The Mediating Role of Early Maladaptive Schemas in the Relationship Between Intimate Relationship Experiences and Sexual Satisfaction in Women

Cyprus Turkish Journal of Psychiatry & Psychology Vol.7 Issue.2

Doi:10.35365/ctjpp.25.2.08

RESEARCH ARTICLE / ARAŞTIRMA YAZISI

The Mediating Role of Early Maladaptive Schemas in the Relationship Between Intimate Relationship Experiences and Sexual Satisfaction in Women

Kadınlarda Yakın İlişkilerdeki Deneyimler ve Cinsel Doyum Arasındaki İlişkide Erken Dönem Uyum Bozucu Şemaların

Kahraman Güler¹, Ebru Özer²

Abstract:

This study aimed to examine the mediating role of early maladaptive schemas in the association between experiences in intimate relationships and sexual satisfaction. The research sample comprised female participants over the age of 18, selected using nonprobability methods with convenient sampling. The study employed the Young Schema Questionnaire (YSQ-SF3), the Experiences in Close Relationships Scale (ECR-II), and the Golombok-Rust Inventory of Sexual Satisfaction (GRISS). Statistical analyses revealed a significant positive correlation between the Female Form of the Golombok-Rust Sexual Satisfaction Scale and the Disconnection, Impaired Autonomy, Other-Directedness, and Unrelenting Standards schema domains. The findings suggest that lower levels of sexual satisfaction are associated with a greater tendency to exhibit early maladaptive schemas. Furthermore, the Disconnection Schema Domain demonstrated a full mediating effect in the relationship between anxious attachment and sexual satisfaction. This indicates that the impact of anxious attachment on sexual satisfaction is entirely explained by the Disconnection Schema Domain. Moreover, the results suggest that the Disconnection Schema Domain is more strongly associated with anxious attachment than to sexual satisfaction as the outcome variable.

Keywords: Early Maladaptive Schemas, Sexual Satisfaction, Intimate Relationships

¹Assoc. Prof., Mudanya University, Faculty of Art and Social Sciences, Department of Psychology, Bursa, Türkiye, E-mail: [email protected] Orcid Id: 0000-0002-0049-0658

²MSc. Istanbul Aydın University, Applied Psychology Department, Institute of Postgraduate Education, Istanbul, Türkiye, E-mail: [email protected], Orcid Id: 0000-0002-8985-6651

Address of Correspondence/Yazışma Adresi: Kahraman Güler, Mudanya University, Faculty of Art and Social Sciences, Department of Psychology, Bursa/Turkey. E-mail: [email protected]

Date of Received/Geliş Tarihi: 26.06.2024, Date of Revision/Düzeltme Tarihi: 05.04.2025, Date of Acceptance/Kabul Tarihi: 11.04.2025, Date of Online Publication/Çevirimiçi Yayın Tarihi: 05.06.2025

Citing/Referans Gösterimi: Güler, K., & Özer, E. (2025). The Mediating Role of Early Maladaptive Schemas in the Relationship Between Intimate Relationship Experiences and Sexual Satisfaction in Women. Cyprus Turkish Journal of Psychiatry & Psychology, 7(2), 177-185.

© 2025 The Author(s). Published by Cyprus Mental Health Institute / Cyprus Turkish Journal of Psychiatry and Psychology (www.ktppdergisi.com). This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license which permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited and is not used for commercial purposes. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/