Gratitude and sexual satisfaction: Benefits of gratitude for couples and insecure attachment

Abstract

People with insecure attachment tend to experience more relationship-related issues, including lower sexual satisfaction. Although gratitude is a powerful emotion that can be used to boost and maintain relationship quality, it is unclear whether gratitude can help sustain sexual satisfaction in relationships. The current research tested whether expressed and perceived expressions of gratitude promote daily sexual satisfaction, as well as whether they can attenuate the negative effects of attachment insecurity (i.e., anxiety and avoidance) on sexual satisfaction in three 21-day dyadic daily experience studies (Study 1: n = 101 couples; Study 2: n = 121 couples; Study 3: n = 118 couples). Results indicated that expressed and perceived gratitude were associated with higher sexual satisfaction (though the association was no longer significant when accounting for relationship satisfaction). Additionally, in Studies 1 and 3, gratitude buffered the negative association between attachment anxiety and sexual satisfaction. These studies provide preliminary support for the role of gratitude in shaping sexual satisfaction, particularly for people higher in attachment anxiety. Future research should determine the specific conditions under which gratitude promotes satisfying sexual relationships for insecurely attached individuals.