Partnership fears in the young adulthood period
Abstract
Objectives. The study aims at describe partnership fears in the young adulthood period and to examine the relationship between some factors (age, gender, attachment, break up, relationship with a partner) and presence and intensity of partnership fears. Sample. Overall, this study was participated in by 407 respondents from the longitudinal project “Cesty do dospělosti” (81% of women, the average age of the respondents was 23.53 years SD = 1,48; Min = 18,7, Max = 33). Method. Questionnaires were collected on-line (QMI, ECR-RS, Ex-Bond). Partnerships fears were collected by open-ended questions on fears. Results. The open-ended answers were categorized by using thematic analysis, into 7 categories (Fear of breaking up, of remaining alone, of not finding a partner, of partners disagreements, fears associated with a sense of the incompetence in partnership, of infidelity and generalized partnership fears). Multiple regression analysis indicated that the anxious attachment dimension to the partner and the experience of break up were found to be significant predictors of the presence of partnership fears. The gender, the existence of partnership and attachment anxiety to the partner were found to be significant predictors of the intensity of partnership fears. Limits. The study impact is limited by the sample structure. The sample was over-represented by women, students and respondents of older age group.
https://doi.org/10.29364/epsy.358
(Fulltext in Czech)
Keywords
partnership fears, young adulthood, fear of breaking up, attachmentLiterature
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