(PS5-A10) Positive and Negative Aspects of Relationship Quality and Sexual Satisfaction

Past research has shown that higher sexual satisfaction is associated with improved health and well-being, including decreased mortality risk. One important predictor of sexual satisfaction is romantic relationship quality. Past research evaluating the association between relationship quality and sexual satisfaction has largely operationalized relationship quality as a unidimensional construct. However, more recent research has suggested a multidimensional approach to operationalizing relationship quality. Specifically, theorists have divided relationship quality into separable components of (a) relationship adjustment (i.e., patterns of interactions, such as conflict and behavior) and relationship satisfaction (i.e., subjective evaluation of the relationship); and (b) positive and negative components. The present study was conducted to examine the associations between this multidimensional model of relationship quality and sexual satisfaction. Marital quality was operationalized as patterns of positive and negative marital adjustment (i.e., positive and negative interactions with one’s partner, frequency of positive and negative partner behavior) and positive and negative marital satisfaction. A sample of 124 adults completed an online self-report survey. Results indicated that positive components of relationship adjustment (i.e., positive interactions with partner, frequency of positive partner behavior) and positive relationship satisfaction were significantly and positively associated with sexual satisfaction, whereas negative components of relationship adjustment (i.e., negative interactions with partner, frequency of negative partner behavior) and negative relationship satisfaction were significantly and negatively associated with sexual satisfaction. The effect sizes obtained in the present study suggest that positive and negative aspects of relationship adjustment and relationship satisfaction are robustly associated with sexual satisfaction. To better understand the association between positive and negative aspects of relationship quality and sexual satisfaction, tests of the significance of the difference between dependent correlations were conducted to determine whether the correlations between positive aspects of relationship adjustment and relationship satisfaction and sexual satisfaction were significantly different than the correlations between negative aspects of relationship adjustment and relationship dissatisfaction and sexual satisfaction. Results indicated that the correlation between positive partner behavior and sexual satisfaction was significantly stronger than the correlation between negative partner behavior and sexual satisfaction; no other significant differences were found between the positive and negative components of relationship adjustment or satisfaction and sexual satisfaction. Taken together, the results (a) add to the growing body of literature linking relationship quality and sexual satisfaction, and (b) support the theoretical distinction between positive and negative aspects of relationship adjustment.