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Cited by 408Attachment and Relationship DynamicsGrief, Bereavement, and Mental HealthDeath Anxiety and Social Exclusion

Physical, Emotional, and Behavioral Reactions to Breaking Up: The Roles of Gender, Age, Emotional Involvement, and Attachment Style

Davis, Deborah, Shaver, Phillip R., Vernon, Michael L.·2003·Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin
DOI 10.1177/0146167203029007006
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Abstract

Associations between gender, age, emotional involvement, and attachment style and reactions to romantic relationship dissolution were studied in a survey of more than 5,000 Internet respondents. It was hypothesized that individual reactions to breakups would be congruent with characteristic attachment behaviors and affect-regulation strategies generally associated with attachment style. Attachment-related anxiety was associated with greater preoccupation with the lost partner, greater perseveration over the loss, more extreme physical and emotional distress, exaggerated attempts to reestablish the relationship, partner-related sexual motivation, angry and vengeful behavior, interference with exploratory activities, dysfunctional coping strategies, and disordered resolution. Attachment-related avoidance was weakly and negatively associated with most distress/proximity-seeking reactions to breakups and strongly and positively associated with avoidant and self-reliant coping strategies. Security (low scores on the anxiety and avoidance dimensions) was associated with social coping strategies (e.g., using friends and family as “safe havens”). Attachment insecurity, particularly anxiety, was associated with using drugs and alcohol to cope with loss.

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Crossref · 10.1177/0146167203029007006

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  • The intensity of rejection induced by prior manipulations (Cyberball, rejection-themed paintings, anonymous feedback) is lower than the pain surrounding an unwanted romantic relationship breakup.

    “Although these manipulations elicit distress, few would attribute to them the same level of intensity as the pain surrounding an unwanted romantic relationship breakup (14 -16).”

    From Social rejection shares somatosensory representations with physical pain (2011) · cites this paper as [14]

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Authors
Davis, D., Shaver, P. R., & Vernon, M. L.
Affiliations
  • University of Nevada, Reno (US)
  • University of California, Davis (US)
Corresponding author
Davis, Deborah
ORCID
Venue
Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin
Publisher
SAGE Publications
Published
2003-07
Volume
29
Issue
7
Pages
871-884
ISSN
  • 0146-1672 (ISSN-L)
  • 1552-7433
DOI
10.1177/0146167203029007006
OpenAlex
W2003995364
Cited by
408
References
48
Citations by year
2026: 10 · 2025: 18 · 2024: 12 · 2023: 17 · 2022: 16 · 2021: 18 · 2020: 26 · 2019: 35 · 2018: 23 · 2017: 17 · 2016: 22 · 2015: 26 · 2014: 26 · 2013: 30 · 2012: 32
FWCI
6.50
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Licence
journals.sagepub.com/page/policies/text-and-data-mining-license (tdm)
Locations
  • Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Attachment and Relationship Dynamics
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Grief, Bereavement, and Mental Health
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Death Anxiety and Social Exclusion
Keywords
romantic relationship dissolution, breakup reactions, attachment styles, attachment anxiety, attachment avoidance, attachment security, emotional engagement, gender differences, age differences, coping strategies, substance use coping, sexual motivation, loss of a partner
MeSH terms
Adaptation, Psychological, Adolescent, Adult, Alcohol Drinking, Anger, Anxiety, Courtship, Data Collection, Emotions, Female, Humans, Internal-External Control, Male, Middle Aged, Object Attachment, Personality Assessment, Self Concept, Sexual Partners, Social Behavior, Social Support, Substance-Related Disorders, Internet

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