A recent study in the Journal of Social and Personal Relationships has found that experiences of maltreatment in childhood are related to adult sexual motivations and behaviors, affecting both the individuals who experienced maltreatment and their partners. By examining the role of basic psychological needs — such as feeling autonomous, competent, and connected within relationships — researchers found that satisfaction of these needs plays a crucial role in how past experiences impact current sexual motivations.
Childhood maltreatment encompasses a range of adverse experiences, including emotional, physical, and sexual abuse, as well as neglect, that an individual may endure during their formative years. These experiences have been consistently linked to a myriad of negative outcomes that extend into adulthood.
Previous research has shown that individuals with a history of maltreatment may engage in sexual activity for reasons that are less self-determined, potentially stemming from internal pressures or a lack of motivation, which can adversely affect their intimate relationships and overall quality of life.
The concept of basic psychological needs, derived from self-determination theory, posits that autonomy, competence, and relatedness are essential for psychological well-being. Autonomy refers to the need to feel in control of one’s own behaviors and goals, competence involves feeling effective and capable in one’s interactions, and relatedness represents the desire to feel connected and valued in relationships with others.
The Drive Behind the Research
The researchers conducted this study to explore the interplay between childhood maltreatment, the satisfaction of these basic psychological needs within romantic relationships, and sexual motivation. By examining these dynamics, the study aimed to uncover the mechanisms through which early adverse experiences affect adult sexual behaviors and motivations, providing insights that could inform interventions to support individuals and couples in overcoming the legacy of childhood maltreatment and fostering healthier, more fulfilling relationships.
“In clinical settings, many individuals and couples work towards developing positive relational and sexual experiences despite the challenges imposed in part by their past experiences of relational adversity. In order to support them, we need to identify personal and dyadic mechanisms that can either promote or interfere with sexual and relational well-being,” explained study author Judith Kotiuga, a clinical psychologist and assistant professor at Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières.
A Look at the Methodology
For their study, the researchers recruited participants through a variety of online platforms, including social media sites such as Facebook and Reddit, as well as through email lists. The study targeted a convenience sample of cohabitating couples. To be eligible, both partners needed to be at least 18 years old, proficient in English or French, have cohabitated for at least one year, and engaged in sexual activity within the past three months. This approach facilitated the gathering of a diverse sample, comprising 618 individuals forming 309 couples, with a range of sexual orientations and cultural identities represented.
Participants were directed to complete a series of self-report questionnaires administered through the Qualtrics Research Suite platform. The Childhood Trauma Questionnaire-Short-Form (CTQ) was utilized to retrospectively measure participants’ experiences of emotional, physical, and sexual abuse, as well as emotional and physical neglect during childhood. This tool is widely recognized for its robust psychometric properties, offering a reliable means to quantify the extent of maltreatment experienced.
To evaluate the satisfaction of basic psychological needs, the researchers employed the abbreviated version of the Basic Need Satisfaction in Relationships Scale. This measure assesses participants’ perceptions of their autonomy, competence, and relatedness within the context of their romantic relationship, providing insight into how these fundamental needs are being met. Finally, the Sexual Motivation Scale was used to explore the various motivations behind engaging in sexual activity, ranging from intrinsic reasons, such as pleasure and satisfaction, to extrinsic reasons, including internal or external pressures.
Data collection occurred at three distinct points in time: the initial assessment (Time 1), followed by two subsequent follow-ups six months (Time 2) and one year later (Time 3), respectively. This longitudinal approach allowed the researchers to observe changes and trends over time, enhancing the study’s ability to discern causal and correlational relationships between childhood maltreatment, psychological needs satisfaction, and sexual motivation.
Key Findings: Childhood Maltreatment and Sexual Motivations
The researchers found a direct association between experiences of childhood maltreatment and higher levels of introjected motivation (e.g., “to prove to myself that I am sexually attractive”) and amotivation (e.g., “I don’t know; it feels like a waste of time”) in sexual activity. This suggests that individuals with a history of childhood maltreatment may engage in sexual behaviors driven by internal pressures, such as guilt or a desire for validation, or exhibit a lack of desire towards sexual activity in general.
Moreover, the study found that the effects of an individual’s childhood maltreatment extended to their partner, influencing the partner’s levels of amotivation towards sexual activity. This notable partner effect underscores the dyadic nature of the impact of childhood maltreatment, suggesting that the repercussions of such trauma are not confined to the individual but can permeate the relationship, affecting the partner’s sexual motivation as well.
Key Findings: The Important Role of Psychological Needs
The mediating role of basic psychological needs satisfaction emerged as a critical factor in understanding the relationship between childhood maltreatment and sexual motivation. The findings revealed that childhood maltreatment was associated with lower satisfaction of these basic psychological needs, both for individuals who experienced maltreatment and their partners.
This reduction in needs satisfaction was, in turn, linked to less self-determined forms of sexual motivation. Specifically, lower levels of autonomy, competence, and relatedness were associated with higher levels of introjected and external motivation, as well as amotivation, indicating that unmet psychological needs can lead to sexual behaviors that are less about personal desire and more about external pressures or a lack of motivation altogether.
Indirect effects further elucidated how childhood maltreatment influenced sexual motivation through the satisfaction of basic psychological needs. For instance, childhood maltreatment was linked to lower integrated (e.g., “because sexuality is a meaningful part of my life”) and identified motivation (e.g., “because I think it is important to learn to know my body better”) through its negative impact on individuals’ sense of competence and relatedness.
This finding suggests that the ability to integrate and value sexual activity as part of one’s identity and personal values may be compromised by the adverse effects of childhood maltreatment on feeling capable and connected within a relationship.
Additionally, the study highlighted that childhood maltreatment was indirectly associated with higher levels of controlled sexual motivations (introjected and external) through its impact on lower autonomy and relatedness. This indicates that individuals with a history of childhood maltreatment, and their partners, may engage in sexual activities driven by internal pressures or external expectations due to an undermined sense of volition and connection in their relationships.
“One main takeaway relates to the crucial role of satisfying basic psychological needs such as autonomy, competence, and relatedness for fostering sexual self-determination, which is central to sexual health and well-being,” Kotiuga told PsyPost. “The results also emphasize the importance of acknowledging and integrating both partners’ experiences and perspectives when addressing sexual challenges in couples where one or both partners have a history of maltreatment.”
Caveats and Future Directions
While the study provides valuable insights, it also underscores the limitations inherent in self-reported data and the challenges of ensuring a representative sample. The findings predominantly reflect the experiences of cisgender, heterosexual individuals from Western backgrounds, pointing to the need for further research that encompasses a broader spectrum of identities and experiences.
Nevertheless, the study opens up avenues for exploring additional factors that could influence the relationship between childhood maltreatment and sexual motivation, such as emotion regulation strategies and personality traits.
“My long-term goals for this research are to delve deeper into the interconnectedness of psychological, relational, and sexual functioning and their development,” Kotiuga said. “This knowledge is important to develop effective strategies for promoting positive relationships and sexuality throughout adolescence and adulthood, while carefully considering both vulnerability factors, such as childhood maltreatment.”
The study, “Longitudinal associations between childhood maltreatment and sexual motivations in couples: The role of basic psychological needs,” was authored by Judith Kotiuga, Beáta Bőthe, Sophie Bergeron, Alice Girouard, Noémie Bigras, and Marie-Pier Vaillancourt-Morel.
