Determinants of Sex Initiation Frequencies and Sexual Satisfaction in Long-Term Couples' Relationships‪.‬

ABSTRACT: The main objective of this study was to assess the clinical utility of the Sexual Initiation Scale (SIS) (Gossman, Julien, & Chartrand, 2002) by determining (1) whether SIS scores are associated with sexual outcomes (sexual initiation, sexual activity, sexual satisfaction) in long-term relationships, and (2) whether characteristics of couple's of individual partners that are known to contribute to such sexual outcomes account for unique variance beyond that afforded by the SIS alone. Questionnaires were administered to 202 partners in 101 couples in a volunteer, non-clinical sample. Using hierarchical regression analyses of SIS scores and couple/individual characteristics scores as predictor variables and mean sexual outcomes score as the dependent variable, we found that partners' dyadic adjustment and perceptions of own sex appeal were the only variables that contributed unique variance to sexual outcomes beyond that afforded by the mean score from the three SIS sexual outcomes subscales. These findings may have practical implications for simplification of procedures used in assessing sexual outcomes of couples in long-term relationships. Further work with clinical samples will be necessary to establish the full clinical utility of the SIS. Key words. Long-standing couples' relationships Sexual outcomes Dyadic adjustment Sex appeal Sexual initiation Sexual satisfaction