Structural Model of Women’s Sexual Health Based on Alexithymia, Differentiation of Self, and Gender Roles Mediating by Social Exchange Styles

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the structural model of the relationship between alexithymia, Differentiation of Self, and gender roles in women’s sexual function with the mediation of social exchange styles.

This research was a descriptive correlational study. The statistical population of the study included all married women living in Tehran, of whom 550 people participated in the study through an online call. The instruments used in this study to collect data were the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (1994), the Differentiation of Self Inventory (1999), the Bem Sex Role Scale (1981), the Women's Sexual Function Scale (Rosen et al., 2000), and the Leybman et al.’s (2011) Social Exchange Questionnaire. The structural Equation Modeling (SEM) and using LISREL software were applied to evaluate the proposed model. Intermediate relationships in the proposed model were also tested using the bootstrap method.

The results of structural equation modeling indicated the model fitness and showed that alexithymia has a negative impact on sexual performance by the mediation of utilitarianism and extreme investment styles. In addition, the masculine gender role directly affects women's sexual function.

According to the results, social exchange styles should be considered in improving sexual function. The findings of the present study provide a useful framework for identifying the influential components in the field of social psychology in women's sexual function that should be considered in prevention and treatment programs.