Emotional satisfaction and physical pleasure in sexual unions: Time horizon, sexual behavior, and sexual exclusivity

LJ Waite, K Joyner�- Journal of Marriage and Family, 2001 - Wiley Online Library
Journal of Marriage and Family, 2001Wiley Online Library
This paper uses data from the 1992 National Health and Social Life Survey to examine
emotional satisfaction and physical pleasure from sex in intimate unions for adults in the US
Using perspectives from evolutionary biology and rational choice theory, we examine the
effects of the following factors on emotional satisfaction and physical pleasure: time horizon
expected for the relationship, sexual behavior within the relationship, and sexual exclusivity.
We find a significant effect of measures for all 3 of these dimensions on emotional�…
This paper uses data from the 1992 National Health and Social Life Survey to examine emotional satisfaction and physical pleasure from sex in intimate unions for adults in the U.S. Using perspectives from evolutionary biology and rational choice theory, we examine the effects of the following factors on emotional satisfaction and physical pleasure: time horizon expected for the relationship, sexual behavior within the relationship, and sexual exclusivity. We find a significant effect of measures for all 3 of these dimensions on emotional satisfaction with sex. For both men and women, time horizon and sexual exclusivity are more strongly tied to emotional satisfaction than they are to physical pleasure from sex, but sexual behavior has the same impact on emotional satisfaction as it does on physical pleasure.
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