New study examines link between sexting behavior, relationship satisfaction among married couples

Married couples do report sexting, but it is much less common than in young adult relationships and consists more of intimate talk with their partners than sending nude or nearly nude photos via mobile phones, according to a new study published in Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking, a peer-reviewed journal from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers. The article is available free on the Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking website until November 28, 2015.

"Sexting Among Married Couples: Who is Doing It, and Are They More Satisfied?" further examines the link between sexting behavior and relationship satisfaction or ambivalence. Coauthors Brandon McDaniel, The Pennsylvania State University, College Park, and Michelle Drouin, Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne, report specific differences between sending sexy messages versus sexually explicit pictures and relationship quality for men compared to women with high/low levels of attachment anxiety or avoidance.

"Research in the past has suggested that sexting might be a useful therapeutic approach to increase intimacy in couples reporting for counseling. The current study, however, seems to indicate that sexting may still be seen as something used by those feeling less secure in their relationships. Clearly more research is called for," says Editor-in-Chief Brenda K. Wiederhold, PhD, MBA, BCB, BCN, Interactive Media Institute, San Diego, California and Virtual Reality Medical Institute, Brussels, Belgium.