Determining the Factors of Intimate Relationship Satisfaction: Interpersonal Communication, Sexual Communication, and Communication Affect

Several theories of intimate relationship satisfaction have been proposed to explain which relationship processes truly provide for a happy relationship. The literature suggests three main variables as central to relationship satisfaction: interpersonal communication, sexual communication, and communication affect. Each factor has been shown to relate to relationship satisfaction, but they have not been directly compared with each other in a single sample, nor have they been tested on young, exclusive dating relationships. Questionnaires derived from these three approaches were given to 40 college students in exclusive intimate relationships, and were correlated with scores on the Dyadic Adjustment Scale, a well validated inventory assessing overall relationship adjustment and satisfaction. Relationship communication skills proved to be the most reliable predictor of concurrent relationship satisfaction. Implications for this finding are discussed.