1999/05/01 by E. Sandra Byers, Stephanie Demmons · 276 citations
Health Professions · Medicine · Psychology · #Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health #Attachment and Relationship Dynamics #Clinical psychology #Developmental psychology #Feeling #Human sexuality #Psychology #Self-disclosure #Sexual attraction #Sexual behavior #Sexual function and dysfunction studies #Sexual relationship #Social psychology
paper · doi:10.1080/00224499909551983
published in The Journal of Sex Research 36(2), 180-189 (Taylor & Francis)
openalex publication_date 1999/05/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/29
This study examined dating individuals' self‐disclosure about their sexual likes and dislikes to their partner. Forty‐seven college men and 52 college women in a dating relationship of 3 to 36 months completed a questionnaire measuring sexual exchange variables, sexual satisfaction, relationship satisfaction, sexual communication satisfaction, and sexual and non‐sexual self‐disclosure with their partner. Both sexual and nonsexual self‐disclosure were at the level of revealing some detail but not fully disclosing personal attitudes and feelings. Participants reported self‐disclosing significantly more about non‐sexual than about sexual topics. Sexual and nonsexual self‐disclosure were related to sexual satisfaction, relationship satisfaction, and sexual communication satisfaction. Sexual self‐disclosure was uniquely related to sexual communication satisfaction when nonsexual self‐disclosure was controlled, but was not uniquely associated with relationship satisfaction or sexual satisfaction. The study provided evidence that both sexual exchanges and relationship satisfaction mediate the relationship between sexual self‐disclosure and sexual satisfaction as proposed by Cupach and Metts (1991). The results of a series of analyses suggest that self‐disclosure affects sexual satisfaction through two routes. First, sexual self‐disclosure may increase sexual rewards in the relationship. Second, it may increase overall relationship satisfaction. Both increased sexual rewards and increased relationship satisfaction, in turn, enhance sexual satisfaction.