Women and Men are the Barometers of Relationships: Testing the Predictive Power of Women's and Men's Relationship Satisfaction.

There is a longstanding belief in relationship science and popular opinion that women are the barometers in mixed-gender relationships such that their perceptions about the partnership carry more weight than men's in predicting future relationship satisfaction, but this idea has yet to be rigorously tested. We analyze data from two studies to test within-person links between men's and women's relationship satisfaction on their own and their partner's next-day and next-year satisfaction. Study 1 combined nine daily diary datasets from Canada and the United States with 901 mixed-gender couples who provided 29,541 daily reports of relationship satisfaction. Study 2 analyzed five annual waves of data from the German Family Panel (pairfam) that surveyed 3,405 mixed-gender couples who provided 21,115 relationship satisfaction reports. Latent curve models with structured residuals (LCM-SR) revealed that in both studies, men's and women's relationship satisfaction significantly predicted their own and their partner's relationship satisfaction, with no gender differences in the magnitude of these effects. Results underscore the interdependence of romantic partners' satisfaction and indicate that both men and women jointly shape romantic relationship satisfaction.

Feeling Appreciated Buffers Against the Negative Effects of Unequal Division of Household Labor on Relationship Satisfaction.

Decades of research from across the globe highlight unequal and unfair division of household labor as a key factor that leads to relationship distress and demise. But does it have to? Testing a priori predictions across three samples of individuals cohabiting with a romantic partner during the COVID-19 pandemic (N = 2,193, including 476 couples), we found an important exception to this rule. People who reported doing more of the household labor and who perceived the division as more unfair were less satisfied across the early weeks and ensuing months of the pandemic, but these negative effects disappeared when people felt appreciated by their partners. Feeling appreciated also appeared to buffer against the negative effects of doing less, suggesting that feeling appreciated may offset the relational costs of unequal division of labor, regardless of who contributes more. These findings generalized across gender, employment status, age, socioeconomic status, and relationship length.

Leading Better Sex Lives: Is Trait Charisma Associated with Higher Sexual Desire and Satisfaction in Romantic Relationships?

Sexuality is a key predictor of relationship satisfaction, but sexual desire and satisfaction can be difficult to maintain over time. Past research has investigated who might be more likely to experience higher (compared to lower) levels of desire and sexual satisfaction in their relationships. Certain aspects of personality, such as extraversion, have been associated with sexual satisfaction and desire, but evidence linking personality to sexual outcomes has generally been mixed, meaning there is a lot left to learn about how personality is associated with sexual well-being. A promising, yet unexplored, trait that could be associated with higher sexual desire and satisfaction is charisma-a combination of influence and affability that has been identified as a desirable trait when people are selecting a romantic or sexual partner. Across two studies-a cross-sectional study of individuals in relationships (N = 413) and a 21-day dyadic daily experience study (N = 121 couples)-people higher in charisma reported being more communal during sex and reported higher sexual desire and satisfaction. Through higher sexual communal strength, people with a charismatic partner also reported higher daily sexual desire and sexual satisfaction. The effects were largely retained above and beyond general communal strength and Big Five personality dimensions, although in Study 1, charisma was no longer associated with sexual desire and satisfaction when controlling for extraversion. The current findings provide initial evidence that charismatic people tend to be responsive to their partner's sexual needs, which is associated with higher desire and sexual satisfaction in romantic relationships.

Sexual Desire in the Time of COVID-19: How COVID-Related Stressors Are Associated with Sexual Desire in Romantic Relationships.

The COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting social distancing measures have caused widespread social and economic disruptions, resulting in spikes in unemployment and financial instability, along with drastic changes to people's ability to feel socially connected. Many of the changes resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic are risk factors for depressive symptoms, which are associated with lower levels of sexual desire. The current research (N = 4,993) examined whether responses to external stressors brought on by COVID-19 (i.e., financial concern, worry, loneliness, stress) were associated with sexual desire among a multi-national sample of people in relationships (Studies 1-2), and whether this association was, in part, due to reports of depressive symptoms (Study 2). In the period immediately following the onset of the pandemic, more financial concern (Study 1) and worry (Study 2) were associated with higher sexual desire, while other factors, like stress (Studies 1-2), were associated with lower desire. We also followed a subset of participants every two weeks during the initial stages of the pandemic and at times when people reported greater stress, loneliness, financial strain, or worry than their average, they reported greater depressive symptoms, which was, in turn, associated with lower sexual desire. Results suggest that the social isolation and stress resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic have mixed associations with sexual desire at the onset of the pandemic. But over time, when people report heightened COVID-related stressors, they tend to report lower sexual desire for their partner, in part because these stressors are associated with more depressive symptoms.

Dialing up desire and dampening disinterest: regulating sexual desire in the bedroom and sexual and relationship well-being.

Romantic partners often regulate their emotions and affection to achieve certain goals, but research has yet to explore how partners regulate their expression of sexual desire during sex and its implications for couples' well-being. In two multi-part dyadic diary studies of primarily mixed-gender couples in longer-term relationships residing in North America, we examined three questions. First, is amplifying desire and suppressing disinterest during sex associated with both partners' daily sexual and relationship satisfaction? Second, do these associations differ by level of sexual desire and gender? Third, tested in our second sample, can these associations be explained by feelings of sexual inauthenticity? Across both samples (Ntotal = 225 couples, 450 participants), amplifying desire was associated with lower sexual satisfaction, while suppressing disinterest was not associated with daily satisfaction. Importantly, sexual desire played a role in the links between desire regulation during sex and satisfaction: on days when people were low in sexual desire, amplification was associated with both partners' lower sexual satisfaction, while suppression was associated with a partner's higher relationship satisfaction. In addition, amplification (on low desire days) and suppression (regardless of desire level) were associated with lower sexual authenticity which, in turn, was linked to lower relationship satisfaction. The findings suggest that desire regulation during sex plays an important role in couples' daily sexual satisfaction and relationship satisfaction-in part because it feels sexually inauthentic-with the implications of this regulation being particularly strong when people feel low sexual desire.

Planning date nights that promote closeness: The roles of relationship goals and self-expansion.

Spending time with a romantic partner by going on dates is important for promoting closeness in established relationships; however, not all date nights are created equally, and some people might be more adept at planning dates that promote closeness. Drawing from the self-expansion model and relationship goals literature, we predicted that people higher (vs. lower) in approach relationship goals would be more likely to plan dates that are more exciting and, in turn, experience more self-expansion from the date and increased closeness with the partner. In Study 1, people in intimate relationships planned a date to initiate with their partners and forecasted the expected level of self-expansion and closeness from engaging in the date. In Study 2, a similar design was employed, but we also followed up with participants 1 week later to ask about the experience of engaging in their planned dates (e.g., self-expansion, closeness from the date). Taken together, the results suggest that people with higher (vs. lower) approach relationship goals derive more closeness from their dates, in part, because of their greater aptitude for planning dates that are more exciting and promote self-expansion.

A Comparison of the Sexual Well-Being of New Parents With Community Couples.

BACKGROUND: Changes in sexual well-being are common for new mothers and their partners after the birth of a baby. However, most research has sampled mothers not couples, assessed only one aspect of sexual well-being, and has not included a control sample of couples. AIM: This study aimed to compare the sexual well-being (ie, sexual frequency, sexual satisfaction, sexual desire, sexual distress) of first-time mothers and their partners in the transition to parenthood (first 12-month postpartum) to community couples who are not actively in this transition. We also compared the sexual well-being within couples (eg, mothers to their partners). METHODS: Couples in the transition to parenthood (n = 99) completed measures of sexual satisfaction, sexual desire, sexual distress, and sexual frequency at 3, 6, and 12 months postpartum, and community couples (n = 104) completed the measures at a single time point. OUTCOMES: Measures included the following: (i) Global Measure of Sexual Satisfaction Scale; (ii) Female Sexual Function Index and International Index of Erectile Function sexual desire subscale; (iii) Female Sexual Distress Scale-Revised; and (iv) checklist of sexual behaviors. RESULTS: Compared with community controls, new parents reported lower sexual satisfaction, lower sexual desire, and higher sexual distress at all time-points; however, these group differences became less pronounced by 12 months postpartum. By 6 months postpartum, there was no difference in sexual frequency between postpartum couples and the control group. Mothers experienced persistently lower sexual desire relative to their partners throughout the 12 months postpartum. Between 39% and 59% of mothers reported clinically low sexual desire, and 47-57% reported significant sexual distress at all time points. There were no significant differences reported in sexual satisfaction, sexual desire, or sexual distress between women and their partners in the community sample. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: Clinicians should be aware that sexual well-being may be compromised in new parents, and some of these challenges are still present for new parents at 12 months postpartum. Findings can be used to educate new parents regarding their expectations about postpartum sexual well-being. STRENGTHS & LIMITATIONS: The strengths of the present study are the dyadic approach, assessing multiple aspects of sexual well-being in new parents over time, and the comparison with a community sample. An important limitation is that the control sample was not followed up over time. CONCLUSION: Education regarding postpartum sexual well-being should be incorporated in routine perinatal and postnatal healthcare practices to support new parents in developing realistic expectations about changes during the transition to parenthood, potentially preventing undue distress. Schwenck GC, Dawson SJ, Muise A, et al. A Comparison of the Sexual Well-Being of New Parents With Community Couples. J Sex Med 2020;17:2156-2167.

Partner Responses to Low Desire: Associations With Sexual, Relational, and Psychological Well-Being Among Couples Coping With Female Sexual Interest/Arousal Disorder.

BACKGROUND: The experience of distressing low sexual interest/arousal-female sexual interest/arousal disorder (FSIAD)-is prevalent in women of all ages and is associated with poorer sexual, relationship, and psychological well-being than women without this difficulty. Women who are partnered are almost 5 times more likely to be distressed by low desire and to receive a diagnosis of FSIAD than unpartnered women, indicating that interpersonal factors are highly relevant, although largely neglected in past research. AIM: In a dyadic cross-sectional and longitudinal study, we examined whether partner responses to FSIAD were associated with the sexual, relationship, and psychological well-being of couples, and whether any effects persisted 1 year later. METHODS: Women diagnosed with FSIAD (N = 89) completed a validated measure of perceived partner positive vs negative responses to their low sexual interest/arousal and their partners reported on their own responses, as well as measures of sexual desire, sexual satisfaction, relationship satisfaction, sexual distress, and anxiety. 1 year later, couples (N = 66) completed the outcome measures again. Data were analyzed according to the Actor-Partner Interdependence Model. OUTCOMES: Outcomes included were the Sexual Desire Inventory-Solitary and Partner-Focused Subscales; Global Measure of Sexual Satisfaction; Female Sexual Distress Scale; Couple Satisfaction Index; and State-Trait Anxiety Inventory-Short-Form. RESULTS: When women with FSIAD perceived more positive partner responses (eg, warm, supportive, compassionate) than negative responses (eg, hostile, unsupportive, indifferent), they were more satisfied with the relationship and they and their partners reported lower anxiety. When partners reported more positive than negative responses, they had greater relationship and sexual satisfaction and lower sexual distress and anxiety. Exploratory analyses revealed that women's perceptions of their partners' responses accounted for the link between partners' own responses and women's relationship satisfaction and anxiety. Partner responses did not predict any change in outcomes over time. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: Findings support interpersonal conceptualizations of FSIAD and may inform the development of future couple-based interventions. STRENGTHS & LIMITATIONS: This study is one of the few dyadic investigations of FSIAD, as diagnosed via a clinical interview. Significant associations were only observed cross-sectionally, limiting causal conclusions. There was limited power to detect longitudinal effects. CONCLUSION: More positive responses to women's low sexual interest/arousal by partners is linked to better adjustment among couples affected by FSIAD. Rosen NO, Corsini-Munt S, Dubé JP, et al. Partner Responses to Low Desire: Associations With Sexual, Relational, and Psychological Well-Being Among Couples Coping With Female Sexual Interest/Arousal Disorder. J Sex Med 2020;17:2168-2180.

Avoidantly Attached Individuals Are More Exchange-Oriented and Less Communal in the Bedroom.

Sexual need fulfillment in a relationship is associated with both partners' sexual and relationship quality. In the current research, we explored what underlies two approaches to sexual need fulfillment-sexual communal norms (i.e., being motivated to meet a partner's sexual needs) and sexual exchange norms (i.e., tracking and trading sexual benefits). People high in attachment avoidance are less responsive to their partner's needs and distance themselves from intimacy. Sexuality is a domain in which partners aim to meet each other's needs, but it may also heighten avoidantly attached partners' concerns about intimacy. Across three studies (N = 711)-using cross-sectional, dyadic, daily experience, and longitudinal methods-endorsing sexual communal norms was associated with greater sexual and relationship quality, whereas endorsing sexual exchange norms was not associated with, or was linked to lower, sexual and relationship quality. People who were higher (compared to lower) in attachment avoidance were less sexually communal and more exchange-oriented, and their heightened endorsement of sexual exchange norms predicted lower relationship satisfaction over time. With two exceptions, the effects were largely consistent for men versus women. Findings from this research suggest that attachment avoidance underlies approaches to sexual need fulfillment in relationships.

Partners Experience Consequences, Too: A Comparison of the Sexual, Relational, and Psychological Adjustment of Women with Sexual Interest/Arousal Disorder and Their Partners to Control Couples.

INTRODUCTION: Women diagnosed with female sexual interest/arousal disorder (FSIAD) report lower health-related quality of life, more depressive symptoms, and lower sexual and relationship satisfaction compared with healthy control subjects. Despite the impact of FSIAD on women's sexuality and the inherently interpersonal nature of the sexual problem, it remains unclear whether the partners of women with FSIAD also face negative consequences, as seen in other sexual dysfunctions. AIM: The aim of this study was to compare the sexual, relational, and psychological functioning of partners of women with FSIAD (as well as the women themselves) to their control counterparts. We also compared women with their partners within the FSIAD and control groups. METHODS: Woman diagnosed with FSIAD and their partners (n = 97) and control couples (n = 108) independently completed measures of sexual desire, sexual distress, sexual function, sexual satisfaction, sexual communication, relationship satisfaction, depression, and anxiety. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Main outcomes included: Sexual Desire Inventory-2; Female Sexual Distress Scale; Female Sexual Functioning Index; International Index of Erectile Functioning (IIEF), Global Measure of Sexual Satisfaction; Dyadic Sexual Communication Scale; Couple Satisfaction Index; Beck Depression Inventory-II; State-Trait Anxiety Inventory-Short Form. RESULTS: Partners of women with FSIAD reported lower sexual satisfaction, poorer sexual communication, and higher sexual distress compared with control partners. Male partners of women with FSIAD reported more difficulties with orgasmic and erectile functioning and lower overall satisfaction and intercourse satisfaction on the IIEF compared with control partners. Women with FSIAD reported lower sexual desire and satisfaction, and higher sexual distress and depressive and anxiety symptoms, in comparison to both control women and their own partners, and they reported poorer sexual communication compared with control women. Women with FSIAD also reported lower sexual desire, arousal, lubrication, and satisfaction, and greater pain during intercourse on the Female Sexual Function Index compared with control women. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: The partners of women with FSIAD also experience negative consequences-primarily in the domain of sexuality. Partners should be included in treatment and future research. STRENGTH & LIMITATIONS: This is the first study, to our knowledge, to document consequences for partners of women with FSIAD in comparison to control subjects. This study is cross-sectional, and causation cannot be inferred. Most couples were in mixed-sex relationships and identified as straight and cis-gendered; results may not generalize. CONCLUSION: Findings suggest that partners of women with FSIAD experience disruptions to many aspects of their sexual functioning, as well as lower overall sexual satisfaction and heightened sexual distress. Rosen NO, Dubé JP, Corsini-Munt S, et al. Partners Experience Consequences, Too: A Comparison of the Sexual, Relational, and Psychological Adjustment of Women with Sexual Interest/Arousal Disorder and Their Partners to Control Couples. J Sex Med 2019;16:83-95.

Sexual Motivation in Couples Coping with Female Sexual Interest/Arousal Disorder: A Comparison with Control Couples.

A lack of interest in sex is a common sexual issue, especially among women, and can be associated with lower relationship satisfaction and greater psychological distress. Research on sexual motivation has demonstrated that, in both community and clinical samples, people higher in sexual communal strength (motivated to meet their partner's sexual needs) and approach sexual goals (motivated to engage in sex to pursue positive outcomes) report higher desire and relationship satisfaction; whereas people higher in avoidance sexual goals (motivated to engage in sex to avert negative outcomes) tend to report lower desire and satisfaction. In the current study, we compared the sexual motivation of women diagnosed with female sexual interest/arousal disorder (FSIAD), who report chronic low desire and arousal accompanied by distress, and their partners (N = 97 couples) with couples without a sexual dysfunction (N = 108 couples). Women with FSIAD reported lower sexual communal strength and approach goals and higher avoidance sexual goals compared with control women and their own partners. However, the partners of women with FSIAD did not report differences in sexual motivation compared with control partners. Sexual motivation may be a target for future intervention studies with couples coping with low desire and arousal.

Emotion Regulation in Couples Affected by Female Sexual Interest/Arousal Disorder.

Female sexual interest/arousal disorder (FSIAD) is associated with psychological, relational, and sexual consequences for affected women, and their romantic partners also suffer repercussions. Prior research suggests that women with FSIAD report more difficulties with emotion regulation than controls. Yet, whether emotion regulation is associated with the psychological, relational, and sexual well-being of both members of affected couples is unknown. Eighty-seven women diagnosed with FSIAD via a clinical interview and their male partners completed standardized measures of difficulties in emotion regulation, depression, anxiety, relationship satisfaction, dyadic conflict, sexual desire, and sexual distress. A subset (n = 71 couples) also completed measures of emotional suppression and reappraisal in relation to sex. Analyses used multilevel modeling guided by the actor-partner interdependence model. When women reported greater difficulties regulating negative emotion, they reported greater depression and anxiety, and when men reported more of these difficulties, they had greater depression, anxiety, and sexual distress, and the women with FSIAD reported lower relationship satisfaction. When women reported greater emotional suppression, they reported greater depression and anxiety, and lower relationship satisfaction; when they reported greater use of emotional reappraisal, they had fewer symptoms of depression and anxiety, and their partners reported lower dyadic conflict. When men reported greater emotional suppression, they had greater depression, lower relationship satisfaction, and sexual desire; when they reported greater emotional reappraisal, they had lower depression and anxiety, higher relationship satisfaction, lower dyadic conflict, higher sexual desire and women reported higher relationship satisfaction and lower dyadic conflict. Emotion regulation may be an important target for interventions to help couples cope with FSIAD.

Sexual Cues Mediate the Daily Associations Between Interpersonal Goals, Pain, and Well-being in Couples Coping With Vulvodynia.

Background: Vulvodynia is an idiopathic vulvovaginal pain condition that has significant sexual and relational consequences. Most women with vulvodynia continue to have intercourse, possibly because of a desire to approach positive outcomes (e.g., intimacy) and avoid negative outcomes (e.g., partner disappointment). Purpose: This study examined daily associations between approach and avoidance sexual goals and women's pain during intercourse and couples' sexual and relational well-being, as well as the mediating role of sexual cues. Methods: Over 8 weeks, on sexual activity days (M = 8.77), women with vulvodynia (N = 101) and their partners reported their sexual goals, attention to sexual cues, sexual function, and relationship satisfaction, and women reported pain during intercourse. Results: On days when women and partners held higher approach goals, they attended more to positive sexual cues, and in turn, felt more relationally satisfied, whereas on days when they held higher avoidance sexual goals, partners were more focused on negative sexual cues, and in turn, partners reported lower relationship satisfaction. On days when women reported higher approach goals, they reported less pain, and both they and their partners attended more to positive sexual cues, and in turn, both had higher sexual function, whereas on days when women reported higher avoidance goals, both they and their partners attended more to negative sexual cues, and in turn, women reported greater pain, and both partners reported poorer sexual function. Conclusions: Interventions should target cognitive-affective processes during sexual activity as one pathway by which sexual goals impact pain and adjustment.

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.

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.

Approach and Avoidance Sexual Goals in Couples with Provoked Vestibulodynia: Associations with Sexual, Relational, and Psychological Well-Being.

INTRODUCTION: Provoked vestibulodynia (PVD) is a prevalent vulvovaginal pain condition that is triggered primarily during sexual intercourse. PVD adversely impacts women's and their partners' sexual relationship and psychological well-being. Over 80% of women with PVD continue to have intercourse, possibly because of sexual goals that include wanting to pursue desirable outcomes (i.e., approach goals; such as a desire to maintain intimacy) and avoid negative outcomes (i.e., avoidance goals; such as avoiding a partner's disappointment). AIM: The aim of this study was to investigate associations between approach and avoidance sexual goals and women's pain, as well as the sexual, relational, and psychological well-being of affected couples. METHODS: Women with PVD (N = 107) and their partners completed measures of sexual goals, sexual satisfaction, relationship satisfaction, and depression. Women also completed measures of pain during intercourse and sexual functioning. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: (1) Global Measure of Sexual Satisfaction Scale, (2) Dyadic Adjustment Scale-Revised or the Couple Satisfaction Index, (3) Beck Depression Inventory-II, (4) numerical rating scale of pain during intercourse, and (5) Female Sexual Function Index. RESULTS: When women reported higher avoidance sexual goals, they reported lower sexual and relationship satisfaction, and higher levels of depressive symptoms. In addition, when partners of women reported higher avoidance sexual goals, they reported lower relationship satisfaction. When women reported higher approach sexual goals, they also reported higher sexual and relationship satisfaction. CONCLUSIONS: Targeting approach and avoidance sexual goals could enhance the quality and efficacy of psychological couple interventions for women with PVD and their partners.

Daily associations between partner responses and sexual and relationship satisfaction in couples coping with provoked vestibulodynia.

INTRODUCTION: Women with provoked vestibulodynia (PVD) experience a recurrent vulvo-vaginal pain triggered primarily during sexual intercourse. Although affected couples report adverse effects on their sexual and global romantic relationships, few studies have examined interpersonal factors that may influence their sexual and relationship satisfaction. Cross-sectional studies have shown that greater partner solicitous and negative responses and lower facilitative responses are associated with poorer sexual and relationship satisfaction in women with PVD. AIM: The aim of this study was to investigate the within-person associations between partner responses to painful intercourse and the sexual and relationship satisfaction of affected couples. METHODS: In a dyadic daily experience study, 69 women (M(age) = 28.46, SD = 6.66) diagnosed with PVD and their cohabitating male partners (M(age) = 30.29, SD = 8.13) reported on male partner responses, as well as sexual and relationship satisfaction on sexual intercourse days (M = 6.81; SD = 5.40) over 8 weeks. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Dependent measures were the (i) Kansas Marital Satisfaction Scale and (ii) Global Measure of Sexual Satisfaction Scale. RESULTS: On sexual intercourse days when women perceived more facilitative partner responses than usual and on days when they perceived lower negative partner responses than usual, they reported higher sexual and relationship satisfaction. On sexual intercourse days when men reported more solicitous responses than usual, both they and their female partners reported lower sexual satisfaction. CONCLUSIONS: Interventions aimed at improving the day-to-day sexual and relationship satisfaction of couples with PVD should target increasing facilitative and decreasing negative and solicitous partner responses.

Post sex affectionate exchanges promote sexual and relationship satisfaction.

The current research examined the role of post sex affection in promoting sexual and relationship satisfaction in ongoing romantic partnerships. Since romantic partners view the period after engaging in sex as an important time for bonding and intimacy, we sought to determine if and how the duration and quality of post sex affection might promote satisfaction in romantic relationships. In two studies, we tested the link between post sex affectionate behavior (e.g., cuddling, caressing, shared intimacy) and sexual and relationship satisfaction. In Study 1, a cross-sectional survey of individuals in romantic relationships (N = 335), duration of post sex affection was associated with higher sexual satisfaction and, in turn, higher relationship satisfaction. In Study 2, a daily experience study of 101 established couples (N = 202) with a 3-month follow-up, day-to-day changes in post sex affection duration and quality were associated with both partners' sexual and relationship satisfaction, and engaging in longer and more satisfying post sex affection over the course of the study was associated with higher relationship and sexual satisfaction 3 months later. In general, the pattern of results was consistent for men and women, but the association between the duration of post sex affection and relationship satisfaction was stronger for women than for men (Study 1) and women, but not men, felt more sexually satisfied when their partner reported higher quality post sex affection (Study 2). The findings suggest that the period after sex is a critical time for promoting satisfaction in intimate bonds.

Is Spontaneous Sex Ideal? Beliefs and Perceptions of Spontaneous and Planned Sex and Sexual Satisfaction in Romantic Relationships.

Sexual satisfaction is critical for relationship quality and people hold lay beliefs (implicit theories) about what makes for satisfying sex. A common belief in Western culture is that spontaneous sex is most satisfying, but this idea has not yet been studied. In pre-registered analyses of two studies - a cross sectional (N = 303 individuals) and a 21-day daily experience study (N = 121 couples) - we found support for two distinct beliefs (spontaneous sex as satisfying; planned sex as satisfying). Across both studies, people held stronger beliefs that spontaneous sex is satisfying compared to planned sex, but stronger spontaneous sex beliefs were only associated with higher sexual satisfaction in Study 1. In Study 1, when people perceived their most recent sexual experience as planned (versus spontaneous), they felt less sexually satisfied, but this was not the case for those who endorsed stronger planned sex beliefs. In Study 2, endorsing stronger planned sex beliefs was associated with a partner's lower sexual satisfaction at baseline. There were no associations between perceptions of the extent to which sex was spontaneous and sexual satisfaction at baseline or in daily life. Future research could test whether beliefs about spontaneity and planning have value in clinical settings.