Abstract

The present study investigated the relationship between intimacy and marital satisfaction, as well as between intimacy and sexuality. Participants were 30 couples, with a mean age of 49. Participants had been involved in a romantic relationship for an average of 20 years. Couples were asked to complete a variety of questionnaires on intimacy, marital, and sexual functioning. Results indicated no sex differences in levels of overall intimacy, or in levels of sexual satisfaction, however the men were experiencing more sexual problems than the women. For men, sexual and emotional intimacy predicted marital satisfaction, whereas for women, recreational and emotional intimacy were the significant predictors. High discrepancies between perceived and desired levels of intimacy were not related to lower marital satisfaction. Few dimensions of intimacy were related to sexual satisfaction and functioning. The finding that different types of intimacy are important to marital satisfaction for men and women has implications for the areas of focus in marital therapy. The finding that large discrepancies between perceived and desired intimacy levels did not decrease marital satisfaction suggests that individuals find ways to compensate for a lack of intimacy in their relationship. Other implications of the present findings, as well as how they relate to past research and theory, are discussed.