Individuals can perceive if their sexual partner is really satisfied or faking it, according to the findings of a new study.
The next time you plan on faking it in bed, think twice! It may rub your sexual partner the wrong way. According to the findings of a new study, men and women can perceive their partners' levels of sexual satisfaction.
"We found that, on average, both men and women have fairly accurate and unbiased perceptions of their partners' sexual satisfaction," said Erin Fallis, the study's lead author, in a press release. "We also found that having good communication about sexual issues helped participants to understand their partners' sexual satisfaction. However, even if sexual communication was lacking, a person could still be fairly accurate in gauging his or her partner's sexual satisfaction if he or she was able to read emotions well."
Data including levels of commitment, relationship satisfaction, sexual satisfaction, sexual communication and emotion recognition abilities were collected from 84 couples that were part of a bigger study. Researchers separated the partners during data collection.
Researchers found that after a certain time, couples in sexual relationships develop what psychologists call a "sexual script." It acts like a guide for their sexual activity.
"Over time, a couple will develop sexual routines," said Fallis. "We believe that having the ability to accurately gauge each other's sexual satisfaction will help partners to develop sexual scripts that they both enjoy. Specifically, being able to tell if their partners are sexually satisfied will help people decide whether to stick with a current routine or try something new."
The findings of this new study debunk popular assumptions that people in a relationship have difficulty communicating with and understanding one another.
"Many people felt they didn't need to discuss these things specifically as their partner 'knew how they felt', reflecting some aspects of this research," relationship expert Dr Pam Spurr told Daily Mail. "This may be the case and can be very positive . . . however, it's important that partners don't turn into "mind readers" who get it wrong."
Researchers plan to conduct further studies to understand the impact of this accurate perception on the couple's relationship. Fallis speculates that the impact will be positive but can't confirm anything until they test this idea.
The study was published in the journal Archives of Sexual Behavior this month.