Mechanisms underlying the association between perceived discrepancy in sexual interest and sexual satisfaction among partnered older adults in four European countries

Abstract

The ways in which the discrepancy between one's own interest in sex and that of one's partner may affect personal sexual satisfaction has rarely been systematically studied, especially among older adults. Previous research among younger adults indicates that a discrepancy in sexual desire can be detrimental in terms of several relationship outcomes, including sexual satisfaction. This study aimed to investigate a conceptual model of sexual satisfaction among coupled older adults which posits that the association between perceived discrepancy in sexual interest and sexual satisfaction is mediated by the frequency of sexual activity and emotional closeness during sex. Data from a probability-based postal survey that included 2,695 partnered heterosexual adults aged 60-75 years from four European countries (Norway, Denmark, Belgium, and Portugal) were used to test the mediation model. Due to expected gender differences in the two mediators, all analyses were carried out separately for men and women. The findings supported the proposed model, suggesting that as an individual's perception of a discrepancy in sexual interest increases, his or her levels of sexual frequency and perceived closeness during sex decrease-which in turn diminishes sexual satisfaction. The results of this study provide insights into links among sexual interest, sexual frequency, emotional closeness, and sexual satisfaction in older adults, and point to substantial similarities in the sexuality of aging men and women in this regard.

Sexual Satisfaction in Older Heterosexual Couples From Four European Countries: Exploring the Roles of Actual and Perceived Discrepancy in Sexual Interest

“…In exploring the association between actual and perceived discrepancies in sexual interest and sexual satisfaction (research question 2), it was found that as older adults perceive a greater discrepancy between their own and their partners' interest in sex, they tend to report lower sexual satisfaction. This finding is consistent with previous research, suggesting a negative link between perceived desire discrepancy and sexual satisfaction in several samples of partnered adults (Bridges & Horne, 2007;Davies et al, 1999;Fischer et al, 2020;Gillespie, 2017a;Sutherland et al, 2015). Moreover, it is consistent with Gillespie's (2017b) model of sexual synchronicity, where feeling "out of sync" (p. 453) can lead to lower sexual satisfaction in aging men and women.…”

“…Based on these four literature gaps and building on a recent exploration of the mechanisms underlying the association between perceived discrepancy in sexual interest and sexual satisfaction among older heterosexual partnered adults (Fischer et al, 2020), the present study aimed to (1) examine how discrepancies among partners' self-reported sexual interest score compare to a person's perceived discrepancy by applying similar methodologies within the same sample; (2) assess if and how each concept is related to sexual satisfaction in older heterosexual couples using dyadic analysis; and (3) explore the robustness of the associations between sexual interest discrepancy and sexual satisfaction by controlling for perceived emotional intimacy. The theoretically expected associations of the dyadic model are depicted in Figure 1.…”

“…To assess perceived discrepancy in sexual interest, we computed the absolute difference between a participant's own sexual interest (i.e., "I am not interested in sex") and the participant's perception of his or her partner's sexual interest (i.e., "My partner has no interest in sex"). Both items were rated on a 5-point Likert scale (1 = Strongly agree, 5 = Strongly disagree) (Fischer et al, 2020). Perceived discrepancy scores ranged from 0 to 4, with 0 indicating no mismatch between the partners' interest in sex; the higher the score, the greater the perceived discrepancy in sexual interest.…”

Predicting partnered sexual activity among older adults in four European countries: the role of attitudes, health, and relationship factors

“…Based on four literature gaps and building on a recent exploration of the mechanisms underlying the association between perceived discrepancy in sexual interest and sexual satisfaction among older heterosexual partnered adults (Fischer, Traeen, Štulhofer, & Hald, 2019), the present study aims to: (1) examine how discrepancies amongst partner's selfreported sexual interest score compares to a persons perceived discrepancy by applying similar methodologies within the same sample;…”

“…interest, we computed the absolute difference between participants' own sexual interest ("I am not interested in sex"), and participants' perception of his/her partner's sexual interest ("My partner has no interest in sex") (Fischer et al, 2019). Perceived discrepancy scores ranged from 0 to 4, with zero indicating no mismatch between partners' interest in sex.…”