Associations of Conflict Frequency and Sexual Satisfaction With Weekly Relationship Satisfaction in Iranian Couples

Distressed couples report more conflicts, less sexual satisfaction, and lower relationship quality. The literature also suggests that frequent conflict is related to lower sexual satisfaction. While evidence for these associations has started to accumulate in recent years, the evidence is largely limited to Western samples. The present study aims at corroborating these findings based on a sample of couples from Iran. Based on prior findings, we hypothesized a mediation model, examining whether the association of conflict frequency with relationship satisfaction is mediated by declines in sexual satisfaction. Alternatively, we tested a model in which conflict frequency mediated the effects of sexual satisfaction on relationship satisfaction. We tested these models based on data from 179 Iranian couples. Both partners provided weekly reports on their relational experiences for 6 weeks. The results supported the alternative model with conflict frequency mediating a positive association between weekly sexual satisfaction and change in relationship satisfaction. These findings extend existing evidence for interconnections of conflict and sexual life from Western samples to a sample of non-Western couples in a predominantly Muslim society.