People are usually able to accurately judge when their partner is interested in sex—and even why. But achieving greater sexual satisfaction still depends on this.
So, if you want the sexual encounter to be as satisfying for your partner as it is for you, you’ll want to make sure they’re doing it for approach motives. But since lovers rarely talk about their reasons for having sex, it’s up to each of them to intuit their partner’s motives.
The results showed that people are pretty accurate at perceiving their partner’s sexual goals. Unlike prior research, however, perceptual accuracy wasn’t related to either relationship quality or sexual satisfaction in this case. The findings from studies such as this by Elsaadawy and colleagues remind us of the importance of open communication in intimate relationships. In our culture, sex is often a taboo topic of conversation, even between sex partners. Rather, we expect our partner to intuit our feelings and intentions.