Correlates of Adult Attachment Avoidance: Men's Avoidance of Intimacy in Romantic Relationships

The authors examined associations among 266 undergraduate men’s perceptions of parental bonding, gender role conflict, affect regulation capacity, and adult attachment avoidance. Partial support for the hypothesized mediation effects was found, with results suggesting that emotion regulation suppression and reappraisal helped explain the association between men’s memories of maternal bonding care and adult attachment avoidance. Furthermore, results identified potential mechanisms of influence underlying the development of men’s avoidance of intimacy. Clinical implications and suggestions for further research are provided.