Sexual anxiety and sexual beliefs as mediators of the association between attachment orientation with sexual functioning and distress in university men and women

Previous research has demonstrated the association between sexual functioning and attachment orientation in women. However, the mechanisms of this relation are not yet well understood, and this effect has not been substantially investigated in men. The current study examines the role of sexual anxie...

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Published inThe Canadian journal of human sexuality Vol. 27; no. 1; pp. 21 - 32
Main Authors Dang, Silvain S, Northey, Lynnaea, Dunkley, Cara R, Rigby, Richard A, Gorzalka, Boris B
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Toronto University of Toronto Press 01.04.2018
SIECCAN, The Sex Information and Education Council of Canada
Subjects
Adolescents
Adults
Albinism
Analysis
Anxiety
Archives & records
Attachment
Caregivers
Gender differences
Hypotheses
Intimacy
Mediation
Medicine
Negative emotions
Personality
Psychological distress
Questionnaires
Regression analysis
Sexual behavior
Sexual beliefs
Sexual development
Sexual disorders
Sexual functioning
Sexuality
Social psychology
Surveys
Theory
Undergraduate Students
University students
Vulnerability
Women
Canada
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Summary:Previous research has demonstrated the association between sexual functioning and attachment orientation in women. However, the mechanisms of this relation are not yet well understood, and this effect has not been substantially investigated in men. The current study examines the role of sexual anxiety and dysfunctional beliefs about sexuality as mediators of the correlation of attachment orientation with sexual functioning and distress in both women and men. A university sample of men (n=307) and women (n=716) completed questionnaires assessing attachment orientation, sexual functioning, sexual distress, sexual anxiety, and dysfunctional sexual beliefs. Multiple regression analyses indicated that insecure attachment orientation significantly predicted poorer sexual functioning and higher sexual distress in both men and women. Path analyses showed partial mediation of these effects by sexual anxiety and dysfunctional sexual beliefs. Gender differences existed in the specific pattern of associations between the variables. These results suggest that attachment difficulties may facilitate the development of sexual difficulties through an increased vulnerability to maladaptive cognitions and negative affect (specifically anxiety) regarding sexuality.
ISSN:1188-4517
2291-7063
DOI:10.3138/cjhs.2017-0025