Researchers define sexting as sending or receiving sexually explicit or sexually suggestive text messages from a mobile device. The study sets out to investigate the role that sexting plays in current relationships based on its negative and positive implications.
Study researchers surveyed a total of 870 people from the U.S. between the ages of 18 and 22. Half the participants were female and 26% said they were single. Researchers asked each participant about their sexting behaviors, including motives, relationships, and sexual satisfaction.
Researchers discovered that 88% of participants had sexted at least once at some point in their lives and 82% of participants had sexted at least once in the past year.
The majority of sexting was associated with committed relationships; 75% of participants reported that they were in a committed relationship when sexting compared to 43% who reported they had sexted as part of a casual relationship.
Sexting was also associated with greater sexual satisfaction along with relationship satisfaction. Participants who sexted the most stated that the practice was fun and considered it a key aspect to the relationship.
Researchers concluded that there appears to be a strong relationship between sexting and relationship satisfaction.
Sources for Today’s Article:
“How Common Is Sexting?” American Psychological Association web site, August 8, 2015; http://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/2015/08/common-sexting.aspx.
McIntosh, J., “Sexting may boost relationship satisfaction, study finds,” Medical News Today web site, August 10, 2015; http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/297865.php.