Abstract
A sexual self-schema is a cognitive generalization about sexual aspects of the self. In the current study, we examined how an individual’s sexual self-schema influenced the processing of self and partner related sexual information. Specifically, we investigated how sexual self-schemas related to own and partner sexual satisfaction and how they influenced perceptions of partner sexual satisfaction. Participants were 117 heterosexual couples in committed, long-term relationships. Both partners completed measures assessing their sexual self-schemas, their own sexual satisfaction, and perceptions of partner sexual satisfaction. Consistent with our predictions, own sexual schema was associated with own sexual satisfaction. For men, more positive sexual self-schemas were associated with greater sexual satisfaction, and for women, more negative sexual self-schemas were associated with lower sexual satisfaction. For both men and women, there was no significant association between own sexual self-schema and partner sexual satisfaction. Sexual self-schemas directly and indirectly influenced an individual’s perception of the partner’s sexual satisfaction, such that men and women with more positive sexual self-schemas rated their partners as more sexually satisfied, after controlling for the partner’s self-reported level of sexual satisfaction. Our findings demonstrated that sexual self-schemas are relevant to own sexual satisfaction as well as the processing of interpersonally relevant sexual information, specifically one’s perceptions of partner sexual satisfaction.
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Notes
Note that lower, rather than higher, scores on the ISS correspond to greater sexual satisfaction. Thus, the direction of the coefficients should be interpreted accordingly.
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Mueller, K., Rehman, U.S., Fallis, E.E. et al. An Interpersonal Investigation of Sexual Self-Schemas. Arch Sex Behav 45, 281–290 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10508-015-0638-6
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10508-015-0638-6