Subjective experience of sexual intercourse plays an important role in sexual behavior and satisfaction. These experiences vary across persons, from positive ones like enjoyment to negative ones like guilt and fear. So far these experiences were studied mainly in context of sexual dysfunctions. Aim of this research was to examine personality and relationship correlates of various experiences of sexual intercourse. For this purpose, Goldberg’s IPIP, Experience of Heterosexual Intercourse Scale (EHIS ; Birnbaum et al., 2001), and Relationship Assessment Scale (Hendrick, 1988) were administered to a sample of 194 women (currently in a relationship/marriage). Factor analysis of EHIS yielded eight interpretable factors: Feelings of Mutual Love, Focus on Partner’s Sexual Needs, Desire for Partner’s Involvement, Sexual “Burnout”, Sexual Inadequacy and Guilt, Pleasure, Letting-Go State and Focus on One’s Sexual Needs. Results have shown a variety of relations between personality traits, relationship satisfaction, and factors of sexual intercourse experiences. Hierarchical regression analyses were used, with each of eight factors of sexual experiences as criterion variables and personality traits and relationship satisfaction as predictors. Generally, results show that relationship satisfaction is, compared to personality traits, better in prediction of different components of experiences. Also, agreeableness, conscientiousness, emotional stability, and intellect predict some experiences during sexual intercourse.

Psihologija