No point to 'faking it,' a sexual partner knows if a partner is satisfied

WATERLOO, Ontario, April 10 (UPI) -- Men and women are equally perceptive of their partners' levels of sexual satisfaction and develop what psychologists call a "sexual script," which forms guidelines for their sexual activity.

Erin Fallis, a Ph.D. candidate, and Uzma S. Rehman and Christine Purdon, professors at the University of Waterloo in Ontario, said the findings challenge the common stereotype that women and men have difficulty communicating with and understanding one another.

The study involved 84 couples, who were part of a larger study on sexual functioning. They were asked to report on their levels of commitment, relationship satisfaction, sexual satisfaction, sexual communication and emotion recognition abilities.

"Over time, a couple will develop sexual routines," Fallis said in a statement. "We believe that having the ability to accurately gauge each other's sexual satisfaction will help partners to develop sexual scripts that they both enjoy. Specifically, being able to tell if their partners are sexually satisfied will help people decide whether to stick with a current routine or try something new."

The study was published in the journal Archives of Sexual Behavior.

[University of Waterloo]