Testing the Communication During Sexual Activity Model: An Examination of the Associations among Personality Characteristics, Sexual Communication, and Sexual and Relationship Satisfaction

Preliminary evidence suggests that communication during and after sexual activity is linked to positive sexual and relational assessments, but the process of communication during sexual activity (i.e., predictors and outcomes of such behavior) has yet to be explicated. As such, the current study puts forth the Communication During Sexual Activity model, which posits that one’s propensity for affectionate communication, sexual self-esteem, and sexual assertiveness predict verbal communication during sexual activity, which in turn is associated with sexual and relationship satisfaction. Within a sample of emerging adults, structural equation modeling revealed that sexual self-esteem and trait affection were positively associated with communication during sexual activity. However, sexual assertiveness did not significantly predict communication during sexual activity. Communication during sexual activity was also positively associated with sexual satisfaction, and indirectly associated with relationship satisfaction through sexual satisfaction. The implications of the findings for future sexual communication research and interventions are addressed.