Adult attachment and online dating deception: a theory modernized

Abstract

An extreme form of online dating deception, also known as “catfishing,” involves falsely representing oneself to a potential romantic partner, without the intention of meeting in person. The limited body of existing research has identified mental health risks and legal implications associated with catfishing, as this relatively new phenomenon becomes more prevalent. This study utilizes logistic regression to analyze attachment anxiety, avoidance, and gender as predictor variables for the likelihood of being a catfish perpetrator or target among a sample of adults (N = 1107). Results indicate that women are more likely to be targets and men are more likely to perpetrate this form of online dating deception. Further, increased attachment anxiety and avoidance increases the likelihood of being both a catfish perpetrator and target. However, avoidance was no longer a significant predictor after controlling for attachment anxiety. These findings provide a valuable contribution to the literature toward greater understanding of catfishing and offer possible implications for attachment-informed clinical practice.

Keywords:

• Adult attachment
• dating
• deception
• technology

Disclosure statement

No funding was provided to conduct this research. No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors. The data are not publicly available due to their containing information that could compromise the privacy of research participants.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Marissa A. Mosley

Marissa A. Mosley, M.A. is a doctoral student in the Marriage and Family Therapy program in the Department of Family and Child Sciences at Florida State University. Her research focuses on technology use in romantic relationships and adult attachment.

Morgan Lancaster

Morgan Lancaster, M.S. is a doctoral candidate in the Marriage and Family Therapy program in the Department of Family and Child Sciences at Florida State University. Her research focuses on intimate partner violence and technology use in interpersonal relationships.

M. L. Parker

M.L. Parker, Ph.D. is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Family and Child Sciences at Florida State University. She is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist. Her research is focused on evaluating the effectiveness of couples and family therapy, family therapy for families affected by Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in collaborative care settings, and the role of the supervisory relationship in self-of-therapist development.

Kelly Campbell

Kelly Campbell, Ph.D. is a Professor of Psychology at California State University, San Bernardino. She serves as the Associate Director for the Institute for Child Development and Family Relations, co-directs a South Africa study abroad program, and teaches for the London study abroad program. Her research examines couple relationships and friendships including deceptive online romance (known as catfishing), infidelity, instant connections (e.g., chemistry), and love.