Interpersonal communication and sexual adjustment: The roles of understanding and agreement.

The influence of interpersonal communication on sexual adjustment in cohabiting heterosexual couples was investigated. Male and female partners from 76 heterosexual couples independently completed measures of their own and their partners' sexual preferences, as well as measures of sexual and general relationship adjustment, sexual difficulties, marital role preferences, depression, and social desirability. Results indicated that sexual satisfaction in both partners was associated with men's understanding of their partner's preferences and agreement between their preferences. The influential role of men's understanding was supported by hierarchical regression, convergent and discriminant evidence, and multiple regression models that accounted for 51% and 63% of variance in men's and women's sexual satisfaction. General relationship adjustment of both partners was associated with women's understanding of men's marital role preferences. An explanation of understanding's function is proposed, accounting for gender differences within and across sexual and general realms of relating.