Explicitly Pressing Send: Impact of Sexting on Relationship Satisfaction

What is it about?

This study adds to the understanding of adult sexting behavior with the findings that heterosexual women, unlike nonheterosexual women and men and heterosexual men, report a negative impact to their relationship satisfaction if they receive a sext message and do not send one. However, if they send and receive sext messages, there is no impact to heterosexual women's relationship satisfaction.

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Why is it important?

Counselors can use these findings to help normalize sexting behaviors with their adult clients. It would also be beneficial to explore the controlling images that might be limiting the client in what he/she thinks is expected of him/her based on messages he/she has internalized about what is proper and improper behavior within the context of relationships. Overall, the findings of this study can lead to an enhanced understanding of the role sexting can and possibly does play within developing or maintaining relationship satisfaction.