Through a proposed theoretical model of Emotional Intelligence, this study examined the association between affective processes and relationship quality in long-term marriages. Utilizing multiple regression analysis, a significant relationship was found to exist between participants' marital and sexual satisfaction as measured on the Global Distress Scale and Sexual Dissatisfaction Scale of the Marital Satisfaction Inventory; emotional awareness as measured on the Private Self-Consciousness scale of the Self-Consciousness Scale-Revised (SCSR); emotional regulation, as measured on the Editing, Stop Actions & Focusing scales of the Managing Affect and Differences Scale (MADS); emotional expression as measured on the Leveling, Withdraw and Emotional Expressivity scales of the Managing Affect and Differences Scale (MADS); and empathic attunement as measured on the Validation & Love and Affection scales of the Managing Affect and Differences Scale (MADS). An analysis of the results by gender revealed significant relationships on all variables for males and females. The Importance of these findings regarding the centrality of emotional intelligence in predicting marital and sexual satisfaction are discussed in this study.