The role of implicit sexual desire in romantic relationships

Abstract People might not be able or willing to accurately report how much they sexually desire their romantic partners due to concerns over the well-being of one's relationship or impression management. This research assessed the predictive validity of a sexual desire implicit association task. First, a pilot study determined the psychometrically optimal length for the task. Study 1, using a dyadic weekly diary method, found that people with higher implicit desire experienced more intimacy during sex, were more responsive to their partner during sex, and perceived that their partners felt more desire, arousal, and intimacy during sex. In Study 2, higher implicit desire predicted quicker attentional disengagement from attractive alternatives for women; however, among men, higher implicit desire predicted slower attentional disengagement from attractive alternatives. Implications for understanding sexual desire in romantic relationships are discussed.