Emotional and sexual aspects of intimacy in romantic relationships are important correlates of couples' relationship satisfaction. However, few studies have examined the effect of emotional and sexual aspects of intimacy on relationship satisfaction within the context of the interpersonal relationship processes. In addition, the association between emotional and sexual aspects of intimacy remains unclear. With a sample of 335 married couples from the Flourishing Families Project, the authors examined the associations between couple communication, emotional intimacy, sexual satisfaction, and relationship satisfaction, using the couple as the unit of analysis. The results of path analysis suggested that sexual satisfaction significantly predicted emotional intimacy for husbands and wives, while emotional intimacy did not appear to have a significant influence on sexual satisfaction. Further, mediation associations were suggested within as well as between spouses. Within spouses (for each spouse), emotional intimacy and sexual satisfaction mediated the association between spouses' appraisal of their partners' communication and their own relationship satisfaction. Gender differences were revealed in terms of how a spouse's perception of sexual satisfaction is associated with his or her partner's relationship satisfaction. In this study, although wives' relationship satisfaction was not associated with their husbands' sexual satisfaction, husbands tended to report high levels of relationship satisfaction when their wives reported greater sexual satisfaction. Findings suggest that both components of intimacy--emotional and sexual--should be comprehensively addressed in research and clinical work with couples.
Leonhardt ND, Willoughby BJ, Busby DM, Yorgason JB, Holmes EK. Leonhardt ND, et al. J Sex Med. 2018 Aug;15(8):1140-1148. doi: 10.1016/j.jsxm.2018.05.018. Epub 2018 Jun 28. J Sex Med. 2018. PMID: 29960888
Schoenfeld EA, Loving TJ, Pope MT, Huston TL, Štulhofer A. Schoenfeld EA, et al. Arch Sex Behav. 2017 Feb;46(2):489-501. doi: 10.1007/s10508-015-0672-4. Epub 2016 Jan 5. Arch Sex Behav. 2017. PMID: 26732606
McNulty JK, Fisher TD. McNulty JK, et al. Arch Sex Behav. 2008 Apr;37(2):229-40. doi: 10.1007/s10508-007-9176-1. Epub 2007 Jul 20. Arch Sex Behav. 2008. PMID: 17641964
Beaulieu N, Bergeron S, Brassard A, Byers ES, Péloquin K. Beaulieu N, et al. J Sex Res. 2023 Oct;60(8):1100-1112. doi: 10.1080/00224499.2022.2129557. Epub 2022 Oct 7. J Sex Res. 2023. PMID: 36205506 Review.
Holdsworth K, McCabe M. Holdsworth K, et al. Int Psychogeriatr. 2018 Jan;30(1):15-29. doi: 10.1017/S1041610217001806. Epub 2017 Sep 20. Int Psychogeriatr. 2018. PMID: 28927483 Review.
Rowland DL, Kamran Ehsan M, Cooper SE. Rowland DL, et al. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2024 Aug 8;21(8):1045. doi: 10.3390/ijerph21081045. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2024. PMID: 39200655 Free PMC article.
Jones S, Albuquerque S, Pascoal PM. Jones S, et al. Int J Sex Health. 2024 May 20;36(3):425-437. doi: 10.1080/19317611.2024.2354815. eCollection 2024. Int J Sex Health. 2024. PMID: 39148924 Free PMC article.
Gelashe TA, Teklehaymanot AN, Worku BT. Gelashe TA, et al. Ethiop J Health Sci. 2023 Jul;33(4):657-670. doi: 10.4314/ejhs.v33i4.12. Ethiop J Health Sci. 2023. PMID: 38784207 Free PMC article.
Stein CH, Redondo RA, Simon S, Silverman ZJ. Stein CH, et al. Community Ment Health J. 2024 May 7. doi: 10.1007/s10597-024-01288-1. Online ahead of print. Community Ment Health J. 2024. PMID: 38713315
Mark K, Corona-Vargas E, Cruz M. Mark K, et al. Int J Sex Health. 2021 Oct 22;33(4):555-564. doi: 10.1080/19317611.2021.1921894. eCollection 2021. Int J Sex Health. 2021. PMID: 38595784 Free PMC article.