The Relationship between social anxiety, attachment styles and the quality of friendships and romantic relationships

Livesey, Sarah (2018) The Relationship between social anxiety, attachment styles and the quality of friendships and romantic relationships. Undergraduate thesis, Dublin, National College of Ireland.

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Abstract

This research aims to examine if social anxiety and attachment styles including secure, fearful-avoidant, preoccupied and dismissing attachment predict the quality of friendships and romantic relationships. Participants from the general population (n= 105) aged 18-23 completed questionnaires online including the Social Interaction Anxiety Scale-Short Form, the Friendship Quality Scale, the Feeling Close and Intimate Scale and the Attachment Style Questionnaire-Short Form. Secure attachment predicted better quality friendships and romantic relationships. Secure attachment predicted better quality romantic relationships more strongly and to a statistically significant level (β= .34, p= .014). Fearful-avoidant attachment predicted poorer quality friendships and romantic relationships but this was not statistically significant. Preoccupied attachment predicted better quality friendships and romantic relationships but this was a very weak prediction specifically for friendship quality and was not statistically significant. Dismissing attachment predicted poorer quality romantic relationships only but was not statistically significant. Higher levels of social anxiety predicted poorer quality friendships only but this was not statistically significant. Overall, the model in this study was stronger and statistically significant in explaining romantic relationship quality (Adjusted R2= .21, P= .005). The main implications of this study include supporting the implementation of and benefitting psychological interventions.

Item Type:	Thesis (Undergraduate)
Subjects:	B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > Psychology
Divisions:	School of Business > BA (Honours) in Psychology
Depositing User:	Caoimhe Ní Mhaicín
Date Deposited:	22 Oct 2018 14:24
Last Modified:	22 Oct 2018 14:24
URI:	https://norma.ncirl.ie/id/eprint/3275

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