In the dynamics of men and women, it’s always men who are hormonally driven and women who want to cuddle and kiss tenderly… or is it?
New research from The Kinsey Institute has found that touching and cuddling are more important to men than women. The research surveyed more than 1000 couples from five countries. The study sought to find out the factors for both relationship and sexual satisfaction in long-term relationships.
One of the most major results was that more men reported being happy in their relationships as opposed women, who were more sexually satisfied. Women were also found to be more satisfied the longer the relationship.
Touch and affection was an important factor for both men and women. Yet, men were the ones found to need touch and affection to remain happy in a relationship. This is probably a reason why long-distance relationships usually don’t work out.
“This study makes it clear our assumptions aren’t always borne out by research,” said Jennifer Bass, director of communications at The Kinsey Institute.
While men and women had slightly different views on what made them happy in their relationships, both genders found that they were happier the longer they were involved. Most respondents also said that both touch and affection were important for a lasting relationship.
“Touch from a person you love and trust is a major emotional resource and a way that people can regulate their emotions when they are upset,” said Aline Zoldbrod, a psychologist in Lexington, Mass. “Couples who use touch to comfort, to compliment, and yes, to seduce and arouse, are bound to be happier.”
Later Years Very Different for Men and Women
“Prior research has shown that as people age, men focus more on general relationship satisfaction and women … increasingly value the sexual aspects of the relationship,” Susan Heitler, a couples psychologist in Dever and one of the founders of online counseling resource Power of Two.
The reason for this may be biological. Men tend to hit their sexual drive peak in their late teens while women hit their peak in their early 30s. This is due to lower testosterone levels as men age.
Differences in culture may also contribute to have impact on the findings of the study: Japanese men were reported being more sexually satisfied than American men, and Japanese and Brazilian women were found to be more sexually satisfied than American women.
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