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Consensual Non-Monogamy (CNM) - Considering Sexual Minorities and Moving Away from a Dyadic Conceptualization
Dora Morar-Bolba1, Rainer Banse1, Terri D Conley2
1Department of Psychology, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany.
Objectives:
Despite the growing interest in consensual non-monogamy (CNM), gaps and inconsistencies remain in this field of research. In the present study, we aimed to replicate and expand upon prior research on differences in relationship outcomes across monogamous and CNM individuals in a German sample.
Method:
Heterosexual and LGBQ individuals in monogamous, open, polyamorous, and swinger relationships (N = 1623) completed online measures of relationship satisfaction and its proposed predictors, sexual satisfaction, and jealousy. One-way ANOVA were conducted to investigate group differences. Hierarchical linear regression analyses were conducted to test the predictors of relationship satisfaction.
Results:
Our findings revealed that relationship satisfaction differed based on relationship type only among LGBQ individuals. Individuals engaging in monogamy were slightly less satisfied than individuals engaging in polyamory. Need fulfillment and effective communication were significant predictors of relationship satisfaction. For heterosexual individuals, sexual satisfaction was lower in the monogamous group than in the CNM groups. Regardless of sexual orientation, the monogamous group reported fewer, but more emotionally troubling instances of jealousy than any of the CNM groups, yet lower levels of jealous cognitions than the open relationship group.
Conclusions:
Our study differs from past studies in that we used a non-hypothetical approach to measuring jealousy and measured relationship concepts at the level of the relationship constellation. These new contributions along with the inclusion of individuals practicing nonhierarchical CNM provide more differentiated insights into the actual experiences of CNM and monogamous individuals.
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