, 95% CI: 1.52, 3.52) and being in a second (AOR=3.32, 95% CI: 2, 33, 4.70), third or higher order relationship (AOR=3.79, 95% CI: 2.29, 6.28) were associated with couple HIV infection. Individuals that had stayed together for six or more years had 28% odds of being part of an HIV infected couple (AOR = 0.28; 95%CI: 0.18, 0.43).Conclusion: The risk factors associated with HIV infection in married couples were living in a high HIV prevalence stratum and having a higher number of previous couple relationships. These findings suggest a need for pre-marital couples’ HIV testing to reduce on the number of relationships that form when one or both partners are already infected with HIV.

Day-to-Day Changes in Intimacy Predict Heightened Relationship Passion, Sexual Occurrence, and Sexual Satisfaction

2011 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 224-231 ◽  
Author(s):  
Harris Rubin ◽  
Lorne Campbell
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Satisfaction ◽  
Empirical Support ◽  
Heterosexual Couples ◽  
Sexual Frequency ◽  
Actor Partner Interdependence Model ◽  
Over Time

The current research tested a model proposed by Baumeister and Bratslavsky (1999) suggesting that passion’s association with intimacy is best understood as being linked with changes in intimacy over time. Within this framework, when intimacy shows relatively large and rapid increases, levels of passion should be high. When intimacy remains unchanged over time, levels of passionate experience should be low. To test this hypothesis, 67 heterosexual couples involved in long-term relationships completed daily measures of intimacy, passion, and sexual satisfaction for 21 consecutive days. Analyses guided by the actor–partner interdependence model ( Kenny, Kashy, & Cook, 2006 ) demonstrated that day-to-day changes in intimacy for both partners predicted relationship passion, sexual frequency, and sexual satisfaction in a manner conforming to Baumeister and Bratslavksy’s model. These results represent the first empirical support for this model of intimacy and passionate experience.

Male Migration/Mobility and HIV Among Married Couples: Cross-Sectional Analysis of Nationally Representative Data from India

2011 ◽  
Vol 16 (6) ◽  
pp. 1649-1658 ◽  
Author(s):  
Niranjan Saggurti ◽  
Saritha Nair ◽  
Alankar Malviya ◽  
Michele R. Decker ◽  
Jay G. Silverman ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Married Couples ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Male Migration ◽  
Representative Data ◽  
Cross Sectional Analysis ◽  
Nationally Representative ◽  
Sectional Analysis

scholarly journals Family Planning Communication between Wives and Husbands: Insights from the 2017 Indonesia Demographic and Health Survey

2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Dian Kristiani Irawaty ◽  
Suziana Mat Yasin ◽  
Hadi Pratomo
Keyword(s):  
Family Planning ◽  
Health Survey ◽  
Married Couples ◽  
Demographic And Health Survey ◽  
Sociodemographic Characteristics ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Communication Behaviors ◽  
Spousal Communication ◽  
Nationally Representative ◽  
Field Workers

Frequent inter-spousal communication is regarded as an indicator of safe family planning practice. Nevertheless, communication about family planning within couples in Indonesia is still largely unexplored. This study assessed the levels of inter-spousal communication about family planning and its associated determinants, using cross-sectional and nationally representative data from the 2017 Indonesia Demographic and Health Survey (IDHS), from a randomly selected cohort of 8,925 currently-married couples. Data on sociodemographic characteristics, inter-spousal communication behaviors, and attitudes regarding family planning were collected. The dependent variable in this study is how frequently couples discuss family planning, based on wives’ responses. The analyses were stratified based on the frequency of inter-spousal communication: never, once or twice, or more often. The results of the study were greater husband approval of family planning and communication with family planning field workers, and that those encouraged inter-spousal communication in Indonesia.

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