Week 10 Reading

These flashcards cover key vocabulary related to the relationship between sexual frequency and well-being, as discussed in the lecture notes.

Curvilinear Association

A relationship between two variables that is not linear, sexual frequency and well-being are related up to a point, after which increased sexual frequency does not lead to higher well-being

Fully Mediated

A variable that completely accounts for the relationship between two other variables, sex frequency improves well-being because it boost relationship quality

Study 1 - General Social Survey

Large nationally representative USA sample (N~25,000), tested linear vs curvilinear associated with sexual frequency and well-bring

Found: Both + and - curvilinear component - meaning well-being increases with sex frequency but levels off after once per week

Study 2 - Couples-Only Subsample

Only people in relationships, replicated curvilinear finding by relationship satisfaction (fully mediated), only relationships satisfaction included, neither linear or curvilinear frequency effect remained significant

Study 3 - Replication of Study

Pre-registered replication with different couple sample , confirmed curvilinear pattern an mediation by relationships satisfaction, effect robust across age, gender, and relationship length

Having Sex Once a Week or Less

Strong positive linear relationships between frequency & both life-satisfaction and relationship satisfaction

Having Sex More Than Once a Week

No significant additional benefit to well-being or relationship satisfaction

Effects on the Plateau

Once a week is average, being pressured into more sex than average takes the fun out of it, may reflect diminishing marginal returned from an activity that is already positive

Limitations

Correlational so cannot established causality, sex frequency was self-report and retrospective