Why Some Women Consent to Unwanted Sex With a Dating Partner: Insights from Attachment Theory

2002 ◽  
Vol 26 (4) ◽  
pp. 360-370 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emily A. Impett ◽  
Letitia Anne Peplau
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Activity ◽  
College Women ◽  
Attachment Theory ◽  
Attachment Style ◽  
Ethnically Diverse ◽  
Dating Relationships ◽  
Unwanted Sex ◽  
Hypothetical Scenario ◽  
Unwanted Sexual Activity ◽  
Theory Framework

Several studies have shown that many college women engage in unwanted sexual activity with a dating partner. However, little research has examined the differences between women who comply with requests for unwanted sexual activity and women who do not. This study utilized an attachment theory framework to investigate individual differences in women's compliant sexual behavior. An ethnically diverse sample of 125 college women who had consented to unwanted sex with a current dating partner completed measures of their attachment style, commitment to their current relationship, perceptions of their partner's commitment, and willingness to consent to unwanted sex in a hypothetical scenario. Results showed that attachment style and commitment perceptions were associated with women's willingness to consent to unwanted sex with a dating partner in the hypothetical scenario and their reasons for this decision. As predicted, anxiously attached women were the most willing to consent to unwanted sex, and they often cited fears that their partner would lose interest in them as reasons for their compliance. Contrary to hypotheses, avoidantly attached women were not the least willing to consent to unwanted sex. They often reported passively complying with a partner's sexual request in order to fulfill relationship obligations. The importance of sexuality to attachment formation in dating relationships and the potential consequences of consenting to unwanted sex are discussed.

Anxious and Hostile: Consequences of Anxious Adult Attachment in Predicting Male-Perpetrated Sexual Assault

2016 ◽  
Vol 33 (13) ◽  
pp. 2098-2117 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicole Barbaro ◽  
Michele R. Parkhill ◽  
David Nguyen
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Assault ◽  
Sexual Violence ◽  
Sexual Activity ◽  
Attachment Theory ◽  
Attachment Style ◽  
Anxious Attachment ◽  
Specific Attachment ◽  
Sexual Assault Perpetration ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Mediation Models

Attachment theory has increasingly been utilized to understand the etiology of sexual violence, and anxious attachment appears to be especially informative in this domain. We investigate the influence of general anxious attachment and specific anxious attachment on hostile masculine attitudes to predict male-perpetrated sexual assault. We hypothesize that hostile masculinity will mediate the relationship between general anxious attachment style and sexual assault perpetration (Hypothesis 1) and the relationship between specific anxious attachment to the assaulted woman and sexual assault perpetration (Hypothesis 2). Men ( N = 193) completed the Sexual Experiences Survey (SES) to determine sexual assault history and completed measures of general attachment style, specific attachment to the woman involved in the sexual activity, and measures of hostile masculine attitudes. Results support the hypothesized mediation models, such that general anxious attachment and specific anxious attachment are significantly associated with hostile masculinity, which in turn, predicts the likelihood of male-perpetrated sexual assault. The findings suggest that the unique characteristics of anxious attachment may escalate into hostile masculinity, which then increases the likelihood of sexual assault perpetration. This research is the first to investigate attachment bonds to the woman involved in the sexual activity and likelihood of sexual assault perpetration against the same woman.

Effects of Attachment Styles on the Experience of Equity in Heterosexual Couples Relationships

2003 ◽  
Vol 50 (4) ◽  
pp. 298-310 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ina Grau ◽  
Jörg Doll
Keyword(s):  
Attachment Theory ◽  
Attachment Style ◽  
Intimate Relationships ◽  
Attachment Styles ◽  
Experimental Studies ◽  
The Other ◽  
Heterosexual Couples ◽  
Secure Attachment ◽  
Dependent Variables ◽  
Equity Ratio

Abstract. Employing one correlational and two experimental studies, this paper examines the influence of attachment styles (secure, anxious, avoidant) on a person’s experience of equity in intimate relationships. While one experimental study employed a priming technique to stimulate the different attachment styles, the other involved vignettes describing fictitious characters with typical attachment styles. As the specific hypotheses about the single equity components have been developed on the basis of the attachment theory, the equity ratio itself and the four equity components (own outcome, own input, partner’s outcome, partner’s input) are analyzed as dependent variables. While partners with a secure attachment style tend to describe their relationship as equitable (i.e., they give and take extensively), partners who feel anxious about their relationship generally see themselves as being in an inequitable, disadvantaged position (i.e., they receive little from their partner). The hypothesis that avoidant partners would feel advantaged as they were less committed was only supported by the correlational study. Against expectations, the results of both experiments indicate that avoidant partners generally see themselves (or see avoidant vignettes) as being treated equitably, but that there is less emotional exchange than is the case with secure partners. Avoidant partners give and take less than secure ones.

Self-Esteem, Resilience, and Distress Among College Women in Dating Relationships

2010 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rachel E. Wiley ◽  
Silva M. Hassert ◽  
Laura C. Petrolle ◽  
Sharon E. Robinson Kurpius
Keyword(s):  
College Women ◽  
Self Esteem ◽  
Dating Relationships

Parent and Grandparent Relationships in Emerging Adulthood

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael W. Pratt ◽  
M. Kyle Matsuba
Keyword(s):  
Emerging Adulthood ◽  
Attachment Theory ◽  
Emerging Adults ◽  
Family Relationships ◽  
Longitudinal Research ◽  
Study Data ◽  
Family Development ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Theory Framework

Chapter 7 begins with an overview of Erikson’s ideas about intimacy and its place in the life cycle, followed by a summary of Bowlby and Ainsworth’s attachment theory framework and its relation to family development. The authors review existing longitudinal research on the development of family relationships in adolescence and emerging adulthood, focusing on evidence with regard to links to McAdams and Pals’ personality model. They discuss the evidence, both questionnaire and narrative, from the Futures Study data set on family relationships, including emerging adults’ relations with parents and, separately, with grandparents, as well as their anticipations of their own parenthood. As a way of illustrating the key personality concepts from this family chapter, the authors end with a case study of Jane Fonda in youth and her father, Henry Fonda, to illustrate these issues through the lives of a 20th-century Hollywood dynasty of actors.

scholarly journals Mental health nurses’ perceptions of attachment style as a construct in a medium secure hospital: a thematic analysis

2015 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 218-233 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nikki Boniwell ◽  
Leanne Etheridge ◽  
Ruth Bagshaw ◽  
Joanne Sullivan ◽  
Andrew Watt
Keyword(s):  
Attachment Theory ◽  
Attachment Style ◽  
Thematic Analysis ◽  
Service User ◽  
Attachment Styles ◽  
Personality Development ◽  
Educational Interventions ◽  
Service Users ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type

Purpose – Attachment Theory can be regarded as central to the concept of relational security. There is a paucity of research examining the coherence of this construct for ward-based staff. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach – Five female nurses from the acute admission and assessment ward of a UK medium secure unit acted as participants. Semi-structured interviews were conducted, and inductive thematic analysis was applied. Findings – Six themes; “staff-service user relationships”, “staff diversities”, “service user backgrounds”, “variability in service users’ presentations”, “service users with personality disorder are problematic” and “nurses do not use attachment” emerged from the data. The nurses used heuristic models of attachment-related behaviour and they lacked knowledge of constructs associated with Attachment Theory. Research limitations/implications – Acute admissions may not be representative of all treatment contexts. Traditional models of attachment style may have only limited relevance in forensic services. Practical implications – Limited knowledge and confidence in the nurses regarding how Attachment Theory might apply to service users is interesting because it may limit the extent to which care, treatment and risk management might be informed by an understanding of service user representations of therapeutic relationships. Training and educational interventions for nurses that enhance understanding of personality development and attachment styles are warranted. Originality/value – The importance of nurses for achieving relational security is emphasised and the adequacy of their training is questioned.

Risk of Unwanted Sex for College Women: Evidence for a Red Zone

2008 ◽  
Vol 57 (3) ◽  
pp. 331-338 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthew Kimble ◽  
Andrada D. Neacsiu ◽  
William F. Flack ◽  
Jessica Horner
Keyword(s):  
College Women ◽  
Unwanted Sex
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