Dual Nature of Sexual Desire: The Unique Roles of General and Partner-Specific Sexual Desire in Romantic Relationships.

This study differentiates between general sexual desire and partner-specific sexual desire by examining their distinct relationships with relationship well-being. We analyzed two-wave longitudinal data from South Korean individuals in relationships transitioning to marriage (Time 1: N = 1,058 individuals; Time 2: N = 655 individuals assessed approximately 1.5 years later, postmarriage), including 501 and 289 complete dyads, respectively. Cross-sectional analyses revealed that general sexual desire was negatively associated with relationship well-being at both time points, whereas partner-specific sexual desire showed positive concurrent associations with relationship well-being across waves. In contrast, two-wave longitudinal analyses provided limited evidence that sexual desire predicted changes in relationship or sexual satisfaction over time through alternative monitoring across the 1.5-year interval. These findings highlight the importance of distinguishing between general and partner-specific sexual desires to understand their respective roles in romantic relationships.