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Updated: Aug 3, 2026

A Conflict Model of Reward-seeking Behavior in Male Rats
Published on: February 20, 2019
Sexual compliance: gender, motivational, and relationship perspectives
Emily A Impett1, Letitia A Peplau
1Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, Graduate Mail Room, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1563, USA. eimpett@ucla.edu.
Abstract:
This paper provides a systematic review of research on sexual compliance in heterosexual relationships. Three perspectives shed light on which individuals are the most likely to comply with a sexually interested partner's desire for sex and why. A gender perspective highlights the common male-female asymmetry in compliant sexual behavior and identifies factors that contribute to women's greater likelihood of being the sexually compliant partner. A motivational perspective distinguishes between approach and avoidance motives for compliance and considers the possible consequences of these motives for emotional reactions, sexual risk taking, and sexual violence. A relationship maintenance perspective views sexual compliance as illustrative of broader patterns of sacrifice in committed relationships. Each perspective suggests important new directions for empirical research.
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