Though they may be unaware, newlyweds implicitly know whether their marriage will be satisfying.

For decades, social psychological theories have posited that the automatic processes captured by implicit measures have implications for social outcomes. Yet few studies have demonstrated any long-term implications of automatic processes, and some scholars have begun to question the relevance and even the validity of these theories. At baseline of our longitudinal study, 135 newlywed couples (270 individuals) completed an explicit measure of their conscious attitudes toward their relationship and an implicit measure of their automatic attitudes toward their partner.

Gone but not forgotten: virginity loss and current sexual satisfaction.

Although loss of virginity remains a salient experience throughout a person's lifetime, little is known about whether this experience has implications for later sexual functioning (e.g., sexual satisfaction).