Regular Article
Adolescents' interactions with the opposite sex: Influence of attachment style and gender

https://doi.org/10.1006/jado.1993.1015Get rights and content

Abstract

The present research assessed attachment style and gender differences in adolescents' relationships with the opposite sex, using questionnaire and diary methodologies. In Study 1, 193 unmarried undergraduate subjects completed questionnaire measures of attachment style, relationship history and attitudes to sex. Relationship history data supported previous findings: avoidant subjects reported fewer and less intense love experiences; anxious/ambivalent subjects reported frequent but less enduring love relationships; secure subjects reported more loving and satisfying relationships. As hypothesized, avoidant subjects were more accepting of casual (uncommitted) sex than other attachment groups. In Study 2, 85 subjects from the previous study used a diary format to record their interactions with members of the opposite sex, classifying each interaction according to intimacy level and partner type. Avoidant subjects engaged in fewer interactions overall, fewer chats, and interacted with a smaller number of friends. Anxious/ambivalent subjects engaged in fewer interactions with strangers than did secure subjects. Female avoidants and male anxious/ambivalents were the least likely to report engaging in sexual intercourse during the course of the study, suggesting that attachment style and gender role expectations jointly influence relationship development.

References (0)

Cited by (110)

  • No strings attached? How attachment orientation relates to the varieties of casual sexual relationships

    2019, Personality and Individual Differences
    Citation Excerpt :

    Surprisingly, we found an interaction between avoidance and type of encounter on both physical pleasure and positive emotions, suggesting that avoidant individuals experience different levels of physical pleasure and positive emotions across the different types of encounters. Overall, highly avoidant individuals engaging in uncommitted sexual encounters reported higher levels of physical pleasure than highly avoidant individuals in committed relationships, which is consistent with previous findings that avoidant individuals are more likely to enjoy the non-affectional, “instrumental” aspects of sex (Brennan et al., 1998; Brennan & Shaver, 1995; Gentzler & Kerns, 2004; Schachner & Shaver, 2004), are more likely to endorse the view that “sex without love is pleasurable” (Brennan & Shaver, 1995), and are more likely to engage in uncommitted sexual encounters (Feeney, Noller, & Patty, 1993). Higher avoidance was associated with less physical pleasure, less positive emotions, and more negative emotions in highly intimate encounters (i.e., committed relationships, Friends With Benefits), and in low intimacy encounters, (i.e., One-Night Stand), but not in moderately intimate encounters (i.e., Fuck Buddies, Booty Call).

  • Adult Attachment: A Concise Introduction to Theory and Research

    2016, Adult Attachment: A Concise Introduction to Theory and Research
View all citing articles on Scopus
View full text