• On average, couples had sex three or four times over 14-day study period
• Wives' agreeableness and openness predicted frequency of intercourse 
• But husband's mood doesn't have much of an effect on sexual activity

Wives are pivotal in determining the success of a couple's sex life, new research has claimed.

If a woman is happy, laid back and curious about life, it's much more likely a couple is having a busier sex life.

But the husband's mood or personality doesn't have much of an effect at all on how often a couple has intercourse, the study claimed.

In the survey of 278 newlywed heterosexual couples, wives' agreeableness and openness predicted a greater probability of sex in early marriage.

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In the survey of 278 newlywed heterosexual couples, wives' agreeableness and openness predicted a greater probability of sex in early marriage

All the couples were asked to keep a two-week diary about their marital life, including their sexual activity, and take a personality test. 

They had to rate their sexual encounters on a one to seven scale.

On average, the couples had sex three or four times over the 14 days.

The researchers found no link between husbands' personality traits and the frequency of sex.

The survey was based on the 'Big Five' personality traits. These are:

* Openness to experience, or how much you crave adventure

* Conscientiousness

* Extroversion

* Agreeableness 

* Neuroticism - or how much you react to difficulties in life.

'No prior research has examined the association between partners' Big Five traits and daily reports of sexual activity so we were hesitant to make specific predictions. 

It was somewhat surprising, however, that husbands' Big Five did not predict couples' sexual frequency,' said study co-author Andrea Meltzer.

The Florida State University survey noted that previous research indicated men were more likely to initiate sex.

But it adds that 'it is women's, rather than men's, personality that predicts the probability of sex in relationships.'

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If a woman is happy, laid back and curious about life, it's much more likely a couple is having a busier sex life

However, when it came to sexual satisfaction, the personalities of both the wives and husbands mattered. The more neurotic they were, the lower the levels of satisfaction.

For husbands, their openness was negatively correlated with satisfaction, while for wives it was the opposite.

In this case it was the individual's own personality - and not their partner's - that defined satisfaction.

The researchers admitted the results would have been affected by the fact that the couples were still in the honeymoon phase.

However, when couples were asked to double the amount of sex they were having, it turned sex into a chore for the participants — and they liked it less.