Associations between insecure attachment and sexual experiences

Abstract

Associations between insecure attachment and sexual experiences were tested in a sample of 328 college students. Variations in adult attachment previously have been shown to relate to sexual behaviors, with the current study extending earlier work by examining different sexual outcomes and by testing factors that may account for these relations. Avoidant attachment was expected to relate to engagement in casual sex (i.e., a greater number of sexual partners and lower percentage of partners within committed relationships), with less restrictive sexual beliefs mediating the relations. In contrast, anxious attachment was expected to relate to more unwanted but consensual sexual experiences, and to more negative affect about sexual experiences, with low self‐esteem mediating the relations. Results showed some support for the hypotheses. Avoidant attachment was related to the type (but not number) of sexual partners, with sexual beliefs mediating the relations. A greater number of unwanted but consensual sexual experiences related to anxious and avoidant attachment for women and to avoidant attachment for men. Anxiety related to negative affect for women and men, and self‐esteem served as a partial mediator of these relations.

Attachment, Sexual Assertiveness, and Sexual Outcomes in Women with Provoked Vestibulodynia and Their Partners: A Mediation Model

“…Insecurely attached individuals may lack the ability to assert their sexual limits. Studies found that both avoidant and anxious attachment were linked to more sexual compliance, that is the tendency to engage in unwanted but consensual sexual practices (Gentzler & Kerns, 2004;Impett & Peplau, 2002). Our results suggest that these difficulties in asserting both sexual preferences and limits may explain the lower sexual satisfaction and sexual functioning impairments found in insecurely attached individuals.…”

“…genital pleasure) and satisfaction derived from the more affectionate and intimate aspects (e.g. cuddling, kissing), since anxious and avoidant individuals seem to differ in their preferences for these two components of sexual satisfaction (Brennan et al, 1998;Davis et al, 2006;Gentzler & Kerns, 2004;Hazan & Shaver, 1994).…”

“…However, in a long-term perspective, these non-assertive behaviors may have detrimental effects on pain, sexual functioning and satisfaction. Correlational studies already show that attachment anxiety is associated with poorer sexual experiences (Birnbaum, 2007;Brassard, Peloquin, Dupuy, Wright, & Shaver, 2012;Butzer & Campbell, 2008;Costa & Brody, 2011;Davis et al, 2006;Gentzler & Kerns, 2004) and greater sex-related worries (Birnbaum et al, 2006;Davis et al, 2006). Two studies using a dyadic approach have shown interesting partner effects indicating that an individual's attachment can predict their partner's sexual outcome (Brassard et al, 2012;Butzer & Campbell, 2008).…”

“…Their motivations for engaging in sexual interactions are less related to interpersonal aspects of sexuality (Schachner & Shaver, 2004). Research has begun to show that avoidant attachment is also associated with a tendency to be less assertive sexually and to comply with unwanted sex, although motivation underlying this behavior would be different (Gentzler & Kerns, 2004;Impett & Peplau, 2002). Evidence shows that individuals higher in avoidant attachment report less sex-related pleasure (Birnbaum et al, 2006;Tracy, Shaver, Albino, & Cooper, 2003), are more likely to manifest aversive sexual affects and cognitions (Birnbaum, 2007;Birnbaum et al, 2006), and are generally less satisfied with their sexual interactions (Brassard et al, 2012;Butzer & Campbell, 2008;Davis et al, 2006;Fricker & Moore, 2002).…”

“…The ability to assert one's sexual preferences seems to be impaired in women with attachment anxiety, who may be more likely to respond to their partners' sexual needs rather than to their own (Davis et al, 2006). The assertion of one's sexual limits, which refers to the capacity to refuse to engage in unwanted sexual practices, also seems to be impaired in women with attachment anxiety as seen in sexual compliance studies (Gentzler & Kerns, 2004;Impett & Peplau, 2002). Sexual assertiveness is considered an essential skill for the healthy development of sexuality, protecting individuals from risky sexual behavior (Morokoff et al, 1997).…”