Self and self-with-other schemata, sexual communication, and relationship satisfaction in heterosexual and gay men

The effects of self and self-with-other schemata (internalized homonegativity and attachment style) and sexual communication upon relationship satisfaction in partnered men were studied. Cross-sectional data from 172 heterosexual and 133 gay men in the United Kingdom (UK) and Germany, analyzed using hierarchical multiple regression, showed that sexual communication was positively associated with relationship satisfaction and that, in gay men, internalized homonegativity was negatively associated with relationship satisfaction, while controlling for the effects of country. Anxious attachment ceased to be a significant predictor of relationship satisfaction and the effect of internalized homonegativity decreased when sexual communication was entered in the model. Additionally, the relationship between sexual communication and relationship satisfaction was moderated by country, being stronger in the UK sample. Therapeutic and psychoeducational approaches to enhancing relationship satisfaction should enhance communication behaviors and negative self-schemata, such as internalized stigma.