Dean M. Busby’s research while affiliated with Brigham Young University and other places

Limited research has explored the connections between relational power and sexual motivations in couple relationships. Self-determination theory provides a framework to explore the links between relational power and different types of sexual motivations. Data were taken from 1,668 newly married couples that participated in three waves of the nationally representative CREATE study. Using an Actor-Partner Interdependence Model (APIM) framework, this study examined how perceptions of shared relationship power were associated with both partners’ harmonious and inhibited sexual passion, and whether connections were mediated by partners’ sexual autonomy. Results demonstrated that for both partners, a sense of shared power was predictive of greater harmonious sexual passion and less inhibited sexual passion over time. Although concurrent indirect effects were found for both partners, no longitudinal indirect effects were significant. These findings highlight the importance of both partners feeling that they have influence in the relationship for both partners’ sexual well-being.

Humans are innately motivated to seek connection, but in its pursuit, may inadvertently thwart the connection they desire. This may happen through forsaking one psychological need, a sense of autonomy, in favor of a second psychological need, relatedness, with behaviors such as self-silencing (stifling the self) and emotional fusion (relying on validation from others). To better understand how these four variables—autonomy frustration, relatedness frustration, self-silencing, and emotional fusion—function together, we used a three-step latent profile analysis to examine classifications among U.S. adults in long-term relationships (n = 1028). We found five latent groups: Highly Differentiated (5%), Moderately Enmeshed (52%), Poorly Differentiated (31%), Vocal Dependence (7%), and Quiet Fusion (5%). In all classes, autonomy frustration and relatedness frustration varied together such that if one was high, the other was also high, suggesting that if individuals forsake one in pursuit of the other, both may suffer. In most classes, autonomy frustration and relatedness frustration were positively associated with self-silencing and emotional fusion so that those with high autonomy frustration and relatedness frustration were more likely to self-silence or engage in emotional fusion. Those who lacked a sense of autonomy and relatedness were also more likely to report insecure attachment and sexual inhibition suggesting that self-silencing and emotional fusion, though typically intended to promote connection, might actually hinder it.

The purpose of this study was to better understand the impact of insecure attachment (i.e., avoidant and anxious) on neuroticism and relationship quality (i.e., satisfaction and stability) with couples in serious dating relationships. We analyzed cross-sectional data from 1253 straight dating couples who completed the RELATionship Evaluation (RELATE) questionnaire online using actor-partner interdependence path modeling with neuroticism as an intermediary variable. For both female and male partners, avoidant attachment and anxious attachment predicted their own neuroticism, relationship satisfaction, and relationship stability. Similarly, neuroticism predicted relationship satisfaction and relationship stability. Moreover, male avoidant attachment predicted female relationship satisfaction but not stability, female anxious attachment predicted male relationship stability but not satisfaction, and male anxious attachment predicted both female relationship satisfaction and stability. In addition, female neuroticism predicted male relationship satisfaction but not male stability, whereas male neuroticism did not predict female relationship satisfaction or stability. In terms of indirect effects, partners own neuroticism partially explained the associations between their own insecure attachment and relationship quality for both females and males. Gender differences emerged in the indirect effects on relationship satisfaction, with female partners’ avoidant and anxious attachment significantly reducing male partners’ satisfaction through female neuroticism; there were no similar crossover indirect effects for female partner satisfaction, and no crossover indirect effects for either gender for relationship stability. Emotionally Focused Therapy is suggested as a treatment approach to explore attachment histories, offer corrective emotional experiences, and address the impact of traits associated with neuroticism for clinicians working with dating couples.

Healthy sexuality includes relational, emotional, and physical elements as noted in the sexual wholeness model. Genital acceptance (emotional comfort with reactions to genitalia) and physical sexual knowledge (knowledge of the physical aspects of sex) are two areas of physical relationships that may be associated with sexual satisfaction. Attachment is a factor that has been associated with sexual relationships and may be an intervening variable between the physical aspects of sex and sexual satisfaction. Data from a dyadic sample of 515 couples were analyzed. Structural equation modeling was used to estimate the direct and indirect actor and partner effects of physical sexual knowledge and genital acceptance on sexual satisfaction, working through mechanisms of anxious and avoidant attachment. Findings revealed that genital acceptance and physical sexual knowledge, particularly knowledge about the female body, were associated with lower levels of insecure attachment and greater satisfaction with sexual relationships.

Sexual passion is an important element of adult romantic relationships, but little is known about how it is developed or expressed during adolescence. From a Self Determination Theory perspective, this study explored the connections between parents' sexual passion and children's sexual passion, and whether these links were mediated by parents' communication about sexuality with their children. Using a diverse sample of 484 mother-adolescent dyads (Mage = 14.48, SD = 1.68, 50% female, 56% White), we specified a path model in a Structural Equation Modeling framework to test hypothesized associations. Results indicated that all three types of parent sexual passion - harmonious, obsessive, and inhibited - were positively associated with children's sexual passion in the same domains. Additionally, the frequency of parent-child sexual communication partially mediated the transmission of harmonious passion, whereas controlling parent-child sexual communication partially mediated the transmission of obsessive passion. These findings highlight the importance of parents' sexual relationships in the sexual socialization and development of adolescents. Additionally, helping parents to have more frequent conversations about sex with their children could help facilitate the transmission of harmonious sexual passion.

There is scarce empirical evidence examining whether sexual initiation and power are associated with each other. Utilizing latent profile analyses, we examined in a nationally representative sample of US newlywed heterosexual couples (N = 1,948 couples) whether wives’ and husbands’ sexual initiation patterns and satisfaction with these patterns were associated with membership in different profiles of wives’ and husbands’ perceptions of shared relational power while accounting for both partner’s satisfaction with sexual frequency. We found four profiles of wives’ and husbands’ perceptions of power. The most common profile was when both wives and husbands perceived high levels of power compared to other profiles, but wives had significantly higher reports of perceived power than husbands (High Power, Wife Higher; 40.8%). Husbands’ sexual initiation patterns were not associated with profile membership. Wives who reported equal sexual initiation patterns had a higher probability of being in the High Power, Wife Higher profile compared to the Wife Low Power, Husband Moderate Power profile. Both wives’ and husbands’ satisfaction with sexual initiation patterns were associated with profile membership. Wives and husbands that were satisfied with sexual initiation patterns had a higher probability of being in the High Power, Wife Higher profile compared to the profile where both wives and husbands had high perceptions of shared relational power compared to other profiles, but their scores were not significantly different from each other (High Power, Equal).

The purpose of this article is to bring empirical evidence to the oft‐quoted assumption that sexual quality has a stronger association with the overall relationship when sexuality is dysfunctional as compared to when it is optimal. Using three national samples to analyze a structural equation model, the results verified this assumption with some adaptations. There was an interaction between the association of sexual quality and the overall relationship depending on how sexually satisfied couples were in the sexuality area. However, it was when sexuality was only moderately satisfying rather than at high or low levels that it had the strongest associations with relationship satisfaction. Also, female sexual quality had a significant association with both partner's relationship satisfaction whereas male's sexual quality only had actor effects. Additionally, the sexual relationship had a stronger association with relationship satisfaction and dissatisfaction for couples who reported both low levels of sexual satisfaction and dissatisfaction.

Considerable research demonstrates a positive association between sexual satisfaction and relationship satisfaction, but longitudinal evidence on the direction of this link remains inconclusive. To address this research gap, the present research provided a stringent test of the within-person associations between sexual and relationship satisfaction over time by analyzing 4-year longitudinal data from a nationally representative sample of newlywed couples in the United States (N = 2,104). The results indicated that within-person changes in sexual satisfaction predicted future changes in relationship satisfaction, whereas changes in relationship satisfaction did not predict future changes in sexual satisfaction. These results remained consistent when accounting for changes in couples’ sexual frequency, which showed significant associations with sexual satisfaction but non-significant associations with relationship satisfaction over time. All associations were consistent across gender. Overall, the current findings inform theory and practice on the roles of sexual dynamics in shaping overall perceptions of intimate relationships.

Two types of sexual beliefs, growth and destiny, have been found in past research to be differentially associated with sexual and relationship outcomes; however, past research has not explored these beliefs with dyadic data nor considered common intervening variables that might be pathways through which beliefs influence outcomes. Consequently, using the sexual wholeness model, we analyzed how couples' specific sexual beliefs (growth and destiny) influenced their sexual mindfulness, communication, and functioning within their couple relationships and how each of these variables influenced sexual satisfaction and harmonious sexual passion. Using a national sample of dyadic data from 964 sexually active individuals (482 heterosexual couples) who had been in a committed relationship for at least 2 years, we evaluated an actor/partner structural equation model with distinguishable dyads. We found that while sexual growth and destiny beliefs had a significant association with sexual mindfulness, communication, and functioning for both partners, sexual beliefs had no direct association with sexual satisfaction and harmonious sexual passion. Because growth beliefs had strong associations with sexual communication, it may be beneficial to help couples identify their implicit beliefs and encourage the development of sexual growth beliefs.

The current study was designed to examine the role of sense of community at the outset of COVID‐19 pandemic‐related shutdowns as a longitudinal predictor of anxiety in couples. We also sought to investigate whether self‐reported changes in perceived levels of benevolent world assumptions would serve as an indirect conveyor of this association. Data were collected at three time points during the first 6‐months of pandemic shutdowns in the US and the current study utilized responses from 535 heterosexual cisgender couples. Mplus was used to path model lagged associations between sense of community at wave 1, world assumptions at waves 1 and 2 and anxiety symptoms at all three waves for both partners. Findings demonstrated direct effects within men and women with a stronger sense of community at wave 1 relating to lower anxiety at waves 2, and within women this effect extended to wave 3. Further, we found that a higher sense of community at wave 1 in men associated with perceived strengthening of benevolent world assumptions at the next wave for men and women. We noted that perceived strengthened benevolent world assumptions at wave 2 associated with lower anxiety at wave 3 within men. Indirect effects showed that a stronger sense of community at wave 1 associated with lower anxiety at wave 3 within men.