Implicit sexual beliefs and relational thriving in new romantic relationships facing imagined sexual dysfunction: The mediating role of sexual communal strength

Guided by implicit theories of relationships and sexual satisfaction and the theory of resilience and relational load (TRRL), our study investigated the mediating role of sexual communal strength on associations between implicit beliefs regarding sexual compatibility and relational thriving in new romantic couples (≤ 6 months duration) facing a hypothetical scenario of sexual dysfunction (i.e., vulvovaginal pain or erectile dysfunction). Participants in new romantic relationships ( N = 461) completed an experimental survey in which they imagined their partner was experiencing sexual dysfunction. We explored indirect associations among implicit beliefs about sexual compatibility, specifically sexual growth (i.e., sexual [in]compatibility requires work) and sexual destiny (i.e., sexual [in]compatibility as being reflective of a [poor] romantic match) beliefs, and couples’ anticipated relational thriving, mediated by sexual communal strength. Our hypothesized model was tested via structural equation modeling in SPSS AMOS 29. The findings indicated that sexual growth beliefs, but not sexual destiny beliefs, were indirectly associated with anticipated relational thriving through sexual communal strength. Specifically, sexual growth beliefs were positively associated with sexual communal strength, which in turn was associated with and greater anticipated relational thriving. Although the indirect effect for sexual destiny beliefs was not significant, sexual destiny beliefs were significantly associated with less anticipated relational thriving. We extend theorizing about implicit (sexual) beliefs by examining a new relational context—relationship initiation—as well as offer practical implications for partnerships experiencing sexual dysfunction.