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Open research questions in Marriage and Sexual Relationships

117 unresolved questions extracted from the limitations and future-work sections of 1,270 Marriage and Sexual Relationships papers in our library. Each links back to the study that raised it.

What the literature leaves open

  • the study was undertaken in a pro-marriage society, - the sample size was limited to 32 participants, - the study only included female academics and medical doctors, - the study did not include rebellion or fighting for rights as a coping strategy

    A qualitative exploration of how never-married, childless single career women cope with singlism in Nigeria · 2026 · DOI

  • The study identifies a gap in the literature on stigma management research, which has largely overlooked the experiences of single women. The study highlights the need for more research on the experiences of single women in African contexts. The study notes that the African context is underrepresented in psychological research.

    A qualitative exploration of how never-married, childless single career women cope with singlism in Nigeria · 2026 · DOI

  • Limited attention has been paid to how algorithmic logic shapes intimate relationship construction throughout online matchmaking. A significant gap remains in understanding how young adults experience emotional interaction throughout the process of algorithm-mediated online dating.

    Constructing intimacy in algorithm mediated online dating: experiences of Chinese young adults · 2026 · DOI

  • Algorithmic subsequently awareness interacted with algorithmic the improve participants following many deliberately adjusted their behavior to profile or because recommendation system. future information, recommendations. intentionally different browsed changed interaction types influenced how

    Constructing intimacy in algorithm mediated online dating: experiences of Chinese young adults · 2026 · DOI

  • The lack of research on bereaved husbands in medieval Icelandic sagas. The scarcity of direct evidence on the experiences of bereaved husbands. The need for a more nuanced understanding of the interplay of gender, affect, and small-scale politics in the wake of the loss of a wife.

    The Widowers’ Two Plights: Toward a Cultural History of Bereaved Husbands · 2025 · DOI

  • The paper identifies a gap in the understanding of collective-identity reactions to defences of non-monogamous love. The author argues that these reactions are motivated by a sense that the relevant group identity is under threat. The paper explores the entanglement of personal subject matter with global political issues.

    Is Monogamy Part of ‘Who We Are’? Romantic Norms, Defensiveness, and Collective Identity · 2024 · DOI

  • These studies strongly suggest that psycho dynamic explanations, based on pathogenic parenting which promotes failures in identification, are insufficient to account for the sexual object choice.

    Fathers and Their Homosexually Inclined Sons in Childhood · 1987 · DOI

  • Whether some respondents who know homosexuals reported that they did not remains unknown.

    University Students' Knowledge About and Attitudes Toward Homosexuality · 1987 · DOI

  • The regulation of polygamy is a contentious area of Muslim family law in Pakistan. There is a need for clarity on the procedural prerequisites for khula.

    Breaking the Silence: Unauthorized Polygamy as a Ground for Divorce. A Critical Analysis of Section 6 MFLO 1961 and Section 2(iia) DMMA in Light of Dr. Faryal Maqsood v. Khurram Shahzad Durrani (PLD 2025 SC 262) · 2026 · DOI

  • Based on the foregoing analysis, the following recommendations are proposed: A. For the Judiciary i. Consistent Application: Lower courts should consistently apply the principles established in Dr. Faryal Maqsood, treating Section 2(iia) DMMA as an independent ground for dissolution and requiring wives' initiative for khula. ii. Evidence Standards: Courts should adopt clear standards for proving unauthorized polygamy, recognizing that documentation from the Arbitration Council and the second marriage's registration records constitute prima facie evidence. 676 | P a g e Vol. 05 No. 02.

    Breaking the Silence: Unauthorized Polygamy as a Ground for Divorce. A Critical Analysis of Section 6 MFLO 1961 and Section 2(iia) DMMA in Light of Dr. Faryal Maqsood v. Khurram Shahzad Durrani (PLD 2025 SC 262) · 2026 · DOI

  • The article identifies a need to examine the development of family relations in society. The study highlights the importance of considering the social aspects of family relations in democratic countries undergoing the transition from industrial to post-industrial societies.

    The Family Sphere of People's Life in the System of Social Relations · 2026 · DOI

  • The paper identifies a gap in the understanding of the role of international education in the lives of China's gay youth. The study notes that there is a lack of research on the experiences of China's gay youth in the context of migration and mobility.

    Liuxue (‘Studying Abroad’): A Pathway to Sexual Freedom for China’s Gay Youth? · 2026 · DOI

  • The paper identifies a gap in the existing literature on the lives of older gay men in Shanghai. The study highlights the need for a more nuanced understanding of the experiences of queer individuals in small towns and rural areas.

    ‘Marriage Fraud’? Reflections on Marriage of Older Queer Men in Shanghai · 2026 · DOI

  • Future research can explore the use of flipped classrooms, role play, and social justice prompts in counselor education. The connection between family counseling education and democracy, activism, mutual aid, and collective care can be further examined. The author's approach can be applied to other areas of counselor education and practice.

    Queering Couple and Family Counseling in Taiwan: Questions for the First Day of Teaching and Beyond · 2026 · DOI

  • There is a gap in the literature on queer, trans-affirming, anti-oppression, and experiential pedagogical approaches in counselor education. The connection between family counseling education and democracy, activism, mutual aid, and collective care is underexplored.

    Queering Couple and Family Counseling in Taiwan: Questions for the First Day of Teaching and Beyond · 2026 · DOI

  • The study identifies challenges in understanding open relationships and non-monogamous relational arrangements. The results highlight the need for a nuanced understanding of the complexities of open relationships.

    An Overview of Open Relationship Behaviors among Homosexual (Gay) Individuals Using Online Dating Applications · 2026 · DOI

  • The study identifies six themes of challenges experienced by polyamorous individuals, including stigma and discrimination, the need to engage in self-work, and logistical challenges. The study notes that polyamorous individuals report many of the same intrapersonal and interpersonal challenges as monogamous individuals, as well as unique challenges stemming from having multiple intimate partners. The study also notes that polyamorous individuals may experience challenges related to metamour interactions and polysaturation.

    “It Brought a Lot of Underlying Insecurity to the Foreground”: An Exploratory Investigation into the Challenges of Polyamory · 2026 · DOI

  • The study identifies a gap in the understanding of the challenges of polyamory and their implications for therapists and relationships. The study notes that previous research has focused on the benefits of polyamory, but has not fully explored the challenges. The study seeks to address this gap by investigating the challenges of polyamory and their implications for therapists and relationships.

    “It Brought a Lot of Underlying Insecurity to the Foreground”: An Exploratory Investigation into the Challenges of Polyamory · 2026 · DOI

  • Administrative and evidentiary issues may still lead to disputes. The lack of clear regulations on the legal status of transgender individuals in Indonesia creates uncertainty. The study's findings may be challenged by different interpretations of the Civil Code.

    Kedudukan Ahli Waris Transgender dalam Sistem Hukum Waris Perdata di Indonesia · 2026 · DOI

  • The Civil Code does not explicitly regulate the legal status and inheritance rights of transgender heirs. There is a lack of clear regulations on the legal status of transgender individuals in Indonesia.

    Kedudukan Ahli Waris Transgender dalam Sistem Hukum Waris Perdata di Indonesia · 2026 · DOI

  • These findings fill a gap in the literature on this largely unexamined population and challenge the stigma in the polyamorous community as well as within our broader mononormative culture against sex and relationships with established couples which may be preventing people from engaging in ways that best align with their desires and center their pleasure.

    “My First Threesome with Them Was a Religious Experience”: A Mixed-Methods Study of Symbiosexual Experiences · 2025 · DOI

  • The subjective orgasm experience (SOE) refers to the perception, sensation and/or evaluation of orgasm from a psychological point of view, representing an important construct of sexual functioning rarely studied under a dyadic approach.

    Subjective orgasm experience in different-sex and same-sex couples: A dyadic approach · 2024 · DOI

  • Alcohol use and jealousy are well-established risk factors for in-person partner abuse but have not yet been investigated in couples in the context of DDA.

    Problematic alcohol use, jealousy, and digital dating abuse: A dyadic analysis · 2024 · DOI

  • Future research should focus on the development of an empirical instrument to measure sexological worldview development and SAR educators should create new, or align existing, training activities to match their SAR participants’ worldview development.

    Sexological Worldview Development Explained by the Developmental Model of Intercultural Sensitivity · 2021 · DOI

  • The number of Chinese gay males in Asia and overseas is approximately 27 million; however, the study of family, couple, and community relationships regarding this population is lacking.

    The Dominant Value System of Chinese Gay Males in Family, Couple, and Community Relationships: A Qualitative Study · 2016 · DOI

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117 open questions have been extracted from the limitations and future-work passages of 1,270 Marriage and Sexual Relationships papers in our library. Each one below links back to the study that raised it, so you can read the original claim in context.

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