An empirical analysis of adult romantic attachment and sexuality
Item
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Title
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An empirical analysis of adult romantic attachment and sexuality
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Identifier
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d_2009_2013:5426f35c5b41:11423
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identifier
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11739
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Creator
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Carrasco, Belinda,
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Contributor
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Diana Diamond
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Date
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2012
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Language
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English
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Publisher
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City University of New York.
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Subject
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Psychology | Social psychology | Adult romantic attachment | attachment | sexuality
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Abstract
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The purpose of this dissertation was to empirically explore the relationship between adult romantic attachment and sexual functioning in a sexual partner who is viewed as an attachment figure, a target of caregiving or both. Guiding this dissertation was the expectation that underlying the four prototypical patterns of adult romantic attachment is a distinct pattern of positive and negative working models of attachment of self and other that shape the way individuals experience and engage in sexuality.;We analyzed the responses of 81 female students and young adult community volunteers from the New York City area and Westchester County, who responded to self-report measures regarding sexual satisfaction, capacity for stability of sexual relationships and functioning in the sexual response cycle, in addition to responding to adult romantic attachment questionnaires.;Results revealed that secure attachment is related to sexual satisfaction, low permissiveness and tendency to seek sex in committed relationships. The findings also indicated that the capacity to experience pleasure and stability of sexual relationships, in combination with the physical aspects of sex, such as arousal, excitement and orgasm, are the essence of a securely attached relationship. By contrast, insecure attachment was found to be positively correlated with little commitment and dependency in romantic relationships, as well as sexual dissatisfaction. In specific, dismissive and fearful women downplayed the importance of sexual relationships, reported higher levels of aggression, as well as reported optimal sexuality functioning in areas that only entail physical aspects of sex and do not include components of affection, tenderness and mutuality between people.;Results also indicated that women who have a preoccupied attachment status showed less sexual satisfaction than other insecure women, and more sexual dysfunction defined by a lower capacity for orgasm, arousal, sexual excitement and openness to varied sexual practices. Overall, the results indicated that ambivalent/preoccupied women are attuned to their attachment needs and gear their sexual behavior towards getting those needs gratified. In other words, in anxious women the hyper-activation of the attachment system overrides the capacity to experience sexual pleasure, satisfaction, commitment to a relationship and the experience of orgasm, and thus experience and interpret sexual activity as a reflection of their relationship status.
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Type
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dissertation
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Source
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2009_2013.csv
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degree
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Ph.D.
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Program
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Psychology
