Attachment style and long-term singlehood
Abstract
Abstract This study examined how long‐term single people satisfy their attachment and sexual needs. A community sample of single and coupled adults ( N = 142) located in the United States completed measures of attachment style, attachment figures, loneliness, depression, anxiety, quality of relationships with parents, and sexual behavior. In a structured interview, they answered questions about their childhoods and managing attachment, support, and sexual needs. Quality of childhood relationships with parents as well as use of attachment‐related words was coded. Single participants were as likely as coupled ones to exhibit attachment security and rely on attachment figures, although compared to coupled participants, they reported higher levels of loneliness, depression, anxiety, sexual dissatisfaction, and troubled childhood relationships with parents.
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Single people tend to be more avoidant than people in relationships, favoring more independence and self-reliance.
“according to some authors, single people tend to be more avoidant than people in relationships, favoring more independence and self-reliance [63].”
From Exploring the Association between Attachment Style, Psychological Well-Being, and Relationship Status in Young Adults and Adults—A Cross-Sectional Study (2023) · cites this paper as [63]
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“Regarding singles, according to some authors, single people tend to be more avoidant than people in relationships, favoring more independence and self-reliance [63].”
Background
- Authors
- SCHACHNER, D. A., SHAVER, P. R., & GILLATH, O.
- Affiliations
- California State University, Chico (US)
- University of California, Davis (US)
- University of Kansas (US)
- Corresponding author
- SCHACHNER, DORY A.
- Venue
- Personal Relationships
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 2008-12
- Volume
- 15
- Issue
- 4
- Pages
- 479-491
- ISSN
- 1350-4126 (ISSN-L)
- 1475-6811
- OpenAlex
- W2171661212
- Cited by
- 89
- References
- 34
- Citations by year
- 2026: 3 · 2025: 4 · 2024: 8 · 2023: 9 · 2022: 2 · 2021: 7 · 2020: 5 · 2019: 2 · 2018: 12 · 2017: 4 · 2016: 5 · 2015: 7 · 2014: 7 · 2013: 6 · 2012: 4
- FWCI
- 1.78
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Personal Relationships (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Attachment and Relationship Dynamics
- Social Sciences › Demography › Family Dynamics and Relationships
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Marriage and Sexual Relationships
- Keywords
- attachment styles, single people, attachment security, attachment figures, loneliness, depression, anxiety, sexual dissatisfaction, sexual behavior, parent-child relationship, childhood relationships
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