Sexual rejection may hurt, but certain ways of communicating rejection can help it to hurt less and preserve couple satisfaction.
Dobson and colleagues found, in three studies, that hostile or critical sexual rejections elicited negative responses like resentment in the rejected partner. Conversely, reassuring and warm rejections that expressed an interest in sex at a future time elicited more positive and understanding responses and sustained the rejected partner’s sexual interest. These findings suggest that couples might communicate sexual rejection in ways that help to maintain their couple bond.
PhD
Contractually Limited Appointment, Social Psychology
Assistant Professor
Areas of interest: Romantic relationships, Sexuality, Relationship maintenance
Dobson, K., Kim, J., Muise, A., Harasymchuk, C., & Impett, E. A. (2025). Buffering the sting of sexual rejection to promote relationship connection. The Journal of Sex Research, 1–13.