Sexual Goals-Plans-Actions: Toward a Sexual Script in Marriage

Abstract

This study introduces a sexual script in heterosexual marriage, based on interviews with 12 married women and 13 married men. The qualitative data analysis revealed a two-phase sexual script, beginning with priming messages and culminating in synchronizing messages. Synchronizing messages took one of three forms—in-synch, token acceptance, or out-of-synch. In-synch messages showed alignment between an initiation message and an acceptance message such that a sexual episode occurred. Token acceptance messages, made by women, conveyed compliance with a sexual episode despite low desire. Out-of-synch messages rejected an initiation message.

Keywords::

• Goals-Plans-Actions Theory
• Sexual Communication
• Sexual Scripts
• Token Acceptance

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Tina A. Coffelt

Tina A. Coffelt (Ph.D., University of Missouri, 2008) is an Assistant Professor in the Communication Studies Program at Iowa State University.

Jon A. Hess

Jon A. Hess (Ph.D., University of Minnesota, 1996) is Chair and Professor in the Department of Communication, University of Dayton.