A new study published in the Journal of Sex & Marital Therapy has identified three distinct profiles of individuals in sex therapy based on their sexual power dynamics and beliefs about gender roles. The research found that people who hold more egalitarian views and have flexible sexual preferences report greater relationship satisfaction and lower levels of avoidant attachment, while those with conflicting views about gender roles tend to experience more relationship strain.
The study aimed to better understand how people’s sexual interests—particularly those related to dominance, submission, and emotional connection—and their beliefs about traditional gender roles shape their experiences in relationships. Despite widespread interest in these topics, little research has explored how they combine to form distinct psychological profiles, especially among people seeking sex therapy. This study helps fill that gap by examining how these factors influence attachment, sexual satisfaction, and relationship dynamics.
Sexual power dynamics refer to the ways people relate to one another during sexual activity, including interests in taking control (dominance), giving up control (submission), or focusing on mutual emotional connection (tender sex). These dynamics are often influenced by gender role beliefs—ideas about how people should behave based on their gender. Historically, interest in dominance or submission has sometimes been viewed as a sign of psychological dysfunction, but more recent research suggests that these interests can also be part of healthy sexual expression, depending on the relationship context.
The researchers were particularly interested in how sexual power preferences intersect with attitudes toward gender roles. Some individuals believe that social and relational roles should be determined by gender—for example, that men should lead and women should follow—while others take a more egalitarian approach, rejecting the idea that roles should be gendered. Sexual script theory, which suggests that cultural norms shape people’s expectations for sexual and romantic behavior, provided the guiding framework for the study.
“Sexual power dynamics are the focal point in my thesis, where this article is part of my doctoral thesis in sexology,” said study author Roxanne Bolduc, an assistant professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Neuroscience at Université Laval, sexologist, and psychotherapist.
“I was inspired to look into power dynamics within romantic relationships and wanted to explore how they operate outside of BDSM contexts. During my internship in sex therapy, I heard clients reference dynamics like dominance, submission, and tender sex, but most did not identify as BDSM practitioners. That led me to focus more broadly on these interests outside of specific subcultures.
“I wanted to study whether participants’ interests clustered into distinct profiles. Also, when looking at power dynamics, there are many preconceptions about gender and roles in sex, so I wanted to examine this component to get a clearer picture.”
To investigate these ideas, the researchers conducted a latent profile analysis using data from 325 adults currently in sex therapy. The majority of participants were women (62.5%), with men comprising about one-third of the sample. Most identified as cisgender and were in romantic relationships. Participants completed questionnaires assessing their interest in sexual dominance, submission, and tender sex, as well as their agreement with both traditional and egalitarian gender role beliefs. They also completed measures of attachment style, relationship satisfaction, and sexual satisfaction.
The analysis revealed three distinct profiles. The first and smallest group, labeled “Dominant stereotypical thinkers,” represented just 3.7% of the sample. People in this group showed the highest interest in sexual dominance and held relatively strong beliefs in both traditional and egalitarian gender roles, suggesting a somewhat contradictory perspective. Most individuals in this profile were men.
The second group, called “Tender conflicted traditionalists,” made up 15.4% of the sample. These individuals scored highest in preference for tender sex and strongly endorsed traditional gender roles, while also expressing moderate agreement with egalitarian views. This internal conflict may reflect difficulty reconciling older values with more modern perspectives. Compared to the other groups, members of this profile were older, had higher levels of avoidant attachment, and reported the lowest relationship satisfaction.
The largest group, accounting for 80.9% of participants, was labeled “Flexible and coherent lovers.” People in this group held the lowest levels of traditional gender role beliefs and were more likely to endorse egalitarian views. They also had the lowest interest in sexual dominance. This profile included a majority of women and was associated with higher relationship satisfaction and lower avoidant attachment.
The findings suggest that consistency in one’s gender role beliefs—particularly when those beliefs are egalitarian—may support stronger relationships. People in the Flexible and coherent lovers group appeared to benefit from their alignment between beliefs and sexual interests, which was reflected in better relationship functioning.
“Congruence in terms of gender roles was associated with better sexo-relational well-being, which is the element that stood out the most from our results,” Bolduc told PsyPost.
Interestingly, while the Dominant stereotypical thinkers held the most traditionally masculine views and sexual interests, they did not report significantly lower relationship or sexual satisfaction compared to other groups. This challenges the assumption that dominance-oriented sexual preferences or adherence to gender stereotypes necessarily lead to distress. The authors suggest that when beliefs and behaviors align with an individual’s identity or social context, they may not produce internal conflict or dissatisfaction, even if the views are more traditional.
In contrast, the Tender conflicted traditionalists showed signs of strain, possibly due to inner contradictions. Holding both traditional and egalitarian beliefs may create psychological tension that impacts intimacy and satisfaction. This group’s higher avoidant attachment and lower relationship satisfaction support that interpretation.
“Our findings highlight that individuals with egalitarian and congruent views on gender roles (profile #3: Flexible and coherent lovers) report higher relationship satisfaction and less avoidant attachment, whereas traditional and conflicting perspectives (profile #2: Tender conflicted traditionalists) experience greater relational distress and more avoidant attachment,” Bolduc said. “Therapeutic intervention could focus on fostering egalitarian and congruent gender roles, which may enhance relationship satisfaction and emotional security.”
The researchers acknowledge several limitations. Because the sample came from a clinical population—people already seeking sex therapy—the findings may not generalize to the broader public. Most participants were highly educated and Canadian, which may shape both their beliefs about gender and their sexual interests. Additionally, the measure used to assess gender-transcendent beliefs showed relatively low reliability, which could reduce precision in assessing this dimension.
Future research could explore how these profiles appear in more diverse populations, including people from different cultural backgrounds and education levels. Another important direction would be to examine how individuals’ stated preferences and beliefs are reflected in their actual behavior and how that alignment—or lack thereof—affects relationship health.
“For this specific research topic, I would love to recruit a new sample with partners in committed romantic relationships to consider how partners influence each other,” Bolduc said. “Replicating this study with a sample from the general population is also a goal, to validate the findings beyond the clinical context.”
The study, “That’s the Way (I like It): Latent Profiles of Sexual Power Dynamics and Gender Roles,” was authored by Roxanne Bolduc, Cloé Canivet, Martine Hébert, and Natacha Godbout.
