The Interplay of Partners’ Dyadic Empathic Abilities and Their Associations with Sexual Satisfaction and Desire in Young Adult Couples

Past studies highlight the significant associations between dyadic empathy and a range of relationship outcomes, with recent research suggesting that higher levels of dyadic empathy are linked to greater sexual satisfaction and desire. However, studies focusing on couples rather than individuals remain scarce, and the interaction between both partners' dyadic empathic abilities in association with sexual outcomes has yet to be explored. This study used a dyadic design with an inclusive sample of 190 young adult couples to investigate (1) both partners' dyadic empathy and (2) their interaction in association with sexual satisfaction and dyadic sexual desire. Dyadic empathy, sexual satisfaction and dyadic sexual desire were assessed via self-report questionnaires. Results indicated that individuals' higher levels of dyadic empathy were associated with their own greater sexual satisfaction and dyadic sexual desire, as well as with their partner's greater sexual satisfaction. However, dyadic empathy was not significantly associated with partners' dyadic sexual desire. No significant interaction effects were found between partners' dyadic empathy. Sensitivity analyses using the perspective-taking subscale yielded a comparable pattern of findings for sexual satisfaction, but not for dyadic sexual desire.