Romantic Attachment and Relationship Satisfaction in Gay Men and Lesbians in Chile

J Sex Res. 2020 Oct;57(8):1026-1035. doi: 10.1080/00224499.2019.1671949. Epub 2019 Oct 25.

Abstract

Attachment theory has proven to be a solid framework for understanding couple bonds, but research focused on same-sex relationships among gay men and lesbian women from Latin America remains limited. The purpose of this study was to examine the association between romantic attachment and relationship satisfaction in a sample of Chilean gay men and lesbian women. A snowball sampling was used. The final sample consisted of 259 individuals involved in a same-sex couple relationship, ranging from 18 to 66 years of age (M = 27.2, SD = 6.8) for gay men and 18 to 57 years of age (M = 28.6, SD = 8.1) for lesbian women. Our hypotheses were partially supported, as there was a negative association between attachment avoidance and relationship satisfaction, but not between attachment anxiety and relationship satisfaction. We did not find a gender moderating effect. These findings may contribute to the understanding of lesbian and gay people in a same-sex couples relationship from an attachment theory perspective.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Chile
  • Female
  • Homosexuality, Female*
  • Homosexuality, Male
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Personal Satisfaction
  • Sexual and Gender Minorities*