View in EDS

Spicing it up: A qualitative analysis of discussions of sexual novelty in mixed-gender couples.

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Title: Spicing it up: A qualitative analysis of discussions of sexual novelty in mixed-gender couples.
Authors: Beninteso, Maya (AUTHOR), Pieruccini, Michael V. (AUTHOR), Rigby, Richard A. (AUTHOR), Cobb, Rebecca J. (AUTHOR)
Source: Canadian Journal of Human Sexuality. Dec2025, Vol. 34 Issue 3, p456-469. 14p.
Subjects: Female reproductive organ diseases, Marriage, Research funding, Qualitative research, T-test (Statistics), Spouses, Human sexuality, Sexual excitement, Attitudes toward sex, Descriptive statistics, Chi-squared test, Sexual desire disorders, Discussion, Sexual positions, Motivation (Psychology), Longitudinal method, Reflexivity, Thematic analysis, Male reproductive organ diseases, Sexual dysfunction, Interpersonal relations, Data analysis software, Video recording, Self-perception, Sexual health
Abstract: Sexual novelty, such as new sexual behaviour or experiences, is associated with sexual satisfaction and may buffer declines in sexual activity, sexual desire, and relationship satisfaction over time in committed relationships. The authors sought to understand how couples talk about sexual novelty in their relationships and interpreted themes within a self-expansion framework. Using reflexive thematic analysis, they qualitatively analyzed 28 mixed-gender (i.e., male–female pair) couples' conversations about a sexual problem in which they discussed novelty in their sexual relationship. They developed three themes related to motivation, barriers to engage in sexual novelty, and couples' perceptions of how sexual novelty had changed over time in their relationship. Motivations to implement sexual novelty included adding spice to maintain an already satisfying sexual relationship or to enhance satisfaction. Couples also considered novelty to manage sexual problems, such as a lack of orgasm or low desire. Couples may have been motivated to engage in sexual novelty because it is a self-expanding experience, which could benefit the sexual relationship. Although couples had positive views about sexual novelty, they also identified barriers to discussing novelty, such as uncertainty about partner interest, or implementing novelty because of the stress and effort it involved. Couples also talked about how their pursuit of sexual novelty had waxed and waned with time and how they might integrate novelty in their sex lives in the future, especially as an antidote to normal declines in sexual satisfaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Copyright of Canadian Journal of Human Sexuality is the property of University of Toronto Press and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
Database: Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection
FullText Text:
  Availability: 0
Header DbId: pbh
DbLabel: Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection
An: 190389443
AccessLevel: 6
PubType: Academic Journal
PubTypeId: academicJournal
PreciseRelevancyScore: 0
IllustrationInfo
Items – Name: Title
  Label: Title
  Group: Ti
  Data: Spicing it up: A qualitative analysis of discussions of sexual novelty in mixed-gender couples.
– Name: Author
  Label: Authors
  Group: Au
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Beninteso%2C+Maya%22">Beninteso, Maya</searchLink> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Pieruccini%2C+Michael+V%2E%22">Pieruccini, Michael V.</searchLink> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Rigby%2C+Richard+A%2E%22">Rigby, Richard A.</searchLink> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Cobb%2C+Rebecca+J%2E%22">Cobb, Rebecca J.</searchLink> (AUTHOR)
– Name: TitleSource
  Label: Source
  Group: Src
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="JN" term="%22Canadian+Journal+of+Human+Sexuality%22">Canadian Journal of Human Sexuality</searchLink>. Dec2025, Vol. 34 Issue 3, p456-469. 14p.
– Name: Subject
  Label: Subjects
  Group: Su
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Female+reproductive+organ+diseases%22">Female reproductive organ diseases</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Marriage%22">Marriage</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Research+funding%22">Research funding</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Qualitative+research%22">Qualitative research</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22T-test+%28Statistics%29%22">T-test (Statistics)</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Spouses%22">Spouses</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Human+sexuality%22">Human sexuality</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Sexual+excitement%22">Sexual excitement</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Attitudes+toward+sex%22">Attitudes toward sex</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Descriptive+statistics%22">Descriptive statistics</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Chi-squared+test%22">Chi-squared test</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Sexual+desire+disorders%22">Sexual desire disorders</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Discussion%22">Discussion</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Sexual+positions%22">Sexual positions</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Motivation+%28Psychology%29%22">Motivation (Psychology)</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Longitudinal+method%22">Longitudinal method</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Reflexivity%22">Reflexivity</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Thematic+analysis%22">Thematic analysis</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Male+reproductive+organ+diseases%22">Male reproductive organ diseases</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Sexual+dysfunction%22">Sexual dysfunction</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Interpersonal+relations%22">Interpersonal relations</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Data+analysis+software%22">Data analysis software</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Video+recording%22">Video recording</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Self-perception%22">Self-perception</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Sexual+health%22">Sexual health</searchLink>
– Name: Abstract
  Label: Abstract
  Group: Ab
  Data: Sexual novelty, such as new sexual behaviour or experiences, is associated with sexual satisfaction and may buffer declines in sexual activity, sexual desire, and relationship satisfaction over time in committed relationships. The authors sought to understand how couples talk about sexual novelty in their relationships and interpreted themes within a self-expansion framework. Using reflexive thematic analysis, they qualitatively analyzed 28 mixed-gender (i.e., male–female pair) couples' conversations about a sexual problem in which they discussed novelty in their sexual relationship. They developed three themes related to motivation, barriers to engage in sexual novelty, and couples' perceptions of how sexual novelty had changed over time in their relationship. Motivations to implement sexual novelty included adding spice to maintain an already satisfying sexual relationship or to enhance satisfaction. Couples also considered novelty to manage sexual problems, such as a lack of orgasm or low desire. Couples may have been motivated to engage in sexual novelty because it is a self-expanding experience, which could benefit the sexual relationship. Although couples had positive views about sexual novelty, they also identified barriers to discussing novelty, such as uncertainty about partner interest, or implementing novelty because of the stress and effort it involved. Couples also talked about how their pursuit of sexual novelty had waxed and waned with time and how they might integrate novelty in their sex lives in the future, especially as an antidote to normal declines in sexual satisfaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
– Name: AbstractSuppliedCopyright
  Label:
  Group: Ab
  Data: <i>Copyright of Canadian Journal of Human Sexuality is the property of University of Toronto Press and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract.</i> (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
PLink https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=pbh&AN=190389443
RecordInfo BibRecord:
  BibEntity:
    Identifiers:
      – Type: doi
        Value: 10.3138/cjhs-2025-0030
    Languages:
      – Code: eng
        Text: English
    PhysicalDescription:
      Pagination:
        PageCount: 14
        StartPage: 456
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: Female reproductive organ diseases
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Marriage
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Research funding
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Qualitative research
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: T-test (Statistics)
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Spouses
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Human sexuality
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Sexual excitement
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Attitudes toward sex
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Descriptive statistics
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Chi-squared test
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Sexual desire disorders
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Discussion
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Sexual positions
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Motivation (Psychology)
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Longitudinal method
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Reflexivity
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Thematic analysis
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Male reproductive organ diseases
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Sexual dysfunction
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Interpersonal relations
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Data analysis software
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Video recording
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Self-perception
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Sexual health
        Type: general
    Titles:
      – TitleFull: Spicing it up: A qualitative analysis of discussions of sexual novelty in mixed-gender couples.
        Type: main
  BibRelationships:
    HasContributorRelationships:
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Beninteso, Maya
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Pieruccini, Michael V.
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Rigby, Richard A.
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Cobb, Rebecca J.
    IsPartOfRelationships:
      – BibEntity:
          Dates:
            – D: 01
              M: 12
              Text: Dec2025
              Type: published
              Y: 2025
          Identifiers:
            – Type: issn-print
              Value: 11884517
          Numbering:
            – Type: volume
              Value: 34
            – Type: issue
              Value: 3
          Titles:
            – TitleFull: Canadian Journal of Human Sexuality
              Type: main
ResultId 1