Past literature has revealed that sexual communication behaviors are important to one’s relationship, as such behaviors predict both relational and sexual satisfaction (Davis et al., 2006; Jones et al., 2018; Mallory, 2022). Furthermore, recent studies have revealed that sexual communication discrepancies (SCD) may play a similar role in predicting relational and sexual health outcomes (Machette, 2022a; Machette & Montgomery-Vestecka, 2023a, 2023b). Similarly, past work on attachment theory, sexual communication, and sexual self-disclosure suggests that individual characteristics, such as one’s attachment, may predict several communication behaviors, including SCD (Coffelt & Hess, 2014; Lopez Portillo, 2020; Machette & Drouin, 2023). Therefore, this dissertation proposed that individual characteristics (i.e., one’s attachment style) would predict sexual communication behaviors (i.e., SCD and sexual self-disclosure) which, in turn, were hypothesized to predict relational and sexual health outcomes (i.e., relational and sexual satisfaction). Additionally, this dissertation hypothesized that SCD would mediate the relationship between attachment styles and satisfaction. It also examined the potential mediating role of sexual self-disclosure within the same relationships, comparing sexual self-disclosure to SCD as potential mediators.

Results revealed that avoidant attachment negatively predicted the sexual relationship maintenance and sexual experimentation sub-dimensions of SCD. Results also confirmed past studies that have found both the avoidant and anxious attachment style predicted relational and sexual satisfaction. Moreover, the analyses revealed that sexual relationship maintenance, sexual experimentation, and safe sex positively predicted relational satisfaction, whereas sexual issues negatively predicted relational satisfaction. In addition, sexual relationship maintenance and sexual experimentation positively predicted sexual satisfaction, whereas safe sex negatively predicted sexual satisfaction. Furthermore, results revealed that the relationship between the anxious attachment style and relational satisfaction was partially mediated by the sexual relationship maintenance and sexual experimentation sub-dimensions of SCD. The same two sub-dimensions of SCD partially mediated the relationship between the anxious attachment style and sexual satisfaction. Additionally, sexual relationship maintenance, sexual experimentation, and sexual self-disclosure partially mediated the relationship between the avoidant attachment style and sexual satisfaction. Finally, results revealed that the anxious and the avoidant attachment styles’ relationship with sexual satisfaction was partially mediated by sexual self-disclosure. Taken together, this study took an initial step toward modeling the relationships between antecedents, sexual communication behaviors, and predicted outcomes, suggesting future research could be conducted to model further such relationships and articulate a theory of sexual communication.