A look at rejection sensitivity, fear of intimacy, and fear of abandonment as possible predictors of attachment style in current romantic relationships

• Main Authors: De Dios, Martin Lorenzo M., Lim, Natalie Nicole T.
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Animo Repository 2009
• Subjects: Attachment behavior; Rejection (Psychology); Man-woman relationships; Love; Psychology
• Online Access: https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/etd_bachelors/5037
• Institution: De La Salle University

This study examined rejection sensitivity in previous romantic relationships, fear of intimacy, and fear of abandonment as predictors of current attachment style among college undergraduate adolescents presently involved in a romantic relationship. Participants were 150 male (74) and female (76) college students from different universities in Metro Manila. The Rejection Sensitivity Questionnaire, the Fear of Intimacy Scale, the Depressive Experiences Questionnaire and the Experiences in Close Relationships Questionnaire were used to measure rejection sensitivity, fear of intimacy, fear of abandonment, and attachment style, respectively. Results of multiple regression analysis found that fear of intimacy and fear of abandonment were significant predictors of insecure attachment style, indicating that they are components of attachment style, but may not necessarily be limited to current relationships. Rejection sensitivity, however, was not found to be a significant predictor of insecure attachment style. This indicates that attachment style may have already developed in relationships that have occurred even prior to previous romantic relationships, particularly those in childhood, and that attachment style has remained consistent over time.