Attachment and the quality of romantic relationships of young adults with same -sex parents
Abstract
The current study investigated attachment and the quality of romantic relationships in young adults with same-sex parents. Specifically, two variables, attachment-related anxiety and attachment-related avoidance were investigated to determine what extent they predicted relationship support, depth, and conflict. Participants consisted of 82 young adults, ages 18 to 30, who were raised from birth by same-sex parents and who were or had been in a committed romantic relationship in the past 18 months. Participants were required to complete a Demographics Questionnaire, the Experiences in Close Relationships–Revised (ECR–R) questionnaire, and the Quality of Relationships Inventory (QRI). Both measures demonstrated strong reliability estimates ranging from .84 to .98. Results indicated that the study sample did not differ from the normative samples in regards to avoidance and demonstrated significantly lower scores on the anxiety dimension. This finding suggested a more secure attachment pattern among young adults with same-sex parents compared to their peers' traditional families. Results of multiple regression analyses supported the study's three hypotheses. Lower scores in both attachment-related anxiety and avoidance (i.e., a secure attachment style) predicted the following characteristics of relationship quality: (a) higher support, (b) higher depth, and (c) lower conflict. These findings provide evidence that young adults raised by same-sex parents exhibit healthy attachment and interpersonal development. The results of this study suggest important sociopolitical, theoretical, and practical implications.
Subject Area
Social psychology|Developmental psychology|Gender studies|LGBTQ studies
Recommended Citation
Verdino, Joseph, "Attachment and the quality of romantic relationships of young adults with same -sex parents" (2009). ETD Collection for Fordham University. AAI3361367.
https://research.library.fordham.edu/dissertations/AAI3361367
