Satisfaction in male homosexual couples.

Abstract

Little information exists regarding factors in the satisfaction and stability of male homosexual relationships. On the basis of interviews with 14 male couples an open-ended questionnaire was developed concerning gay couples' relationships. This questionnaire and a modified version of the Marital Relationship Inventory, called here the Couples Relationship Inventory (CRI), were administered to 28 couples who described themselves as in a primary, relatively long-term relationship. Couples' descriptions of the successfulness of their relationships in conventional, heterosexual-oriented terms on the CRI were similar to their descriptions on the more homosexual-oriented, open-ended questionnaire. The study is seen as providing a point of departure for future research on gay relationships and the behavior transactions that may differentiate satisfying from unsatisfying relationships.