Sexual attraction is one of the most important factors that determine the success of a romantic relationship. It's normal to want someone you find physically attractive as your partner, and this can bring a lot of benefits into the relationship, such as higher levels of excitement and satisfaction during sexual encounters.
There are several studies that show how physical attraction tends to decrease over time in long-term relationships, which makes some people wonder if emotional closeness and partnership trust need it to sustain themselves. To answer this question, let's look at the main aspects related to these three concepts.
Sexual attraction plays a crucial role in forming new relationships and maintaining existing ones. When you meet someone for the first time, you tend to be drawn to them because they arouse you sexually. This initial attraction can lead to more dates, talks, and eventually an intimate relationship. The same thing happens when you're already together and feel less physically excited about each other; this may indicate that something needs to change or else the relationship will come to an end. In short, physical attraction is necessary but not enough. You also have to establish emotional connection and mutual respect to grow closer together.
Emotional closeness is built upon common values, similar worldviews, shared interests, and affectionate interactions between partners. If two individuals have nothing in common except for their physical appearance, they won't last long together unless they keep working on finding out what connects them emotionally. Therefore, intimacy requires honesty, communication, and vulnerability from both parties involved. Only then can trust be established and maintained throughout the years.
Partnership trust refers to the belief that your partner will stick with you through thick and thin despite any difficulties or challenges life throws at you both. It relies heavily on how much both individuals care about each other and want to protect one another from harm or betrayal. Without this sense of safety, there would be no foundation for building anything meaningful beyond friendship.
While sexual attraction is important for starting a romantic relationship, it isn't enough to sustain it over time without proper effort invested into creating emotional closeness and partnership trust. Both partners need to work towards achieving these goals by communicating openly and honestly, sharing their feelings, and being supportive and caring for each other. Otherwise, even if you initially found each other very attractive, you might lose interest in your partner as physical attraction fades away.
To what degree does sexual attraction modulate emotional closeness and partnership trust?
Sexual attraction is one of many factors that can contribute to the formation of an intimate relationship, but its exact role on the development of emotional closeness and partner trust remains controversial. Some studies suggest that sexual attraction may lead to higher levels of emotional closeness and partner trust, while others report opposite findings. A possible explanation for these mixed results could be cultural differences in the perception of sexual attraction as it relates to commitment and exclusivity.