Can higher emotional intelligence impact sexual satisfaction? Study answers

People with higher emotional intelligence (EI) tend to be more emotionally present and less avoidant in their behavior, qualities that significantly enhance relationship dynamics.

According to a recent study, this emotional availability fosters deeper interpersonal connection and physical intimacy, ultimately leading to greater sexual satisfaction in romantic relationships.

Emotional intelligence refers to the ability to recognize, understand, and manage one’s own emotions, as well as empathise with others. This emotional awareness not only strengthens communication but also shapes how individuals engage with their partners, deepening trust and improving the quality of intimate experiences.

Findings of the study:
To understand the connection, the researchers performed an online survey on 864 adult residents of Italy. People who are not in a romantic relationship or have never had sexual intercourse were excluded from participation in the study. The group comprised of 71% women, with the average age of 35 years.

The participants were asked to answer a questionnaire targetted in understanding attachment anxiety, comfort with interpersonal touch and problematic sexual behaviour. The results demonstrated that higher emotional intelligence was directly related to lower attachment anxiety, more comfort with interpersonal touch, higher levels of body appreciation, better sexual satisfaction and le4sser tendencies of problematic sexual behavioural patterns.

The study authors added, “The findings highlight the importance of trait EI (emotional intelligence) in mitigating negative emotions linked to insecure attachments, reducing the risk of PSB (problematic sexual behaviors), and improving overall sexual satisfaction.”

They further concluded in their paper, “Trait EI increases sexual satisfaction by decreasing attachment avoidance and increasing comfort with interpersonal touch. Conversely, higher trait EI reduces the risk of PSB by mitigating attachment insecurities, particularly attachment anxiety, underscoring the importance of emotional factors over body-related ones in the development of PSB, except for the dating group, where trait EI resulted associated with PSB also through the comfort with interpersonal touch.”