The mediating role of sexual communication in the relationship between attachment styles and sexual satisfaction among Vietnamese adults
The mediating role of sexual communication in the relationship between attachment styles and sexual satisfaction among Vietnamese adults
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1243/1whxma78Keywords:
Attachment styles, Sexual satisfaction, Sexual communication, Romantic relationships, Vietnamese adultsAbstract
Sexual satisfaction represents a crucial component of romantic relationship quality and adult psychological well-being. This study aimed to examine the mediating role of sexual communication in the relationship between attachment styles and sexual satisfaction. The research sample consisted of 192 Vietnamese adults aged 18 to 40 years (56,3% female, 43,8% male; M = 27,03, SD = 5,26) who were in a current romantic relationship and had engaged in sexual activity during the past month. The measurement instruments included: the Romantic Attachment Scale (combining 8 items measuring secure attachment from the ASQ by Van Oudenhoven et al., 2003, and 12 items measuring insecure attachment from the ECR-12 by Lafontaine et al., 2015); the Sexual Communication Scale (SeCS) by Moazami et al. (2023); and the New Sexual Satisfaction Scale - Short Form (NSSS-S) by Štulhofer et al. (2010). The findings indicated that secure attachment was the most prevalent style, whereas avoidant attachment showed the lowest prevalence. Correlation and mediation analyses confirmed that secure attachment was positively associated with sexual communication and sexual satisfaction, while avoidant attachment was negatively associated. Anxious attachment demonstrated a weak positive correlation with sexual communication and no association with sexual satisfaction. Sexual communication played a significant mediating role in the relationship between secure/avoidant attachment and sexual satisfaction. These findings contribute to the literature on attachment theory, highlighting the importance of open communication in adult intimate relationships, and suggest avenues for future research, particularly within the Vietnamese sociocultural context.
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