Sexually explicit media use and relationship satisfaction: a moderating role of emotional intimacy?

2016/06/08 by Maria Veit, Aleksandar Štulhofer, Gert Martin Hald · 1 citation
Psychology · Social Sciences · Economics, Econometrics and Finance · #Sexuality, Behavior, and Technology #Gender, Feminism, and Media #Cinema and Media Studies

paper · doi:10.1080/14681994.2016.1193134

openalex publication_date 2016/06/08 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28

Abstract

Using a cross-sectional questionnaire design and a sample of 2284 coupled Croatian adults, this study investigated the association between Sexually Explicit Media (SEM) use and relationship satisfaction. Further, possible moderation of emotional intimacy on the relationship between SEM use and relationship satisfaction was investigated. Controlling for sociodemographic, psychosexual and relationship variables, no significant association between SEM use and relationship satisfaction was found. However, among men, a moderating effect of emotional intimacy was found. Thus, higher SEM use was found to be significantly associated with lower relationship satisfaction only among men who reported lower levels of emotional intimacy with their partner.

Citations

• Couple Communication, Emotional and Sexual Intimacy, and Relationship Satisfaction
• Using a Different Model for Female Sexual Response to Address Women's Problematic Low Sexual Desire
• Young Adult Women’s Reports of Their Male Romantic Partner’s Pornography Use as a Correlate of Their Self-Esteem, Relationship Quality, and Sexual Satisfaction
• A Generic Measure of Relationship Satisfaction
• Masturbation and Pornography Use Among Coupled Heterosexual Men With Decreased Sexual Desire: How Many Roles of Masturbation?
• As Good as it Gets? A Life Course Perspective on Marital Quality
• The moderator–mediator variable distinction in social psychological research: Conceptual, strategic, and statistical considerations.

Cited by

• Emotional intimacy [wikipedia]

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