Applying Sexual Scripts Theory to Sexual Communication Discrepancies

Sexual communication discrepancies (SCD) are associated with numerous sexual outcomes (e.g., sexual satisfaction and intimacy), with past findings suggesting that these benefits increase as SCD scores increase. However, sexual scripts theory suggests that individuals develop their own gendered scripts, with females and males experiencing sexual communication differently. Therefore, this study examined the association between SCD and sexual satisfaction. The results of a cross-sectional survey of individuals in sexually active romantic relationships (N = 496) revealed a significant curvilinear relationship between SCD and sexual satisfaction within the sexual issues factor of SCD among male participants. The implications of this study are discussed in the context of sexual communication research and clinical settings.