Background: Declining sexual desire over the course of a relationship may cause distress. Because sexual desire partly depends on who the (imagined) sexual partner is, this study focuses on increasing sexual desire for the long-term partner specifically.

Aim: This study examined 3 regulation strategies: (i) positive reappraisal of the partner, (ii) reappraisal of sexual desire decline, and (iii) sexual imagery about the partner. We tested whether these 3 strategies increased (i) sexual desire for the partner, (ii) motivated attention for the partner, as indicated by the late positive potential (LPP) amplitude, and (iii) infatuation, attachment, and relationship satisfaction.

Methods: Twenty-five young adults (6 men) who were in a long-term relationship performed the regulation strategies and no regulation before passively viewing a picture of their partner.

Outcomes: The LPP amplitude was measured during the partner picture. After each strategy, participants rated their sexual desire, infatuation, attachment, and relationship satisfaction.

Results: Participants felt more sexual desire for and more infatuated with their partner after sexual imagery about the partner than after no regulation. Participants also felt more attached to their partner after positive reappraisal of the partner than after no regulation. There was no evidence that any of the strategies influenced relationship satisfaction or motivated attention.

Clinical implications: Sexual imagery about the partner is a simple strategy that people can use without involving the partner to increase sexual desire for (and infatuation with) their long-term partner.

Strengths & limitations: One of the strengths of the current study is the experimental manipulation of strategy use within participants, which allows for conclusions of causality. The main limitation is the small, inclusive convenience sample. This study had good power to detect medium effects but was underpowered to detect small effects. Participants were mostly young adult women in relatively short long-term relationships. Gender differences in the effectiveness of the 3 strategies were not hypothesized or tested.

Conclusion: Sexual imagery about the partner increases sexual desire for (and infatuation with) the partner. Langeslag SJE, Davis LL. A Preliminary Study on Up-regulation of Sexual Desire for a Long-term Partner. J Sex Med 2022;19:872-878.