Attachment Style and Gender as Predictors of Communicative Responses to Infidelity

Abstract

This study set out to determine one's communicative responses to infidelity as predicted by attachment style and gender. Three hundred ninety-two participants responded to a measure of attachment and were then randomly assigned to one of three scenarios: imagining a partner's sexual infidelity, imagining a partner's emotional infidelity, and imagining a partner's combined sexual and emotional infidelity. Participants then responded to a communicative response scale in reaction to the scenario. Results showed moderate support for attachment theory and provided support for predicted gender differences. Additional analysis revealed responses differed by whether or not the participant's partner had been unfaithful. Limitations and implications are discussed.

KEYWORDS:

• attachment
• communication
• gender
• relationships
• sexuality

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

This article is based on the first author's thesis, which was directed by the second author. We thank Drs. McManus, Sahlstein, and Hertlein for their insight on this project, the comments of two very helpful reviewers, and Dr. Helen Neill for her assistance. An earlier version of this article was accepted for presentation at the 2011 National Communication Association conference.