Countering the monogamy-superiority myth : A meta-analysis of the differences in relationship satisfaction and sexual satisfaction as a function of relationship orientation
Journal article
Anderson, Joel R., Hinton, Jordan D. X., Bondarchuk-McLaughlin, Alena, Rosa, Scarlet, Tan, Kian Jin and Moor, Lily. (2025). Countering the monogamy-superiority myth : A meta-analysis of the differences in relationship satisfaction and sexual satisfaction as a function of relationship orientation. The Journal of Sex Research. pp. 1-13. https://doi.org/10.1080/00224499.2025.2462988
Authors | Anderson, Joel R., Hinton, Jordan D. X., Bondarchuk-McLaughlin, Alena, Rosa, Scarlet, Tan, Kian Jin and Moor, Lily |
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Abstract | Relationship satisfaction and sexual satisfaction are key predictors of wellbeing and can substantially contribute to quality of life. Assumptions are often made that relationship and sexual satisfaction are heightened for those in monogamous relationship configurations. This meta-analytic review challenges such assumptions by comparing the degree of relationship and sexual satisfaction of monogamous and non-monogamous individuals. A literature search using PsycINFO, PsycARTICLES, PsycEXTRA, CINAHL, LGBT+ Source, and SOCIndex, and an additional call for unpublished data, identified 35 suitable studies (N = 24,489). Meta-analytic results show null effects overall, suggesting that both relationships (k = 29; g = -0.05, 95% CIs [−0.20, 0.10], p = .496) and sex (k = 17; g = 0.06, 95% CIs [−0.07, 0.18], p = .393) are equally satisfactory for monogamous and non-monogamous individuals. Sub-group analyses revealed that these overall effects did not vary according to sampling characteristics (e.g. LGBTQ+ vs. heterosexual samples), non-monogamy agreement types (e.g. open vs. polyamorous vs. monogamish), or relationship satisfaction dimension (e.g. trust vs. commitment vs. intimacy). There was no evidence of publication bias. Methodological challenges and directions for future research are discussed. |
Year | 2025 |
Journal | The Journal of Sex Research |
Journal citation | pp. 1-13 |
Publisher | Routledge |
ISSN | 1559-8519 |
Digital Object Identifier (DOI) | https://doi.org/10.1080/00224499.2025.2462988 |
PubMed ID | 40126203 |
Scopus EID | 2-s2.0-105001393446 |
Open access | Published as ‘gold’ (paid) open access |
Page range | 1-13 |
Funder | Australian Research Council (ARC) |
Publisher's version | License File Access Level Open |
Output status | In press |
Publication dates | |
Online | 24 Mar 2025 |
Publication process dates | |
Deposited | 11 Jun 2025 |
ARC Funded Research | This output has been funded, wholly or partially, under the Australian Research Council Act 2001 |
Grant ID | DE230101636 |
Additional information | © 2025 The Author(s). Published with license by Taylor & Francis Group, LLC. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/), which permits non-commercial re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited, and is not altered, transformed, or built upon in any way. The terms on which this article has been published allow the posting of the Accepted Manuscript in a repository by the author(s) or with their consent. |
https://acuresearchbank.acu.edu.au/item/91yx4/countering-the-monogamy-superiority-myth-a-meta-analysis-of-the-differences-in-relationship-satisfaction-and-sexual-satisfaction-as-a-function-of-relationship-orientation
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Publisher's version
OA_Anderson_2025_Countering_the_monogamy_superiority_myth_A.pdf | |
License: CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 | |
File access level: Open |
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