The Second Factor Associated With Marital Satisfaction (Part.2)

Posted on October 03, 2013 by Hadi Yassin, One of Thousands of Family Coaches on Noomii.

Sexual satisfaction:
Satisfaction in a sexual relationship is also a vital factor for creating and maintaining a happy, satisfying, and stable marital relationship (Christopher & Sprecher, 2000; Litzinger & Gordon, 2005; Veroff, Douvan, & Hatchett, 1995; White & Keith, 1990; Young et al., 1998, 2000). Research has shown that physical affection, frequency of sex, and the quality of the couple’s sexual relationship have a great deal to do with marital satisfaction and, in turn, helped reduce marital instability (Yeh, Lorenz, Wickrama, & Conger, 2006).

Finally, the quality of sexual relations is also a factor in sexual satisfaction. Spouses who engage in more gratifying sexual interactions are more satisfied with and dedicated to their relationships (Holmberg et.al, 2010). Fulfillment of sexual desires contributes to making a partnership more pleasant, and the love between a couple helps make sex more gratifying (Yucel & Gassanov, 2010). Satisfying sexual relations between a couple can decrease the level of stress and improve one’s mood in a way that cannot be achieved through masturbation alone (Burleson et al., 2007). Sexual satisfaction thus increases relationship satisfaction, and vice versa (Burleson et al., 2007; Hassebrauck & Fehr, 2002).

By contrast, a dysfunctional sexual relationship between spouses can drain the marriage of its intimacy and satisfaction (McCarthy, 2001, 2003). Sexual dysfunction may result in such psychological symptoms as low mood, poor self esteem, performance anxiety, and guilt (Werneke, Northey, & Bhugra, 2010). It can also contribute to and possibly even cause depression which can detract from marital satisfaction (Werneke, Northey & Bhugra, 2010).

Studies have also found that while communication and sexual satisfaction independently predict marital satisfaction, there is a significant interaction between these two factors (Litzinger & Gordon, 2005): if there is constructive communication between the spouses, then sexual satisfaction will not have a significant impact on marital satisfaction, i.e., couples who have effective communication skills will most likely feel satisfied and successful as a couple, and their sexual relationship fails to add anything beyond their existing level of satisfaction with their relationship. By contrast, if a couple lacks effective communication skills but has a satisfying sexual relationship, their degree of sexual satisfaction can overshadow a lack of communication and they will have greater marital satisfaction than if they were to have a less satisfying sexual relationship. Thus, sexual satisfaction can compensate for the negative effect of unsatisfying communication on marital satisfaction (Litzinger & Gordon, 2005).