Anxiety Sensitivity Mediates Relations Between Attachment and Aggression Differently by Gender

Abstract

The present study examined relations among attachment, aggression, and anxiety sensitivity (AS) in a sample of male and female undergraduates. Given that some individuals may use aggression to modulate negative emotional states, it was predicted that AS dimensions would mediate relations between attachment anxiety (vs. attachment avoidance) and certain forms of aggression, particularly impulsive aggression. Moreover, it was hypothesized that the relations among attachment, aggression, and AS would be moderated by gender. Participants ( N = 1,042) completed measures of attachment (Experiences in Close Relationships-Revised [ECR-R]), aggression (Aggression Questionnaire [AQ]; Impulsive/Premeditated Aggression Scales [IPAS]), and AS (AS Index-3 [ASI-3]). Results indicated that AS mediated relations between attachment dimensions (both anxiety and avoidance) and most forms of aggression, with each of the AS dimensions playing a unique role differentially by gender. Cognitive concerns emerged as a significant mediator, particularly for men; physical and social concerns played more of a mediating role for women. Interestingly, none of the AS dimensions played a significant mediating role between attachment (either anxiety or avoidance) and physical aggression for men. Results are discussed in terms of their clinical implications and directions for future research.

Anxiety sensitivity mediates relations between anxiety (but not depression) and problematic smartphone use severity, adjusting for age and sex, in Chinese adolescents early in the COVID ‐19 pandemic

“…Although not based on I‐PACE, previous research across several domains (e.g. between emotional disorders and smoking [Zvolensky et al, 2014 ], attachment and aggression [Watt et al, 2020 ], and between anxiety/depression and opioid misuse [Rogers et al, 2020 ]) established AS as a mediator, suggesting AS may best be conceptualized as a mediating variable in the present study.…”

The Mediating Role of Romantic Attachment in the Relationship Between Attachment to Parents and Aggression

“…Previous research (Watt et al, 2016; You and Kim, 2016; McDermott et al, 2017; Nakamura and Kawabata, 2018) focused their attention on the difference between male and females in the relationship between attachment and aggression. Specifically, Nakamura and Kawabata (2018) underlined that anxiously attached males displayed higher levels of both proactive and reactive aggression than anxiously attached females, who showed only proactive aggression.…”

“…Moreover, You and Kim (2016), conducted a study of a sample of adolescents and found that females with higher levels of parent and peer attachment, higher levels of empathy and higher levels of self-control presented lower levels of aggression than males, whereas only peer attachment was negatively associated with aggression for males. Finally, Watt et al (2016) suggested that men report more attachment avoidance than women and higher levels of aggression.…”

The self-fulfilling prophecy of insecurity: Mediation effects of conflict communication styles on the association between adult attachment and relationship adjustment

“…Expression of anger is at the very core of emotional functioning of anxiously attached partners (e.g. Clear et al, 2019; Watt et al, 2017) and is likely to lead to a reactive conflict style. Moreover, hostile communication has been relatively strongly linked with relationship dissatisfaction in both sexes in Woodin’s (2011) meta-analysis.…”