Gelotophobia in romantic life: Replicating associations with attachment styles and their mediating role for relationship status
Abstract
The fear of being laughed at (gelotophobia) plays a detrimental role in courtship (e.g., predicting a lower likelihood of entering a relationship) and romantic relationships (e.g., low relationship satisfaction). Gelotophobia correlates positively with anxious and avoidant romantic attachment. This study aims to replicate (a) the associations between gelotophobia and romantic attachment and (b) the mediating role of attachment in the association between gelotophobia and relationship experience using a sample of N = 531 participants ( M = 32.1 years; 63.7% singles). Previous findings replicated well, as gelotophobia positively relates to avoidant and anxious attachment and lower likelihood of entering a romantic relationship. Contrary to earlier research, only anxiety mediated the association between gelotophobia and relationship status. We discuss the findings regarding the attachment framework of long-term singlehood.
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Attachment predicts current relationship status and prior relationship status over one's lifetime.
“For example, Brauer et al. [24,25] showed that attachment predicts current relationship status and prior relationship status over one’s lifetime.”
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 [24]
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“[24,25] showed that attachment predicts current relationship status and prior relationship status over one’s lifetime.”
Background
- Authors
- Brauer, K., & Proyer, R. T.
- Affiliations
- Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg (DE)
- Corresponding author
- Brauer, Kay
- Venue
- Journal of Social and Personal Relationships
- Publisher
- SAGE Publications
- Published
- 2020-07-23
- Volume
- 37
- Issue
- 10-11
- Pages
- 2890-2897
- ISSN
- 0265-4075 (ISSN-L)
- 1460-3608
- OpenAlex
- W4247243780
- Cited by
- 16
- References
- 21
- Citations by year
- 2026: 2 · 2025: 4 · 2024: 2 · 2023: 1 · 2022: 3 · 2021: 2 · 2020: 2
- FWCI
- 2.19
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Journal of Social and Personal Relationships (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Attachment and Relationship Dynamics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Humor Studies and Applications
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Death Anxiety and Social Exclusion
- Keywords
- gelotophobia, fear of being laughed at, romantic attachment, attachment anxiety, attachment avoidance, relationship status, romantic relationships, courtship, relationship satisfaction, singlehood, mediation
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