Associations of Intimacy, Partner Responsiveness, and Attachment-Related Emotional Needs With Sexual Desire

Jacques J D M van Lankveld; Marieke Dewitte; Peter Verboon; Susan A H van Hooren

doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2021.665967

Associations of Intimacy, Partner Responsiveness, and Attachment-Related Emotional Needs With Sexual Desire

Front Psychol. 2021 Jun 21:12:665967. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.665967. eCollection 2021.

Authors

Jacques J D M van Lankveld¹, Marieke Dewitte², Peter Verboon¹, Susan A H van Hooren¹

Affiliations

¹ Faculty of Psychology, Open University of the Netherlands, Heerlen, Netherlands.
² Clinical Psychological Science, Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands.

Abstract

In this online cross-sectional survey study in a large community sample we investigated the associations between attachment-related relational needs, partner responsiveness, intimacy, and sexual desire, using structural equation modeling. Participants were heterosexual and non-heterosexual women and men. Intimacy and partner responsiveness correlated positively with sexual desire in all subsamples. Anxious attachment-related relational needs correlated positively with sexual desire. Avoidant attachment-related relational needs correlated negatively with sexual desire. Anxious and avoidant attachment-related needs, however, did not moderate the association between intimacy and sexual desire. Individuals with problems of low sexual desire may benefit from an emphasis in sex therapy on ways to increase (perceptions of) intimacy.

Keywords: anxious adult attachment; attachment-related emotional needs; avoidant adult attachment; intimacy; partner responsiveness; sexual desire.