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In this study we explored how the amount of kissing during the most recent sexual experience (specific kissing) and amount of kissing during the last year (global kissing) were both associated with the quality of the sexual relationship and overall relationship satisfaction and dissatisfaction. To understand these associations, we obtained surveys from a national sample of 878 participants who had been in a romantic relationship for at least two years. We evaluated their results through a structural equation model and found that for women the rates of specific kissing were associated with their ability to orgasm, sexual frequency, and indirectly to sexual satisfaction. For both men and women, measures of global kissing were associated with both sexual and relationship satisfaction but more strongly with measures of sexual and relationship dissatisfaction. These findings suggest that measures of kissing could be used as a bellwether of both the quality of the sexual relationship for women and of feelings of dissatisfaction about both the sexual and overall relationship for both sexes.

Marriage is an important adult relationship, and recent research indicates that sexual mindfulness, awareness and non-judgment, may be an important tool in helping maintain relational and sexual well-being. Using a nationally representative U.S. sample of newly married, mixed-sex couples (women’s age M = 29.70 years; men’s age M = 31.76 years; N = 1473 couples), we evaluated whether the two factors of sexual mindfulness, awareness and non-judgment, were linked with relational flourishing, sexual harmony, and orgasm consistency. We utilized an actor–partner interdependence model within a structural equation modeling framework to evaluate how husbands’ and wives’ awareness and non-judgment were associated with relational flourishing, sexual harmony, and orgasm consistency. Results indicated that both wives’ and husbands’ awareness was positively associated with relational flourishing, sexual harmony, and orgasm consistency. Partner effects were found for all outcomes. However, no partner effects were found between non-judgment and orgasm consistency. Therapists, educators, and couples may consider the use of sexual mindfulness skills when addressing marriage and sexual relationships.

Religiosity can influence sexual satisfaction both positively and negatively. To test positive and negative mechanisms, we assessed how religiosity is indirectly associated with sexual satisfaction through sexual sanctification and inhibited sexual passion. We sampled individuals from Amazon's Mechanical Turk (N = 1,695, Study 1) and mixed-sex dyads from Bovitz Inc. (N = 481 dyads, Study 2). Religiosity consistently had a positive indirect association with sexual satisfaction through sexual sanctification; little evidence suggested religiosity had an indirect association with sexual satisfaction through inhibited sexual passion. When accounting for these mechanisms simultaneously, however, religiosity consistently had a negative direct association with sexual satisfaction, supporting the possibility of religious dualities. In the couple study, men's religiosity predicted their partner reporting higher sexual sanctification (for married couples), but women's religiosity did not predict partner sexual sanctification. Altogether, these results paint a complex picture for how religiosity might influence sexuality. Understanding the nuance of these results may help people maximize the potential benefits of their belief systems in sexual relationships. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).

Previous scholars have found that when individuals feel that pornography use is uncontrollable, it is linked to more extreme negative outcomes than frequency of use. With a Mechanical Turk sample of 1421 individuals, we used structural equation modeling to evaluate how multiple aspects of sexual desire (sexual drive and dyadic desire) and multiple aspects of sexual passion expression (harmonious, obsessive, and inhibited) were associated with both pornography use frequency and perceived compulsivity to pornography. In general, sexual desire was more connected to pornography use and sexual passion was more connected to perceived compulsivity. Specifically, sexual drive was associated with higher pornography use, whereas both obsessive and inhibited sexual passion were associated with higher perceived compulsivity. The study should help scholars, clinicians, and policy makers to identify factors that can help to overcome potentially problematic pornography use and approach this subject with more nuance.

With the increase in the availability and usage of pornography, the research on the effects of pornography has also increased. This research has uncovered several controversies in the field regarding how pornography usage influences attitudes, sexual behaviors, and relationships. However, many of the measures of pornography are problematic as there is often little reliability and validity information for them and it is not clear that participants in these research studies are referring to the same types of materials when they answer pornography usage questions. Consequently, many of the research findings are suspect and it is crucial to develop reliable and valid scales to measure general pornography usage. In this study, we present both a 20-item and a 7-item version of the Pornography Usage Measure (PUM) that is based on extensive previous research on what types of materials individuals consider pornographic and that indicates pornography is a multidimensional construct. We evaluated the reliability and validity of both versions by using an MTurk sample of 934 males and 705 females (N =1639 total) to conduct confirmatory factor analyses, item response analyses, and structural equation model analyses. These analyses demonstrated that there were adequate reliability and early evidence for content, construct, concurrent, and predictive validity for both versions of the PUM. This measure could improve the quality of future research on pornography by providing more consistency between different studies about what is being measured when individuals indicate their pornography usage patterns.

The association between religiosity and the construct of sexual passion was examined to see whether religiosity is associated with harmonious, inhibited, and obsessive sexual passion styles. Using multiple regression and checking for interactions between religiosity, gender, broad categories of religion (Catholic, other Christian, other religious, nonreligious), and the three sexual passion styles, the following associations were found: Religiosity had a significant curvilinear relationship to all three sexual passion styles, suggesting an overlap in levels of religiosity and the construct of sexual passion. Optimal sexual passion outcomes were found at both higher and lower levels of religiosity, whereas mid-level religiosity was associated with the less beneficial sexual passion outcomes. Religious men were significantly more obsessively passionate than religious women, and religious men and women were similarly high on levels of harmonious and low on inhibited sexual passion. There were no significant interactions between religiosity, broad categories of religion, and sexual passion styles. Understanding how religion and sexual passion are associated could be useful for applied researchers as well as those who work with religious individuals who want to help these individuals develop beneficial patterns of sexual passion.

Kissing can be thought of as a relationship maintenance behavior and/or as part of the sexual repertoire. Using data from 1,605 participants in committed relationships for at least two years, we an...

The objectives were to examine the recently emerging topic of sexual passion in relationships by addressing four research questions: Was sexual passion in a relationship distinct from general passion for sexuality, general passion in life, and romantic passion? Did the different sexual passion styles in a relationship meet the criteria for a passion? What were general descriptive statistics for passion styles in a nationally representative sample? Was obsessive sexual passion relevant when explored in more depth? Data were collected data on a variety of measures from three distinct samples, including a sample of 1776 individuals in a committed romantic relationship sampled from the Amazon Mechanical Turk (MTurk); a nationally representative newly married sample of 1813 couples; and a sample of 244 couples from MTurk. Sexual passion in relationships was strongly associated with sexual and relationship satisfaction and was distinct from other constructs such as general passion, romantic passion, and general sexual passion. The results from the couple datasets demonstrated that the harmonious passion style was the most common of the three styles and was the most predictive of relationship outcomes. The inhibited sexual passion style had substantial negative associations with relationship outcomes. Couples where one partner had higher scores on obsessive sexual passion and the other partner had higher scores on inhibited sexual passion had lower scores on relationship outcomes. The results provided support for the importance of sexual passion in relationships and the differential associations of the three passion styles with sexual and relationship satisfaction.

Based upon the psychological needs delimited in self-determination theory, we created the sexual wholeness model to encapsulate the different dimensions (physical, emotional, and meaning) that create couple sexuality. We evaluated the model with data from two national samples (Sample 1, n = 610; Sample 2, n = 884), by examining the association between sexual, relationship, and life satisfaction, and attachment with the different elements of the sexual wholeness model using harmonious sexual passion as an intermediate variable. The emotional dimension had the strongest associations in both samples with harmonious sexual passion and all other outcomes except attachment. The physical dimension of sexuality had a surprisingly strong association with attachment and sexual satisfaction. In addition, couples' self-evaluation of the degree of sexual wholeness in their relationship was strongly associated with harmonious passion and all other outcomes, providing another level of validity to the dimensions of the model and the potential utility for using this model to assist in couple therapy.

Attachment insecurity is negatively linked to sexual satisfaction in committed relationships, but we have much to learn about the specific mechanisms underlying this connection. With a sample of 1,421 participants from Amazon's Mechanical Turk, we used structural equation modeling to explore whether sexual passion expression (harmonious, obsessive, inhibited) might mediate the association between insecure attachment (anxious and avoidant) and sexual satisfaction. Anxious attachment was linked to lower harmonious sexual passion, higher obsessive sexual passion, and higher inhibited sexual passion. Attachment avoidance was linked to lower harmonious sexual passion and higher inhibited sexual passion. Harmonious sexual passion was strongly linked to higher sexual satisfaction, and inhibited sexual passion was negatively linked to sexual satisfaction (for men). Sexual passion expression variables fully mediated the associations between attachment insecurity and sexual satisfaction. This study highlights that the expression of sexual passion may be important when considering the connection between attachment and sexual satisfaction.

In this methodological study we use the concept of couple forgiveness to explore how to utilize couple data to assess and analyze the systemic idea of a shared reality and other constructs. That is, when couples have a shared reality about a given topic (forgiveness) does that shared view enhance marital outcomes? Shared reality theory, would predict that if forgiveness is scored using a discrepancy calculation, net of previous marital quality and other standard controls, there will be significant and positive increases in relationship quality as discrepancy decreases. Data to evaluate these ideas were collected over three-years from interviews of a community sample of 324 couples. The initial ideas about a shared reality were confirmed in only a few instances. However, individual and combined ratings were significantly associated with couple outcomes but the amount of shared reality was generally not. These findings imply that couple data continues to be crucial for predicting relationship outcomes but combining scores may be more helpful than evaluating discrepancy, at least with a relational construct like forgiveness. Additionally, we found that women’s assessment of personal or partner forgiveness was more statistically powerful in predicting positive marital outcomes than men’s assessments.

The purpose of this study is to discuss the need for a new triadic model of sexual passion in relationships and to present the preliminary psychometric properties of a scale designed to measure these three approaches to passion (harmonious, obsessive, and inhibited) for use in clinical and scholarly work. Existing theory and measures of general passion are based on a dualistic model of passion that includes the harmonious and obsessive approaches to passion. We added the inhibited approach to passion from the sexuality research and develop measures for assessing sexual passion in relationships. We utilized an Amazon Mechanical Turk sample of 1,421 individuals in committed relationships to test this measure. Reliability analyses and confirmatory factory analyses evinced that these three approaches to sexual passion were unique constructs and distinct from sexual satisfaction. Sexual passion showed predictive validity above and beyond relationship length, sexual desire toward a partner, and a broader variable of sexual drive. Harmonious sexual passion robustly predicted higher sexual satisfaction and relationship satisfaction, and inhibited sexual passion moderately predicted lower sexual satisfaction and relationship satisfaction. Obsessive sexual passion had minimal associations with either outcome. These new constructs, especially harmonious and inhibited sexual passion, may help scholars and practitioners improve their understanding of sexual satisfaction and overall relationship satisfaction.El propósito de este artículo es debatir la necesidad de un nuevo modelo triádico de pasión sexual en las relaciones y presentar las propiedades psicométricas preliminares de una escala diseñada para medir estos tres enfoques de la pasión (armonioso, obsesivo e inhibido) a fin de usarlos en trabajos clínicos y académicos. La teoría y las escalas actuales de la pasión en general se basan en un modelo dualista de la pasión que incluye los enfoques armonioso y obsesivo de la pasión. Nosotros agregamos el enfoque inhibido de la pasión a partir de la investigación sobre sexualidad y desarrollamos escalas para evaluar la pasión sexual en las relaciones. Utilizamos una muestra de Amazon Mechanical Turk de 1421 personas en relaciones de pareja estables para probar esta escala. Los análisis de fiabilidad y los análisis factoriales confirmatorios demostraron que estos tres enfoques de la pasión sexual eran constructos únicos y diferentes de la satisfacción sexual. La pasión sexual demostró validez predictiva más allá de la duración de la relación, el deseo sexual hacia una pareja y una variable más amplia de impulso sexual. La pasión sexual armoniosa predijo sólidamente mayor satisfaccion sexual y satisfacción con la relación, la pasión sexual inhibida predijo moderadamente menor satisfacción sexual y satisfacción con la relación. La pasión sexual obsesiva tuvo asociaciones mínimas con ambos criterios. Estos nuevos constructos, especialmente la pasión sexual armoniosa y la inhibida, pueden ayudar a los investigadores y a los profesionales a mejorar su comprensión de la la satisfacción sexual y de la satisfacción con la relación en general.本文旨在讨论对于恋爱关系中情欲激情新的三元模型的需求并提出一个在临床和研究工作中测量三个研究激情方法(和谐,强迫性,以及压抑性)度量衡的初步心理测量学特性。现有理论和总体激情测量是基于一个包括和谐和强迫性激情研究方法的二元激情模型。我们从性研究和评估恋爱关系中性激情的发展测量增加了压抑性激情研究方法。我们使用由1421个在稳定恋爱关系中的个人组成的Amazon Mechanical Turk样本来测试该尺度. 可靠度分析和确证因素分析表明这三个研究性激情的方法是独特建构,和性满足不同。性激情表现出超越关系长度,对伴侣性欲望以及更广泛性欲变量的预测有效性。和谐性激情可靠预测较高的性满意度和关系满意度。压抑性性激情预测较低的性满意度和关系满意度。强迫性性激情和两个结果相关性低。这些新的建构,特别是和谐和压抑性性激情,可能帮助研究者和实践者改善其对性满足和整体关系满意度的理解。.

Pornography has received increased scholarly and policy attention, as the rate of online pornography consumption has increased and the availability of sexually explicit material grows. However, few studies have taken into consideration how personal definitions of what sexual material is perceived as pornographic may influence the correlates and outcomes associated with such consumption. Using a sample of 1639 individuals sampled online from the MTurk website, we explored how definitions of sexual material as pornographic are related to actual use and how differences between the perceptions of sexual material as pornography and use of such material were associated with depressive symptoms. Results suggested that the perception of sexual material as pornographic was significantly related to usage patterns and that this pattern varied based on how explicit the material was. Results also suggested that individual differences between perception and use were significantly related to depression. Specifically, viewing sexual material one does not deem as pornographic was related to higher levels of depressive symptoms. However, global acceptance of pornography and the general perception of sexual content as pornographic or not did not moderate associations between pornography use and depressive symptoms. Implications for future research and for the further understanding of the effects of pornography use are discussed.

Using clinically relevant research methodology, this study focuses on differences (cross-partner difference scores) in perceptions of attachment behaviors (emotional accessibility, responsiveness, and engagement) between partners in couples therapy. In general, findings suggest that higher levels of self-enhancement attachment behaviors (participant perceives self as demonstrating more attachment behaviors than the partner's ratings of the participant) are associated with lower relationship satisfaction and greater relationship instability. The association between attachment behavior difference scores and measures of relationship health is mediated through partner perceived positive communication. These results suggest that differences in perceptions between partners' level of attachment behaviors are an important clinical construct for therapy. As such, clinical recommendations for addressing self-enhancing attachment behaviors, and the mediating role of positive communication, are discussed with recommendations for researchers.

Introduction Using an online survey, we evaluated how adolescent trait and state mindfulness was associated with positive adolescent outcomes in non-sexually active and sexually active adolescents. Additionally, we evaluated a newly developed measure, the Sexual Mindfulness Measure (SMM), with adolescents. Methods We asked 2000 U.S. adolescents (half boys/girls; 1/3 low, medium, and high incomes) aged 13–18 (one group 13–15, another 16–18) about trait mindfulness, sexual state mindfulness, and adolescent outcomes. Using Confirmatory Factor Analysis and structured equation modeling, we evaluated the reliability and validity of the SMM and its associations with adolescent outcomes. Results Using a trait mindfulness measure, we found that mindful adolescents with no sexual experience, showed positive associations with self-efficacy, body-esteem, and disclosure with both fathers and mothers. Evaluating adolescents who were sexually active, we confirmed that the SMM had a two-factor structure and demonstrated acceptable reliability for both male and female adolescents. We found that the SMM was associated with positive sexual attitudes, body image, self-efficacy, and disclosure to parents above and beyond trait mindfulness. Conclusions Trait mindfulness was associated with positive self-assessments and parental disclosure. The SMM provided an important assessment of how sexually active adolescents’ ability to remain aware and non-judgmental during sexual experiences may be positively associated with outcomes such as sexual consent, positive body image, self-efficacy, disclosure to parents, and negatively associated with sexual shame and sexual anxiety above and beyond trait mindfulness.

Background Curvilinearity has been found for sexual frequency, but research has not examined whether curvilinear associations exist for other aspects of sexual relationships like orgasm consistency. Aim We examined whether there is curvilinearity and the nature of that curvilinearity between orgasm consistency and sexual and relational satisfaction for men and women. Methods With pooled samples of 1,619 and 1,695 men and women from Amazon's Mechanical Turk, we examined the differences of orgasm consistency values and both sexual satisfaction and relationship satisfaction through analysis of variance. We then tested for curvilinearity between orgasm consistency and sexual and relational satisfaction with regression analyses. Outcomes For men we found no evidence of a curvilinear relationship, but for women we found a curvilinear relationship between orgasm consistency values and both sexual satisfaction and relationship satisfaction. Results Across tests, the overall picture suggests that there is no curvilinear association for men, but there is for women. For women, with each unit increase in orgasm consistency, the increase in sexual satisfaction and relationship satisfaction became progressively smaller. Past the 61-80% threshold for orgasm consistency, there was little gain in sexual satisfaction and no gain in relational satisfaction. Clinical Translation Physicians, therapists, and educators can reorient women's orgasm expectations by explaining that having regular orgasms—not necessarily always—is associated with satisfaction in their relationship and sexual experience. Strengths & Limitations Converging large samples and data analytic techniques evinced the curvilinear association between orgasm consistency and both relational and sexual satisfaction for women. However, this study is cross-sectional and correlational, which limits the conclusions we can draw from it. Conclusion While men's orgasm consistency is linearly associated with relational and sexual satisfaction, more consistent orgasms seem to be associated with women's sexual and relational satisfaction, to a point. Leavitt CE, Leonhardt ND, Busby DM, et al. When Is Enough Enough? Orgasm's Curvilinear Association With Relational and Sexual Satisfaction. J Sex Med 2021;18:167–178.

Harmonious, obsessive, and inhibited sexual passion comprise the Triadic Model of Sexual Passion. Research has shown that together they play an important role in sexual and relationship satisfaction. Little is known, however, about the factors that predict the likelihood of having these types of passion expression. Using a Mechanical Turk sample of 1414 individuals, we estimated structural equation models to evaluate how relationship factors (i.e., relationship length, sexual desire, sexual drive) and individual factors (i.e., attachment style, childhood abuse, personality) predict the three constructs from the Triadic Model of Sexual Passion. In general, those with higher sexual desire, secure attachment, no childhood abuse, and low impulsivity and shyness were most likely to report optimal sexual passion (higher harmonious, lower inhibited, and lower obsessive sexual passion). By better understanding how these factors predict sexual passion expression, couples may have an increased likelihood of experiencing harmonious sexual passion in their sexual relationships.

Background Self-reported orgasm, perception of partner's orgasm, and misperception of partner's orgasm have each been correlated with individual sexual and relationship satisfaction, but these associations have rarely included dyadic data, have not fully accounted for potentially confounding variables such as sexual communication, and have never been simultaneously studied with a nationally representative sample. Aim To provide a more complete picture of how the orgasmic experience within the heterosexual couple influences individual and partner sexual and relationship satisfaction. Methods Using a nationally representative dyadic sample of 1,683 newlywed heterosexual couples, a structural equation model was estimated to test associations between husband and wife self-reported orgasm frequency, husband and wife report of the other partner's orgasm frequency, and husband and wife misperception of their partner's orgasm frequency, as correlates of relationship and sexual satisfaction. Outcomes Both husband and wife completed the Couples Satisfaction Index to assess their own relationship satisfaction, and completed a sexual satisfaction instrument designed for the CREATE study. Results 87% of husbands and 49% of wives reported consistently experiencing orgasm. 43% of husbands misperceived how often their wives experienced orgasm. The final structural equation model, including sexual communication, explained moderate amounts of variance in wives' and husbands' relationship satisfaction, and a high level of variance for wives' and husbands' sexual satisfaction. Wives' relationship satisfaction was positively associated with wives' and husbands' sexual communication. Wives' sexual satisfaction was positively associated with self-reported orgasm frequency, and both wives' and husbands' sexual communication. Husbands' relationship satisfaction was positively associated with husbands' and wives' sexual communication. Husbands' sexual satisfaction was positively associated with husbands' perception of wives' orgasm frequency, and both husbands' and wives' sexual communication. Clinical Translation When counseling couples, clinicians should give particular attention to the wife's orgasm experiences, to potentially help both husbands and wives have higher sexual satisfaction. Strengths & Limitations Strengths of this study include the use of a nationally representative sample and dyadic data. Limitations include cross-sectional data, and the assessment of sexual experiences only in newlywed couples. Conclusion Wives' orgasm (wives' self-report of frequency and husbands' perception of frequency) has a unique positive association with sexual satisfaction, even after taking into account other aspects of the orgasm experience and sexual communication.

This study explored how negative communication and spirituality influence relationship quality across four couple groups. Data was gathered from Anglo couples, interethnic Latino and Anglo couples, and Latino couples. Data was analyzed in a mediating Actor–Partner Interaction Model (APIM) with a multiple group analysis. Negative communication was negatively associated with relationship quality uniformly. Generally, male spirituality positively influenced his own relationship quality and was positively associated with female relationship quality in one group. Female spirituality was negatively associated with relationship quality for both genders in that same group and her spirituality partially mediated that process. Clinical implications are discussed.

Research suggests that interracial couples have lower relationship stability compared to their same-race counterparts, but there is evidence that interracial relationships involving Whites and Asians are an exception. This study compared the pathways to relationship stability among same-race and interracial Asian-White couples. Using MANCOVA, partner empathy, social approval, relationship satisfaction, and relationship stability for same-race and interracial Asian-White couples were compared, while holding length of relationship constant. A Structural Equation Model tested differences between groups in the effect that partner’s empathic listening and social approval had on relationship satisfaction and stability. Results indicated that interracial couples had similar relationship satisfaction and stability, as well as partner empathy, and social approval, as same-race White couples. Same-race Asian couples consistently scored lowest in relational and social factors, as well as relationship outcomes. With few exceptions, the influence of empathy in communication and social approval on relationship outcomes was similar for interracial and same-race couples.

This study examined factors that may predict perceived parental approval of an adult child's heterosexual engagement relationship as parental approval has been shown in previous studies to be an important predictor of later couple quality and stability. A total of 4175 engaged individuals completed the RELATE inventory. Among the items in the questionnaire were measures of perceived parental approval of the relationship, parents’ marital quality, autonomy from the family of origin and couple relationship quality. The individuals also reported their age, education, length of their relationship, parents’ marital status and parents’ socioeconomic status. The results showed that adult sons’ and daughters’ age, parental marital quality, autonomy and couple relationship quality predicted parental approval. Length of the relationship and parental marital status did not influence parental approval for either gender. Clinical implications and directions for future research are discussed. Practitioner points Perceived parental approval of an adult child's heterosexual engagement relationship should be assessed with engaged couples. Assess current couple relationship as this is not always as high as we may assume. Perceived quality of each partner's parents’ marriage should be discussed as to how it may affect perceptions of parental approval. Assess differentiation of self in the family of origin and increase it using transgenerational couple therapy approaches.

Survey data from the RELATE inventory (www.relate-institute.org) was gathered for married couples (N = 374) and was analyzed for effects of marital quality on perceptions of weight as a problem in the marriage, activity level, and eating habits. Results indicate that wife marital quality was positively associated with weight being a problem for wives, while husband marital quality was negatively associated with weight being a problem for both husbands and wives in the relationship. Wife marital quality was also positively associated with husband activity level, while husband marital quality was negatively associated with husband activity level. Implications for clinicians are discussed.

In this study some of the challenges of conducting online research with couples and families were considered. Of particular concern with internet samples are the high percentages of individuals who have invalid email addresses and the low response rates to research requests. Using a sample of 2,049 individuals from whom we had extensive information, we invited them to participant in a short survey on their couple relationship. We explored whether participants who had invalid email addresses were different from those who had valid addresses and we compared those who completed the survey with those who did not. Also we explored the influence of different monetary incentives on response rates. The findings indicated that when evaluating 18 different areas including background measures, personality measures, family of origin measures, and couple measures, there were only minor differences between those with valid and invalid email addresses, and only one difference between those who completed the survey and those who did not. Also a lottery type monetary incentive showed promise in improving response rates compared to no incentive and a standard $20 incentive.

The present research explored the importance of shyness and communication-related variables (self-disclosure and expressions of empathy) in the prediction of romantic relationship satisfaction. Couples in established romantic relationships (N = 4,298) completed RELATE (RELATionship Evaluation), a questionnaire designed to evaluate the relationship between romantically linked partners. We hypothesized there would be a direct, inverse relationship between shyness and relationship satisfaction mediated by communication behaviors. We found shyness was associated with lower levels of self and partner relationship satisfaction for both males and females; however, this relationship was mediated by communication behaviors. Clinical implications for couples and therapists are discussed.

This exploratory path analysis was designed to identify significant associations among technology use and relationship variables in a population of emerging adults. Two hundred seventy-six young people between the ages of 18 and 25 in committed relationships completed survey questions about ways they connect with their partners using technology. Actor and partner effects were obtained. A measure of attachment behaviors in relationships was tested as a mediator. Results indicate that attachment behaviors were universally associated with relationship satisfaction and stability for both men and women. No significant associations were found with social networking sites. Male texting frequency was negatively associated with relationship satisfaction and stability scores for both partners while female texting frequency was positively associated with their own relationship stability scores. Texting to express affection was associated with higher reported partner attachment for both men and women. For men, textin...

In the present study we explored the relationship between personality characteristics and relationship satisfaction in couples. Using a sample of 14,807 couples from the RELATE dataset, a model was tested examining the direct and indirect (via self-esteem) associations between personality traits (i.e., shyness) and relationship satisfaction. Furthermore, the model assessed shyness, self-esteem, and relationship satisfaction for both partners in the relationship. The results indicated that higher levels of shyness were associated with lower self-esteem in individuals, as well as lower relationship satisfaction. Implications of results and the use of partner ratings of personality indicators are discussed.

Very little is known about how pornography use is related to the quality of committed relationships. This study examined associations among pornography use, the meaning people attach to its use, sexual quality, and relationship satisfaction. It also looked at factors that discriminate between those who use pornography and those who do not. Participants were couples (N = 617 couples) who were either married or cohabiting at the time the data were gathered. Overall results from this study indicated substantial gender differences in terms of use profiles, as well as pornography's association with relationship factors. Specifically, male pornography use was negatively associated with both male and female sexual quality, whereas female pornography use was positively associated with female sexual quality. The study also found that meaning explained a relatively small part of the relationship between pornography use and sexual quality.

Previous research has shown that spousal materialism is negatively associated with marital satisfaction. However, researchers have yet to determine if this association is due to value differences between spouses or if materialism is problematic even when partners place a similar priority on money and material goods. Using 1,734 married couples, we developed a typology of couple materialism to investigate how congruent and incongruent patterns of materialism between spouses influence marital outcomes. We found that materialism had a negative association with marital quality, even when spouses were unified in their materialistic values. Marriages in which both spouses reported low materialism were better off on several features of marital quality when compared to couples where one or both spouses reported high materialism. Implications are drawn for therapists and financial counselors working with couples dealing with financial strain or conflict related to economic issues.

A large body of research has been devoted to the study of family-of-origin (FOO) experience influences on future relationship outcomes and processes. In addition, substantial information exists regarding the role relationship attributions play in connection with relationship quality and stability. Yet, limited information has been forthcoming regarding how the FOO experience has an influence on attributions made in romantic relationships. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was employed to assess the impact of the FOO experience on attributions made about one’s own communication and personality variables, as well as the communication and personality variables of one’s partner from a sample of individuals who had completed the RELATionship Evaluation (N = 6,649). Results show evidence of a relationship between the FOO experience and the attributions made about oneself and one’s partner. Results were particularly pronounced for the communication variables. Gender differences also were found. The utility of study findings for couple and family researchers and practitioners is discussed.

In this study, we address the communication technologies individuals within romantic relationships are using to communicate with one another, the frequency of use, and the association between the use of these technologies and couple's positive and negative communication. Participants consisted of individuals involved in a serious, committed, heterosexual relationship. The Relationship Evaluation Questionnaire instrument was used to assess a variety of relationship variables. The majority of individuals within the study frequently used cell phones and text messaging to communicate with their partner, with “expressing affection” being the most common reason for contact. Younger individuals reported using all forms of media (except for e-mail) more frequently than older participants. Relationship satisfaction did not predict specific use of media but predicted several reasons for media use. Additional analyses revealed that text messaging had the strongest association with individuals' positive and negative communication within their relationships. Specifically, text messaging to express affection, broach potentially confrontational subjects, and to hurt partners were associated with individuals' view of positive and negative communication within their relationship. Implications of the results are discussed.

Bowen's family systems theory posits the importance of differentiation of self for functioning in adult romantic/marital relationships. His theory suggests that adults enter into marriages and marriage-like relationships with a basic level of differentiation of self developed largely in the parental home and this level of differentiation affects relationship quality. However, there has been limited research on these propositions. Therefore, we examine these ideas by hypothesizing that (a) a complex relationship exists between family-of-origin variables as they influence adult romantic relationship quality, (b) differentiation from negative family-of-origin processes is one means whereby the past carries forward into the present, (c) there is a actor-partner effect of differentiation of self on each partner's relationship quality, and (d) that gender differences are expected. We tested an SEM model with data from the RELATionship Evaluation (RELATE) (N = 1,839 couples). Results support the hypotheses and s...

In this study, the association of childhood trauma with perceptions of self and the partner was explored. Using a large sample of more than 5,400 couples who completed the RELATE inventory, couples in which neither partner experienced childhood physical abuse were compared on personality and communication scales with couples where only the female experienced abuse, only the male experienced abuse, and both partners experienced abuse. The primary question of interest was to evaluate whether childhood trauma was associated with selection effects of romantic partners, perceptual effects of partners, or reciprocal negativity with partners. The evidence from the analysis of variance and path analysis indicates that trauma is more likely to be associated with perceptual effects than selection effects. Individuals who were traumatized rated both themselves and their partners as more neurotic and conflictual, even when controlling for overall levels of relationship satisfaction. However, the partners of traumatized persons do not consider themselves more neurotic or conflictual than partners in relationships where neither partner was abused.

The purpose of this research was to understand in greater detail, using 2 samples (Study 1 N = 4,881 heterosexual couples; Study 2 N = 335 heterosexual couples who completed the Relationship Evaluation Questionnaire), how partner or self-enhancement patterns differentially influence relationship outcomes. A multivariate analysis of covariance was conducted comparing 4 outcome measures for different couple types in which individuals rated the partner higher, the same, or lower than they rated themselves on affability. Couples in which both individuals perceived themselves as more affable than the partner experienced poorer results on the relationship outcome measures, whereas couples in which both individuals perceived the partner's personality as more affable than their own experienced more positive relationship outcomes. Additional analyses with structural equation models demonstrated the consistent influence of enhancement measures on relationship outcomes for cross-sectional and longitudinal samples.

While many studies have explored the correlates and outcomes associated with pornography use, the measurement of such use has relied heavily on self-definitions of pornography from research participants, and little is known regarding how individuals define pornography for themselves. Using a diverse sample of 2,089 individuals sampled from the online MTurk Web site, participants were asked to rate whether they felt 20 different examples of sexual media were pornography. Differences by gender, religious attendance, marital status, and pornography use patterns were explored. Results suggested significant variation across the sample in how specific examples of sexual media were perceived. In addition, response profiles significantly differed by gender, religious attendance, marital status, and use of pornography. Implications for the measurement of pornography are discussed.

This study investigates the utility of the family of origin parachute model in predicting longitudinal outcomes for couples in romantic relationships. This conceptual model contains common family variables that are theoretically and empirically related to later adult functioning and are believed to influence attitudes that adult children develop regarding romantic relationships as well as self-esteem. Data from two samples were used to analyze this model. The results support the model and demonstrate its ability to predict membership in relationship satisfaction groups. Suggestions are presented for integrating the family of origin in applied work. Key Words: attitudes, family of origin, marriage, parents, relationships. Almost all family scholars would argue that the family of origin (FOO) is tremendously important in launching children into adult life with the attitudes, behaviors, and skills that facilitate success in adult romantic relationships. The evidence to support this argument is provided by the abundance of literature on the influence of parental marriage quality, attachment, family structure, abuse, parenting, and other attributes of the FOO on the social functioning and the marital quality of adult children (Amato & DeBoer, 2001; Busby, 2000; Delsol, Margolin, & John, 2003; Hazan & Shaver, 1994; Heaton, 2002; Hetherington, 2003; Holman & Associates, 2001; Larson & Holman, 1994; Leon, 2003; Waters, Vaughn, Posada, & Kondo-Ikemura, 1995). However, when practitioners, educators, and researchers apply this knowledge to their work with families and couples, the results can be frustrating. Often the assessment instruments and research scales demonstrate that the more proximal couple variables such as couple communication, empathy, and conflict, overshadow the distal FOO variables so that most of the FOO variables are not significant in multivariate analyses (Bradbury & Fincham, 1991; Busby, Holman, & Taniguchi, 2001; Conger, Cui, Bryant, & Elder, 2000; Glenn & Kramer, 1987; Kelly & Conley, 1987). Professionals working with couples and family members often find participants to be relatively dismissive regarding legacies or influences of the FOO (Ivey, Busby, & Harris, 2004). Some participants in classes and enrichment programs may be struggling against what they perceive to be deterministic messages that suggest that once certain things happen (i.e., violence or divorce), people are destined to repeat these problems in their adult relationships. When these small direct effects in research studies that include FOO variables are coupled with the negative attitudes toward the FOO of some participants in education and enrichment experiences, it can be tempting to forego utilization of the FOO for the more compelling proximal couple variables. This reality should not lead researchers and educators to abandon the FOO, rather it should lead to more advanced models that demonstrate the mediating and moderating variables that come between the FOO experience and adult relationships (Holman & Associates, 2001; Karney & Bradbury, 1995). Although it is inappropriate to provide people with the impression that the FOO creates patterns that cannot be overcome and addressed, it is also inappropriate to dismiss the influence of the FOO as irrelevant. In our assessment and intervention work with couples, we have struggled to develop models and assessment instruments that balance the approach to the FOO so that it is useful for exploring attitudes, values, and behaviors that may have emerged from the FOO as well as provide couples with a sense of hope and an awareness of the strengths that can emerge from even the most negative experiences in the past. A balanced FOO intervention approach is accomplished through three mechanisms: First, the multitude of FOO variables are organized into models that are easy to understand yet are still comprehensive. …

The transgenerational cultural identity model offers a detailed understanding of the immigration experience by challenging agendas of assimilation and by expanding on existing theories of cultural identity. Based on this model, immigration is a complex phenomenon influenced by many variables such as sociopsychological dimensions, family, oppression, and quality of reception in the new country. These factors produce different outcomes of cultural identity. Potential applications of the model for educational institutions serving Latina/o students are discussed.

RELATE: Relationship Evaluation of the Individual, Family, Cultural, and Couple Contexts* The purpose of this article is to present the conceptual model underlying RELATE, a relationship evaluation instrument, and to describe how this instrument can be used by instructors, clinicians, and therapists. The RELATE model contains measures of the 4 primary contexts of a couple's experience: the individual, the family, the culture, and the couple. The model includes some of the primary variables in Gottman's marital cascade and has been evaluated for reliability and validity. Examples of how to use the instrument and model are illustrated for couples, educators, and clinicians. Key Words: assessment, couples, premarital relationships. It is challenging to capture the dynamics of couple relationships. Scholars have used interviews, observations, surveys, tasks, and even physiological measures to attempt to understand the quality of relationships. One group of scholars, the RELATE Institute (RI, previously the Marriage Study Consortium), was formed in 1979 by a diverse group of researchers, clinicians, and educators, dedicated to the dual goals of strengthening and understanding premarital and marital relationships. Over the last 20 years, members of the RI have grappled with trying to measure the complexities of adult romantic relationships from a variety of different angles. In addition, the RI has searched for ways to present data in a manner that is useful to couples and the family professionals who work with them. Through this endeavor, three versions of a comprehensive instrument and accompanying feedback tool have been published. The most recent version of the instrument is the RELATionship Evaluation Questionnaire (RELATE; Holman, Busby, Doxey, Klein, & Loyer-Carlson, 1997). This article describes the development of the conceptual model from which RELATE was derived and discusses how the model and instrument can be used by educators, clinicians, and researchers. The Development of the RELATE Model The RELATE model was developed by reviewing over 50 years of research that delineated the important premarital predictors of later marital quality and stability. The comprehensive review of research on premarital predictors of marital quality by Larson and Holman (1994) was a foundational document for RELATE. Table I lists the main findings from this review. Since the 1994 review, new research indicated additional constructs to include in the model (Gottman, 1994; Karney & Bradbury, 1995). These new additions are listed in bold in the table. This list of constructs was used to develop items included in the instrument. The couple process model extensively studied and researched by Gottman, providing one of the best models for the prediction of marital success or failure, was included as part of the couple constructs. Over time, as new research emerges, the constructs in RELATE will continue to evolve. Researchers have recently emphasized the need to develop relationship models that are more comprehensive and that include constructs that (a) target trait-like characteristics of partners, and (b) capture behavioral exchanges between partners (Bradbury, Campbell, & Fincham, 1995). Because of the comprehensive nature of RELATE, it contains extensive measures of both types of constructs, as well as measures of family background, culture, and values. Whereas the initial scales included in the instrument came from existing research and from previous versions of RELATE, there is a conceptual model that organizes the numerous subcategories and suggests relationships between the constructs assessed via the scales. The systemic model underlying RELATE suggests that relationships are developed and maintained within a series of contexts or subsystems (Bradbury & Fincham, 1987, 1988, 1991), as noted in Figure 1. Although numerous contexts can be measured, the most important ones for premarital and marital relationships include the individual, familial, cultural, and couple contexts (Holman & Associates, 2000; Larson & Holman, 1994). …

Bowen family systems theory suggests that individuals who report high levels of individual pathology will also report having been raised in families characterized by high conflict and low adaptability. Combining individual and family assessment measures, or using one type of measure to understand the results of the other may be possible through the application of systems theory. Therapeutic implications of the study reported here indicate that practitioners should consider the value of focusing on family of origin processes before a primary focus on isolated traumatic events guides the direction of therapy.

This study uses feminist theory to examine the variables of relationship length and relationship satisfaction as predicators of both self-esteem and emotional functioning for women. Using a national sample of data gathered from 1,257 female survey respondents this study found significant relationships between emotional functioning, self-esteem, and self-reported relationship satisfaction which was supported by regression testing and path analysis. In addition, a significant negative relationship was noted between a woman's self-esteem and her with-holding of verbalized displeasure or disagreement with her partner. Implications for women in therapy were discussed.

This study examined how mother and father–child relationship quality and marital forgiveness were related to early adolescents’ forgiveness of mothers and fathers. Adolescents’ social-cognitive skills (empathy and emotional regulation) and parents’ forgiveness of child were examined as mediators. Mother, father, and child self-reported questionnaires and observational data were taken from Time 1 and Time 3 (two years later) of the Flourishing Families Project, and included 334 two-parent families with an early adolescent ( M age at Time 1 = 11.24; 51% male; 76% Caucasian). Using path analyses via structure equation modeling, mother–child relationship quality and adolescents’ own social-cognitive skills were salient correlates of adolescents’ forgiveness toward parents. The unique contributions of mothers and fathers, differences by reporter, and the importance of studying forgiveness within the parent–child relationship are discussed.

Existing research indicates that clients perceive facially attractive therapists as more competent, trustworthy, genuine, and effective than less attractive therapists. No studies exist to help explain how the therapist's attractiveness influences a client's self-disclosure. Participants (n = 241) were randomly assigned to one of eight experimental groups to test the interaction of the therapist's attractiveness, client's gender, the nature of presenting problem, and the client's comfort with disclosing in a hypothetical couple therapy scenario. Analysis of variance procedures established that most participants reported feeling more comfortable disclosing a benign (communication) problem than a potentially embarrassing (sexual) problem, and more comfortable disclosing problems to an attractive than to a less attractive female therapist. Therapists are encouraged to understand the power attractiveness may have in their own and their clients' lives.