Under Pressure: Men's and Women's Sexual Performance Anxiety in the Sexual Interactions of Adult Couples.

Most research on sexual performance anxiety has focused on men's experiences and links to erectile functioning and premature ejaculation, with little research attention given to women's experiences or to relationship dynamics. At times, sexual performance anxiety has been examined in the context of dysfunction, but rarely as a focus in its own right. Study 1 asked 51 participants reporting sexual performance anxiety to describe the cognitive and affective components of their experiences, coping strategies, and perceived impact on their relationship using open-ended responses from online surveys. Through directed content analysis, Study 1 revealed that men and women experience a range of cognitive and affective processes with predominant feelings of inadequacy, and overall promoting more approach coping strategies. Study 2 used quantitative surveys to examine whether sexual performance anxiety was associated with higher sexual distress and lower sexual and relationship satisfaction in a sample of 228 community-based couples. Guided by the Actor-Partner Interdependence Model, multilevel modeling analyses indicated that higher sexual performance anxiety was linked to higher sexual distress and lower sexual and relationship satisfaction in both individuals and their partners. This work advances knowledge of sexual performance anxiety to women's experiences, not just men's, and to couples' experiences. Effective treatment for those suffering from this anxiety may incorporate education around sexual beliefs and expectations.

It's Just a Little Crush: Attraction to an Alternative and Romantic Relationship Quality, Breakups and Infidelity.

Over the course of an intimate relationship, individuals will frequently encounter potential alternative partners and may in fact develop romantic or sexual attraction to them. It is unclear when a more distal attraction to a potential alternative (a "crush") is associated with impaired relationship quality to one's primary relationship. A growing body of work indicates that crushes are common among those in established, ostensibly monogamous relationships. Yet such attractions likely constitute a starting point for establishing new relationships, including through infidelity. This study was designed to help clarify whether and how extradyadic attraction is linked to compromised relationship quality for a primary relationship, infidelity, and breakup. Participants were 542 adults (22-35 years) in exclusive intimate relationships of at least three months' duration who reported an attraction toward a potential alternative. They were recruited online from crowdsourcing websites and social media to complete two surveys, four months apart. Path analyses indicated that greater attraction intensity was linked to lower relationship quality in one's primary relationship. Overall, few participants became romantically or sexually involved with their crush over the course of the study. However, lower relationship quality was linked to desire to engage in infidelity and primary relationship breakup four months later. Findings are discussed in terms of implications for other researchers examining maintenance of intimate relationships, educators who teach about attraction processes, as well as counselors supporting couples in distress.

Partner responses to low desire among couples coping with male hypoactive sexual desire disorder and associations with sexual well-being.

BACKGROUND: Hypoactive sexual desire disorder (HSDD) is characterized by persistently low desire and associated distress. Low desire is one of the most common sexual complaints among men and is associated with poor well-being. Interpersonal factors are key to understanding low desire, yet there are few dyadic studies of HSDD in men. Previous work on genito-pelvic pain and low desire in women has established that greater facilitative (eg, affectionate) partner responses are associated with greater sexual satisfaction and function and that more negative (eg, critical) or solicitous (eg, sympathetic, avoidant) partner responses are associated with lower sexual satisfaction and function. Examining how partner responses are associated with adjustment to HSDD may shed light on the interpersonal dynamics of this understudied sexual dysfunction. AIM: In a cross-sectional study, we examined whether partner responses to low desire in men were associated with sexual desire, sexual satisfaction, and sexual distress for both members of the couple. METHODS: Men with HSDD and their partners (N = 67 couples) completed measures of facilitative, negative, and avoidant partner responses to men's low sexual desire-as perceived by the man with HSDD and self-reported by their partner-and sexual desire, sexual satisfaction, and sexual distress. Data were analyzed using multilevel modeling guided by the actor-partner interdependence model. OUTCOMES: Outcomes included the partner-focused subscale of the Sexual Desire Inventory-2, Global Measure of Sexual Satisfaction, and Sexual Distress Scale-Revised. RESULTS: When men with HSDD perceived more facilitative partner responses to their low desire, they and their partners reported greater sexual satisfaction. When men with HSDD perceived and their partners self-reported more negative partner responses, they each reported lower sexual satisfaction. In addition, when men with HSDD perceived more avoidant partner responses, their partners reported greater sexual distress. Partner responses were not associated with sexual desire for either member of the couple. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: Findings support the importance of the interpersonal context for HSDD in men and suggest potential future targets of treatment when working with affected couples. STRENGTHS AND LIMITATIONS: This study is one of the only dyadic studies of HSDD in men, as assessed via clinical interview or self-report symptoms reviewed by the clinical team. Despite our best efforts to recruit this sample over 6 years, the small size limited power to detect all predicted effects. CONCLUSION: More facilitative and fewer negative or avoidant partner responses to low desire are associated with greater sexual well-being in couples coping with HSDD.

Once a Poacher Always a Poacher? Mate Poaching History and its Association with Relationship Quality.

Successful mate poaching is a form of infidelity that occurs when one partner knowingly attracts the mate of another with the intention of starting a sexual and/or romantic relationship with this individual. Relationships formed from poaching tend to be of lower quality than their non-poached counterparts. A history of poaching might reflect a sociosexuality that propels seeking new partnerships without regard for exclusivity. It is unknown whether serial poaching for relationship formation is linked to more permissive sociosexual orientation. Adults (N = 653; aged 25-40; 57% women) in a romantic relationship completed online surveys assessing mate poaching, poaching history, sociosexuality, and relationship quality (commitment, satisfaction, trust, jealousy). Those in a poached relationship at the time of the study had a more extensive history of poached relationships and a more permissive sociosexuality. Participants who reported a more extensive history of mate poaching reported poorer quality relationships. The link between poaching history and relationship quality was partially accounted for by sociosexuality. This research adds to our understanding of difficulties that may be associated with the relationships of individuals who use poaching as a relationship initiation strategy, and the challenges that permissive sociosexuality may present for maintaining long-term relationships.