So far away from one's partner, yet so close to romantic alternatives
Avoidant attachment, interest in alternatives, and infidelity
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 6201562 |
|---|---|
| Authors | C Nathan Dewall (0000-0001-5469-6849, University of Kentucky), Nathaniel M Lambert (Florida State University), Erica B Slotter (0000-0003-3760-7546, Northwestern University), Richard S Pond (0000-0001-5446-7456, University of Kentucky), Timothy Deckman (University of Kentucky), E J Finkel (0000-0002-0213-5318, Northwestern University), Laura B Luchies (Northwestern University), F D Fincham (0000-0001-5081-2283, Florida State University) |
| Year | 2011 |
| Volume | 101 |
| Issue | 6 |
| Pages | 1302-1316 |
| Publication date | 2011-12-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Journal of Personality and Social Psychology (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0022-3514 • E-ISSN: 1939-1315 |
| Publisher | American Psychological Association (APA) (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.1037/a0025497 |
| PMID | 21967006 |
| OpenAlex | W2153599268 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 55 |
| References cited | 33 |
Temptation pervades modern social life, including the temptation to engage in infidelity. The present investigation examines one factor that may put individuals at a greater risk of being unfaithful to their partner: dispositional avoidant attachment style. The authors hypothesize that avoidantly attached people may be less resistant to temptations for infidelity due to lower levels of commitment in romantic relationships. This hypothesis was confirmed in 8 studies. People with high, vs. low, levels of dispositional avoidant attachment had more permissive attitudes toward infidelity (Study 1), showed attentional bias toward attractive alternative partners (Study 2), expressed greater daily interest in meeting alternatives to their current relationship partner (Study 5), perceived alternatives to their current relationship partner more positively (Study 6), and engaged in more infidelity over time (Studies 3, 4, 7, and 8). This effect was mediated by lower levels of commitment (Studies 5-8). Thus, avoidant attachment predicted a broad spectrum of responses indicative of interest in alternatives and propensity to engage in infidelity, which were mediated by low levels of commitment
Attachment theory · Developmental psychology · Partner effects · Permissive · Romance · Temptation · Attachment and Relationship Dynamics · Evolutionary Psychology and Human Behavior · Marriage and Sexual Relationships · Psychology · Social Psychology
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| Unique citing works | 55 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 3,93 |
| Citation span | 2012 - 2026 (15) |
| Citation velocity | current |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 51 |