Sexual Passion in Committed Relationships: Measurement and Conceptual Issues

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to discuss the need for a new triadic model of sexual passion in relationships and to present the preliminary psychometric properties of a scale designed to measure these three approaches to passion (harmonious, obsessive, and inhibited) for use in clinical and scholarly work. Existing theory and measures of general passion are based on a dualistic model of passion that includes the harmonious and obsessive approaches to passion. We added the inhibited approach to passion from the sexuality research and develop measures for assessing sexual passion in relationships. We utilized an Amazon Mechanical Turk sample of 1,421 individuals in committed relationships to test this measure. Reliability analyses and confirmatory factory analyses evinced that these three approaches to sexual passion were unique constructs and distinct from sexual satisfaction. Sexual passion showed predictive validity above and beyond relationship length, sexual desire toward a partner, and a broader variable of sexual drive. Harmonious sexual passion robustly predicted higher sexual satisfaction and relationship satisfaction, and inhibited sexual passion moderately predicted lower sexual satisfaction and relationship satisfaction. Obsessive sexual passion had minimal associations with either outcome. These new constructs, especially harmonious and inhibited sexual passion, may help scholars and practitioners improve their understanding of sexual satisfaction and overall relationship satisfaction.

Beliefs about sexuality and their associations with sexual passion

“…Examining how individuals' sexual beliefs are associated with aspects of their and their partner's sexuality can potentially enhance couple relationships because sex is integral to romantic relationships (McGuire, 2003; Smith & Shaffer, 2013). One aspect of sexual relationships that is strongly correlated with important relational outcomes is actor and partner sexual passion (Busby et al, 2019; Busby, Leonhardt, & James, 2020). A clearer understanding of how beliefs are associated with actor and partner sexual passion can help researchers and applied professionals assist couples to more effectively develop sexually passionate relationships that endure across time.…”

“…Sexual passion is divided into three distinct types: harmonious, obsessive, and inhibited (Busby et al, 2019; Philippe et al, 2019). Grounded in the theoretical assumptions of self‐determination theory (SDT; Deci & Ryan, 2008; Ryan & Deci, 2000), the three different types of sexual passion explain the origin of individuals' control in their participation, preoccupation, and connection with sex (Busby et al, 2019; Philippe et al, 2019). For harmonious sexual passion, the origin of individuals' control lies within themselves (i.e., intrinsically controlled; Deci & Ryan, 2008; Philippe et al, 2019).…”

“…The main way obsessive and inhibited sexual passion differ from harmonious sexual passion is that they are extrinsically controlled passions (Busby et al, 2019; Deci & Ryan, 2008; Philippe et al, 2019), meaning that individuals do not choose the norms, values, and scripts of sexuality integrated into their identity, but they are heavily influenced by their environment (Philippe et al, 2019). The difference between obsessive and inhibited sexual passion is where the origin of control over their sexual passion lies.…”

“…The difference between obsessive and inhibited sexual passion is where the origin of control over their sexual passion lies. Individuals with an obsessive sexual passion feel like their passion for sex controls them (Philippe et al, 2019), whereas individuals with an inhibited sexual passion feel their passion for sex is controlled by outside influences (e.g., the fear of being rejected by others or being raised to think of sex as improper; Busby et al, 2019).…”

“…), distinct sexual and relational outcomes (e.g., couple adjustment, sexual satisfaction, extradyadic sex; Busby, Leonhardt, & James, 2020; Philippe et al, 2019), and even differing sexual arousal patterns in women (Leavitt et al, 2019) and men (Busby, Leonhardt, Leavitt, & Hanna‐Walker, 2020). In almost all cases, harmonious sexual passion has been associated with healthier outcomes and behavior (Busby et al, 2019; Busby, Leonhardt, & James, 2020; Philippe et al, 2019), whereas obsessive and inhibited sexual passion have been associated with less healthy outcomes and behavior (Busby et al, 2019; Busby, Leonhardt, & James, 2020; Busby, Leonhardt, Leavitt, & Hanna‐Walker, 2020; Leavitt et al, 2019; Philippe et al, 2019).…”