Leiden University Student Repository

Jazilionyte, Skaiste Svajone (2024)

Gender and age differences in romantic attachment: are they real?

Bachelor thesis | Psychologie (BSc)

The theory of adult romantic attachment, originating from Bowlby’s attachment theory, suggests that romantic partners create attachment bonds similar to that of the child-parent. Attachment styles can be primarily distinguished depending on the levels of anxiety and avoidance a partner exhibits in a bond. This study investigated the roles of gender and age in differences in adult romantic attachment. Male and female participants with an age range of 18 to 70 years from 171 countries completed the Experiences in Close Relationships Scale Questionnaire, a two-dimensional self-report instrument. Firstly, the results showed that females scored higher than males on anxiety and avoidance scales. Further findings demonstrated that gender and age contribute significantly to the prediction of anxiety and avoidance scores. Lastly, gender differences in avoidance scores, but not anxiety scores, were significantly moderated by age, whereby the differences between males and females in avoidance...Show moreThe theory of adult romantic attachment, originating from Bowlby’s attachment theory, suggests that romantic partners create attachment bonds similar to that of the child-parent. Attachment styles can be primarily distinguished depending on the levels of anxiety and avoidance a partner exhibits in a bond. This study investigated the roles of gender and age in differences in adult romantic attachment. Male and female participants with an age range of 18 to 70 years from 171 countries completed the Experiences in Close Relationships Scale Questionnaire, a two-dimensional self-report instrument. Firstly, the results showed that females scored higher than males on anxiety and avoidance scales. Further findings demonstrated that gender and age contribute significantly to the prediction of anxiety and avoidance scores. Lastly, gender differences in avoidance scores, but not anxiety scores, were significantly moderated by age, whereby the differences between males and females in avoidance decreased as participants’ age increased (from age 18 to 70). Taken together, this study’s results provide evidence for statistically significant gender differences within adult romantic attachment and suggest attachment variability across different ages.Show less

gender

age

attachment styles

adults

Author

Jazilionyte, Skaiste Svajone

Faculty

Faculty of Social & Behavioural Sciences

Supervisors

Ivan L. Simpson-Kent

ECTS Credits

15

Language

en