2,313
Views
55
CrossRef citations to date
0
Altmetric
Articles

Romantic Attachment Insecurity Predicts Sexual Dissatisfaction in Couples Seeking Marital Therapy

, , , &
Pages 245-262 | Published online: 25 Apr 2012

REFERENCES

  • Bergeron , S. , Benazon , N. , Jodoin , M. and Brousseau , M. 2008 . “ Sexualité et dysfonction sexuelle [Sexuality and sexual dysfunction] ” . In Manuel clinique des psychothérapies de couple [Clinical handbook of couple psychotherapies] , Edited by: Wright , J. , Lussier , Y. and Sabourin , S. 361 – 396 . Quebec, QC , , Canada : Presse de l’Université du Québec .
  • Birnbaum , G. E. 2007 . Attachment orientations, sexual functioning, and relationship satisfaction in a community sample of women . Journal of Social and Personal Relationships , 24 : 21 – 35 .
  • Birnbaum , G. E. 2010 . Bound to interact: The divergent goals and complex interplay of attachment and sex within romantic relationships . Journal of Social and Personal Relationships , 27 : 245 – 252 .
  • Birnbaum , G. E. , Mikulincer , M. , Reis , H. T. , Gillath , O. and Orpaz , A. 2006 . When sex is more than just sex: Attachment orientations, sexual experience, and relationship quality . Journal of Personality and Social Psychology , 91 : 929 – 943 .
  • Bogaert , A. F. and Sadava , S. 2002 . Adult attachment and sexual behavior . Personal Relationships , 9 : 191 – 204 .
  • Bowlby , J. 1979 . The making and breaking of affectional bonds , London , , England : Tavistock .
  • Bowlby , J. 1982 . Attachment and loss: Vol. I. Attachment , 2nd ed. , New York , NY : Basic Books .
  • Brassard , A. , Shaver , P. R. and Lussier , Y. 2007 . Attachment, sexual experience, and sexual pressure in romantic relationship: A dyadic approach . Personal Relationships , 14 : 475 – 493 .
  • Brennan , K. A. , Clark , C. L. and Shaver , P. R. 1998 . “ Self-report measurement of adult attachment: An integrative overview ” . In Attachment theory and close relationships , Edited by: Simpson , J. A. and Rholes , W. S. 46 – 76 . New York , NY : Guilford Press .
  • Bretherton , I. and Munholland , K. A. 2008 . “ Internal working models in attachment relationships: Elaborating a central construct in attachment theory ” . In Handbook of attachment: Theory, research, and clinical applications , 2nd ed. , Edited by: Cassidy , J. and Shaver , P. R. 102 – 127 . New York , NY : Guilford Press .
  • Butzer , B. and Campbell , L. 2008 . Adult attachment, sexual satisfaction, and relationship satisfaction: A study of married couples . Personal Relationships , 15 : 141 – 154 .
  • Byers , E. S. , Demmons , S. and Lawrence , K. 1998 . Sexual satisfaction within dating relationships: A test of the interpersonal exchange model of sexual satisfaction . Journal of Social and Personal Relationships , 15 : 257 – 267 .
  • Cassidy , J. and Shaver , P. R. 2008 . Handbook of attachment: Theory, research, and clinical applications , 2nd ed. , New York , NY : Guilford Press .
  • Cohen , J. 1988 . Statistical power analysis for the behavioral sciences , Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum .
  • Comeau , S. and Boivert , J.-M. 1985 . Traduction francophone du index of sexual satisfaction. [French translation of the index of sexual satisfaction] , Montréal, QC , , Canada : Unpublished manuscript .
  • Cyranowski , J. M. and Andersen , B. L. 1998 . Schemas, sexuality, and romantic attachment . Journal of Personality and Social Psychology , 74 : 1364 – 1379 .
  • Davis , D. , Shaver , P. R. and Vernon , M. L. 2004 . Attachment style and subjective motivations for sex . Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin , 30 : 1076 – 1090 .
  • Davis , D. , Shaver , P. R. , Widaman , K. F. , Vernon , M. L. , Folette , W. C. and Beitz , K. 2006 . “I can't get no satisfaction”: Insecure attachment, inhibited sexual communication, and sexual dissatisfaction . Personal Relationships , 13 : 465 – 483 .
  • De Graaf , P. M. and Kalmijn , M. 2006 . Divorce motives in a period of rising divorce: Evidence from a Dutch life-history survey . Journal of Family Issues , 27 : 483 – 505 .
  • Doss , B. D. , Simpson , L. E. and Christensen , A. 2004 . Why do couples seek marital therapy? . Professional Psychology: Research and Practice , 35 : 608 – 614 .
  • Feeney , J. A. and Noller , P. 2004 . “ Attachment and sexuality in close relationships ” . In The handbook of sexuality in close relationships , Edited by: Harvey , J. H. , Wenzel , A. and Sprecher , S. 183 – 201 . Mahwah , NJ : Erlbaum .
  • Feeney , J. A. , Noller , P. and Patty , J. 1993 . Adolescents’ interactions with the opposite sex: Influence of attachment style and gender . Journal of Adolescence , 16 : 169 – 186 .
  • Feeney , J. A. , Peterson , C. , Gallois , C. and Terry , D. J. 2000 . Attachment style as a predictor of sexual attitudes and behavior in late adolescence . Psychology and Health , 14 : 1105 – 1122 .
  • Fisher , T. D. and McNulty , J. K. 2008 . Neuroticism and marital satisfaction: The mediating role played by the sexual relationship . Journal of Family Psychology , 22 : 112 – 122 .
  • Fricker , J. and Moore , S. 2002 . Relationship satisfaction: The role of love styles and attachment styles . Current Research in Social Psychology , 7 : 182 – 205 .
  • Hazan , C. and Shaver , P. R. 1987 . Romantic love conceptualized as an attachment process . Journal of Personality and Social Psychology , 52 : 511 – 524 .
  • Hazan , C. and Shaver , P. R. 1994 . Deeper into attachment theory . Psychology Inquiry , 5 : 68 – 79 .
  • Hazan , C. , Ziefman , D. and Middleton , K. Paper presented at the 7th International Conference on Personal Relationships . Groningen , The Netherlands. Adult romantic attachment, affection, and sex ,
  • Hudson , W. W. 1978, July . A measurement package for clinical workers , Honolulu : University of Hawaii School of social work .
  • Hudson , W. W. , Harrison , D. F. and Crosscup , P. C. 1981 . A short-form scale to measure sexual discord in dyadic relationships . Journal of Sex Research , 17 : 157 – 174 .
  • Johnson , C. A. , Stanley , S. M. , Glenn , N. D. , Amato , P. R. , Nock , S. L. , Markman , H. J. and … Dion , M. 2001 . Marriage in Oklahoma: 2001 baseline statewide survey on marriage and divorce , Stillwater : Oklahoma State University Bureau for Social Research .
  • Johnson , S. 2004 . The practice of emotionally focused couple therapy: Creating connection , 2nd ed. , New York , NY : Brunner-Routledge .
  • Johnson , S. and Zuccarini , D. 2010 . Integrating sex and attachment in emotionally focused couple therapy . Journal of Marital and Family Therapy , 36 : 431 – 445 .
  • Kashy , D. A. and Kenny , D. A. 2000 . “ The analysis of data from dyads and groups ” . In Handbook of research methods in social and personality psychology , Edited by: Reis , H. T. and Judd , C. M. 451 – 477 . New York , NY : Cambridge University Press .
  • Kenny , D. A. , Kashy , D. A. and Cook , W. L. 2006 . . Dyadic data analysis , New York , NY : Guilford Press .
  • Lafontaine , M. F. and Lussier , Y. 2003 . Structure bidimentionnelle de l’attachement amoureux: Anxiété face à l’abandon et évitement de l’intimité [Bidimensional structure of romantic attachment: Anxiety over abandonment and avoidance of intimacy] . Canadian Journal of Behavioural Sciences , 33 : 56 – 60 .
  • Lamarre , M. and Lussier , Y. 2007 . Conflits et ruptures conjugales: Les psychologues se prononcent [Conflicts and couple dissolutions: Psychologists’ point of view] . Psychologie Québec , 24 : 28 – 30 .
  • Laumann , E. , Gagnon , J. H. , Michael , R. T. and Michaels , S. 1994 . The social organization of sexuality: Sexual practices in the United States , Chicago , IL : University of Chicago Press. .
  • Levine , S. B. 2010 . “ What patients mean by love, intimacy, and sexual desire ” . In Handbook of clinical sexuality for mental health professionals , 2nd ed. , Edited by: Levine , S. B. , Risen , C. B. and Althof , S. E. 41 – 56 . New York , NY : Routledge .
  • Little , K. C. , McNulty , J. K. and Russell , V. M. 2010 . Sex buffers intimates against the negative implications of attachment insecurity . Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin , 36 : 484 – 498 .
  • Meana , M. 2010 . “ When love and sex go wrong: Helping couples in distress ” . In Handbook of clinical sexuality for mental health professionals , 2nd ed. , Edited by: Levine , B , Risen , C. B. and Althof , S. E. 103 – 120 . New York , NY : Routledge . In S.
  • Mikulincer , M. and Shaver , P. R. 2003 . “ The attachment behavioral system in adulthood: Activation, psychodynamics, and interpersonal processes ” . In Advances in experimental social psychology , Edited by: Zanna , M. P. 53 – 152 . San Diego , CA : Elsevier .
  • Mikulincer , M. and Shaver , P. R. 2007 . Attachment in adulthood: Structure, dynamics, and change , New York , NY : Guilford Press .
  • Risen , C. B. 2010 . “ Listening to sexual stories ” . In Handbook of clinical sexuality for mental health professionals , 2nd ed. , Edited by: Levine , S. B. , Risen , C. B. and Althof , S. E. 3 – 20 . New York , NY : Routledge .
  • Schachner , D. A. and Shaver , P. R. 2004 . Attachment dimensions and sexual motives . Personal Relationship , 11 : 179 – 195 .
  • Schachner , D. A. , Shaver , P. R. and Mikulincer , M. 2003 . “ Adult attachment theory, psychodynamics, and couple relationships: An overview ” . In Attachment processes in couple and family therapy , Edited by: Johnson , S. M. and Whiffen , V. E. 18 – 42 . New York , NY : Guilford Press .
  • Shaver , P. R. and Mikulincer , M. 2010 . New directions in attachment theory and research . Journal of Social and Personal Relationships , 27 : 163 – 172 .
  • Sprecher , S. 2002 . Sexual satisfaction in premarital relationships: Associations with satisfaction, love, commitment, and stability . Journal of Sex Research , 39 : 190 – 196 .
  • Sprecher , S. and Cate , R. M. 2004 . “ Sexual satisfaction and sexual expression as predictors of relationship satisfaction and stability ” . In The handbook of sexuality in close relationships , Edited by: Harvey , J. H. , Wenzel , A. and Sprecher , S. 235 – 256 . Mahwah , NJ : Erlbaum .
  • Sprecher , S. , Christopher , F. S. and Cate , R. 2006 . “ Sexuality in close relationships ” . In The Cambridge handbook of personal relationships , Edited by: Vangelisti , A. and Perlman , D. 463 – 482 . New York , NY : Cambridge University Press .
  • Tracy , J. L. , Shaver , P. R. , Albino , A. W. and Cooper , M. L. 2003 . “ Attachment styles and adolescent sexuality ” . In Adolescent romantic relations and sexual behavior: Theory, research, and practical implications , Edited by: Florsheim , P. 137 – 159 . Mahwah , NJ : Erlbaum .
  • Zhang , F. and Labouvie-Vief , G. 2004 . Stability and fluctuation in adult attachment style over a 6-year period . Attachment and Human Development , 6 : 419 – 437 .

Reprints and Corporate Permissions

Please note: Selecting permissions does not provide access to the full text of the article, please see our help page How do I view content?

To request a reprint or corporate permissions for this article, please click on the relevant link below:

Academic Permissions

Please note: Selecting permissions does not provide access to the full text of the article, please see our help page How do I view content?

Obtain permissions instantly via Rightslink by clicking on the button below:

If you are unable to obtain permissions via Rightslink, please complete and submit this Permissions form. For more information, please visit our Permissions help page.