Sexuality and romantic relationships: investigating the relation between attachment style and sexual satisfaction

ABSTRACT

Attachment theories have recently been applied to adult romantic relationships, and more specifically, sexuality within these relationships. However, few studies have examined the influence of attachment-related avoidance and anxiety on sexual communication, gender role ideology, sexual satisfaction or the relations between these constructs. Men (n = 106) and women (n = 349) undergraduate students and young adults from the community completed an online questionnaire measuring attachment style, sexual communication, gender role ideology, and sexual satisfaction. Multiple mediation and path analyses showed several interrelations between these variables among women. Additionally, gender role ideology and sexual communication together were found to totally mediate the relation between attachment-related anxiety and sexual satisfaction in women. Sexual communication partially mediated the relation between attachment-related avoidance and sexual satisfaction in women. Among men, the only significant finding was that attachment-related anxiety and avoidance were related to lower sexual communication. These results indicate that there is disparity in sexual communication, gender role ideology, and sexual satisfaction among individuals with differing attachment orientations and that these effects may be more prominent in women than men.

KEYWORDS:

• Attachment style
• romantic relationships
• sex
• sexuality
• gender roles
• sexual communication
• sexual satisfaction

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Kaitlyn M. Goldsmith

Kaitlyn Goldsmith is a PhD candidate in clinical psychology at the University of New Brunswick in Fredericton, Canada.

Cara R. Dunkley

Cara Dunkley is a PhD candidate in clinical psychology at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada.

Silvain S. Dang

Silvain Dang is a PhD candidate in clinical psychology at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada.

Boris B. Gorzalka

Dr Boris Gorzalka is a professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada.