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Motivations for Nonuniversity-Based Adults Who Sext Their Relationship Partners
Joseph M Currin1, Randolph D Hubach2
1a Department of Psychological Sciences , Texas Tech University College of Arts and Sciences , Lubbock , Texas , USA.
Journal of Sex & Marital Therapy
|January 15, 2019
Summary
Adults primarily sext to initiate sexual behaviors in relationships. Motivations varied by gender and sexual orientation, with heterosexual men showing higher instrumental/aggressive reasons and sexual-minority men seeking body image reinforcement.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Human Sexuality
- Relationship Science
Background:
- Limited research exists on the motivations behind sexting among adults in relationships.
- Understanding these motivations is crucial for comprehending modern relationship dynamics and sexual communication.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the primary motivations driving adults to engage in sexting with their relationship partners.
- To explore differences in sexting motivations based on gender and sexual orientation.
Main Methods:
- An online questionnaire was administered to 126 participants (71 male).
- The questionnaire assessed participants' motivations for sexting their current partner(s).
- A multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) was employed to analyze the data.
Main Results:
- The predominant motivation for sexting across all groups was to initiate sexual behaviors.
- Heterosexual men reported significantly higher motivations related to instrumental or aggressive reasons.
- Sexual-minority men showed significantly higher motivations for body image reinforcement.
Conclusions:
- Sexting is primarily used as a tool to initiate sexual activity within relationships.
- Specific motivations for sexting differ between heterosexual men and sexual-minority men.
- Sexting holds potential as an intervention to enhance sexual intimacy in romantic relationships.
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