Being "single and unattached": The role of adult attachment styles

This study compared adult attachment styles across 3 groups of young adults: those seriously dating someone (n = 89), casually dating someone (n = 39), or not dating (n = 33). Respondents who were casually dating and not dating rated themselves higher on fearful attachment compared to those who were seriously dating. Higher proportions of respondents in the casually dating and non-dating groups compared to seriously dating individuals also categorized themselves into fearful or dismissing attachment groups and a lower proportion into the secure attachment group. Logistic regression analyses indicate that higher scores on fearful attachment significantly increased the odds of being single and unattached. These findings confirm a link between adult attachment and relationship status, not only in theory but also in practice.