Cognitions and sexual expression in the aging.

This study investigated the relation of cognitions to sexual expression in aging couples where the male had undergone transurethral prostatectomy. Cognitive factors explored were sexual efficacy expectations, value of sex, sexual attitudes, and sexual knowledge. Sexual expression was defined in terms of the following three dimensions: couple sexual frequency, desired sexual frequency, and quality of sexual functioning. Subjects consisted of 32 married couples whose ages ranged from 50 to 77 years. In this sample of sexually active couples, the cognitive variables most highly correlated with all the dimensions of sexual expression were efficacy expectations for the male's sexual performance and individual sexual drive. High sexual efficacy expectations predicted high couple sexual frequency and good male and female sexual functioning. High individual sexual drive predicted high actual and desired couple sexual interaction. In general, it was the male partner's sexual confidence and drive that was highly related to couple sexual expression.