Adult Attachment; Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Identity; and Sexual Attitudes of Nonheterosexual Individuals

Abstract

Lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) college students from 12 university campuses (N = 177) participated in this study that examined the relationships between adult attachment, LGB identity, and sexual attitudes. Findings indicated that adult attachment was significantly related to LGB identity and sexual attitudes and that an LGB identity variable moderated the relationship between attachment avoidance and sexual permissiveness attitudes. Findings, counseling implications, and future research directions are discussed in terms of attachment and LGB identity theory.A ttachment theory originated as a conceptualization of the process by which infants form bonds with caregivers. According to this theory, the quality of early interactions between infants and caregivers significantly contributes to the development of a child's internal working models. The internal working model of self refers to a child's beliefs about his or her worthiness to be responded to and cared for by the primary attachment figure. The internal working model of others reflects a child's degree of confidence that the primary attachment figure will be available and responsive to his or her needs (Bowlby, 1969). It is believed that individuals' attachment styles, once formed in early childhood, tend to remain relatively stable throughout life and become a framework guiding their various forms of psychological and social functioning in adulthood (Bowlby, 1969).Contemporary adult attachment perspectives conceptualize individuals' attachment on the basis of two orthogonal dimensions: anxiety and avoidance. This two-dimensional adult attachment model is consistent with the internal working models of self and of others as proposed by attachment theory and has received clear empirical support (Brennan, Clark, & Shaver, 1998). Adults with a high level of attachment anxiety are believed to possess a negative model of self. They tend to present characteristics such as a lower sense of self-worth than the norm, fear of rejection and abandonment in relationships, emotional dependence, less social self-confidence than the norm, and obsessive/dependent love styles (i.e., within interpersonal relationships; Collins & Read, 1990). On the other hand, individuals with a high level of attachment avoidance are believed to have developed a negative model of others and tend to demonstrate mistrust of people around them, discomfort with closeness in relationships, low intensity of love experiences, and an excessive need for self-reliance (Feeney & Noller, 1990

Attachment style and perceived discrimination: Associations with depression among young lesbian, gay, and bisexual Romanian adults

“…In our study, we focused mainly on the associations between attachment style, perceived discrimination, and depression in young nonheterosexual individuals who identified themselves as being either lesbian, gay, or bisexual (LGB). This topic seemed worthy of investigation, given the current literature data, which illustrate intercorrelations between insecure attachment style, perceived discrimination, depression, and being a member of the LGB community (Bifulco, Moran, Ball, & Bernazzani, 2002; Conradi & DeJonge, 2009; Cook & Calebs, 2016; Erozkan, 2011; Gattis, Woodford, & Han, 2014; Murphy & Bates, 1997; Pascoe & Richman, 2009; Wang, Schale, & Broz, 2010). Part of these relationships are more documented, especially regarding the higher levels of depression at LGB individuals (Cochran et al, 2003; Scott, Lasiuk, & Norris, 2016) or the positive association between insecure attachment style and depression (Irons & Gilbert, 2005; Jinyao et al, 2012; Marganska, Gallagher, & Miranda, 2013; Mula et al, 2017).…”

Načini pokazivanja ljubavi, bliskost i zadovoljstvo u homoseksualnim vezama: značaj afektivne vezanosti

“…Homoseksualne osobe sa skokom na dimenziji anksioznosti ili izbegavanja imaju značajno niže samoprihvatanje u poređenju sa sigurno vezanim homoseksualnim ispitanicima (Elzur & Mintzer, 2003;Mohr & Fassinger, 2003). Na osnovu saznanja o ovoj povezanosti Wang, Schale i Broz (Wang, Schale, & Broz, 2010) nalaze da su viši skorovi na dimenzijama izbegavanje i anksioznost povezani sa negativnim aspektima identiteta LGBT osoba (internalizovane negativne poruke i internalizovanim stavovima zajednice o homoseksualnoj populaciji). Gaines i Henderson (Gaines & Henderson, 2002) ispitivali su povezanost obrazaca afektivne vezanosti partnera i prigodnosti odgovora na partnerovo upućivanje kritike ili izražavanje ljutnje.…”

“…Peplau i Fingerhut (Peplau & Fingerhut, 2007) pregledom literature nalaze da mnogi istraživači prepoznaju brojne negativne stereotipe o homoseksualnim parovima, kao što su slika o homoseksualnim vezama kao nestabilnim, a partnerima kao nesrećnim u svojim romatičnim relacijama, i stav da ove osobe imaju manje kapacitete za intimnost, strastvenu ljubav ili vezu u poređenju sa heteroseksualnim osobama. Manje samopouzdanja i konstantna potreba za odobravanjem od strane sredine, anksiozno afektivno vezane homoseksualace čine vulnerabilnijim na negativne poruke heteroseksualne zajednice (Wang et al, 2010).…”

Discrimination, Internalized Homonegativity, and Attitudes Toward Children of Same‐Sex Parents: Can Secure Attachment Buffer Against Stigma Internalization?

“…Although no study has explicitly examined whether secure attachment buffers against the association of discrimination with IH, some research suggests secure attachment protects LGB individuals from adverse effects of sexual stigma. As examples, greater secure attachment has been associated with lower levels of shame, guilt, and IH, as well as higher levels of self-acceptance, self-esteem, and self-disclosure of sexual orientation among LGB adults and college students (Brown & Trevethan, 2010;Holtzen, Kenny, & Mahalik, 1995;Mohr & Fassinger, 2003;Sherry, 2007;Wang, Schale, & Broz, 2010). Also, positive relationships with parents, which are directly linked to secure attachment (Caron, Lafontaine, Bureau, Levesque, & Johnson, 2012), have been found to buffer against adverse outcomes for children of same-sex couples associated with teasing or bullying (Bos & Gartrell, 2010).…”