Abstract
Recently, the issue of diurnal preferences has been increasingly studied within the context of romantic relationships and sexual functioning. In the present paper we apply a dyadic design to investigate the role of romantic partners' diurnal preferences in determining a variety of relationship outcomes. A sample of 91 heterosexual couples completed a set of questionnaires measuring relationship satisfaction, sexual satisfaction, and morningness-eveningness, and answered questions regarding their actual and preferred time for sexual activity. Conducted analyses revealed that similarity in chronotype between partners and female morningness fostered relationship satisfaction in females, but not in males. Furthermore, morningness-eveningness was associated with preferred time for sex in males, but not in females, who in principle preferred evening hours. Although actual time for sex was up to the female preference, sexual satisfaction in both genders was associated with lower discrepancy in their preferred time for sex and greater frequency of intercourse. In sum, these results indicate that chronotype and time for sex are important factors affecting sexual and relationships satisfaction in heterosexual couples.
Highlights
In the present study we analyze chronotype in context of the satisfaction with functioning in romantic relationships
Partners were quite consistent in their assessments of satisfaction: the between-partner correlations amounted to r = 0.66, p < 0.01, for sexual satisfaction, and r = 0.51, p < 0.01, for general relationship satisfaction
In the present study we attempted to investigate the role of romantic partners’ diurnal preferences in determining a variety of relationship outcomes using dyadic design, where a couple remains a unit of analyses
Summary
In the present study we analyze chronotype in context of the satisfaction with functioning in romantic relationships. First we overview the research areas relevant to the study topics; we specify study aims. Morningness-eveningness, termed chronotype, remains a central dimension of individual differences in the area of biological and psychological circadian rhythms. It is usually treated as a continuous dimension reflecting interindividual variation in diurnal preferences (Natale and Cicogna, 2002). Individuals located on the extremes of this continuum are labeled Morning-types and Evening-types (M-types and E-types), or, more colloquially, larks and owls. Most people remain in-between; such individuals are labeled Neither-types (N-types; see Adan et al, 2012). Age and gender are related to chronotype.
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