Internalized homonegativity moderates the association between attachment avoidance and emotional intimacy among same-sex male couples

Mónica Guzmán-González; Fabiola Gómez; Joaquín Bahamondes; Jaime Barrientos; Lusmenia Garrido-Rojas; Ricardo Espinoza-Tapia; Giulia Casu

doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1148005

Internalized homonegativity moderates the association between attachment avoidance and emotional intimacy among same-sex male couples

Front Psychol. 2023 Mar 29:14:1148005. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1148005. eCollection 2023.

Authors

Mónica Guzmán-González¹, Fabiola Gómez², Joaquín Bahamondes³, Jaime Barrientos⁴, Lusmenia Garrido-Rojas⁵, Ricardo Espinoza-Tapia³, Giulia Casu⁶

Affiliations

¹ Laboratory of Research in Attachment, Couple Relationships and Family, School of Psychology, Universidad Católica del Norte, Antofagasta, Chile.
² School of Psychology, Pontificia Universidad Católica, Santiago, Chile.
³ School of Psychology, Universidad Católica del Norte, Antofagasta, Chile.
⁴ Faculty of Psychology, Universidad Alberto Hurtado, Santiago, Chile.
⁵ Department of Psychology, Universidad Católica del Maule, Talca, Chile.
⁶ Department of Psychology, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy.

Abstract

Introduction: The present study aimed to examine dyadic associations between attachment insecurity and emotional intimacy in same-sex male couples, and to investigate whether and how each partner's internalized homonegativity (IH) moderated these associations.

Methods: The sample included 138 same-sex male couples. Both dyad members completed self-report measures of attachment insecurity, emotional intimacy, and IH. The actor-partner interdependence model with moderation analysis was applied.

Results: Indicated that higher levels of actor's and partner's attachment anxiety and attachment avoidance were associated with lower actor's emotional intimacy. IH moderated the partner effects of attachment avoidance on emotional intimacy. The partner's higher attachment avoidance was associated with one's own lower emotional intimacy at low (but not high) levels of one's own IH and at high (but not low) levels of the partner's IH.

Discussion: Findings suggest that the partner's attachment avoidance may differently affect one's own emotional intimacy depending on the IH levels of both dyad members. Helping partnered sexual minority men decrease attachment insecurity while recognizing their own and their partners' IH may promote relationship quality.

Keywords: attachment anxiety; attachment avoidance; emotional intimacy; internalized homonegativity; same-sex male couples.