The Mediating Role of Sexual Function in the Relationship between Sensation-seeking, Gender Role Conflict, and Novelty-Seeking in Married Men in Bushehr (Iran) in 2020

 Potential problems among couples can negatively impact the lives of the family.

 The present study aimed to investigate the relationship between sensation-seeking, gender role conflict, and novelty-seeking in married men with the mediating role of sexual function.

 This was a correlational study performed by path analysis. The statistical population comprised all married men in Bushehr (Iran) who visited marriage counseling centers in 2020. A total of 384 married men were selected as the sample using convenience sampling. The research tools included the Zuckerman Sensation-seeking Scale-V, the Gender Role Conflict Scale, Justification for Extramarital Involvement Questionnaire (JEIQ), and the Sexual Self-Efficacy Scale-Erectile Functioning (SSES-E). Data were analyzed by the Pearson correlation method and structural equation modeling (SEM).

 Based on demographic results, the mean (SD) of the age of participants was 45.29 (6.37) years. The results revealed a significant relationship between sensation-seeking and sexual function, and between sensation and novelty-seeking in men (p<0.001). There was also a causal relationship between sensation-seeking and novelty-seeking mediated by sexual function in men (P=0.004). The findings also revealed a significant relationship between gender role conflict and sexual function as well as novelty-seeking (p<0.001), and a significant relationship between gender role conflict and novelty-seeking mediated by sexual function in men (P=0.012).

 According to the results, the proposed model had adequate fitness. Male sensation-seeking and gender role conflict lead to numerous problems for men, spouses, the family, and society.