1. Objectifs

Intentions :
«The current study aimed at exploring how attachment insecurities are related to sexual coercion victimization through their associations with the way couples communicate during conflicts using a community-based sample of couples […].» (p. 747)

Questions/Hypothèses :
«In the current study, it was expected that attachment insecurities would be positively associated with more frequent sexual coercion victimization in respondents and their partners (direct actor and partner effects) and that these associations would be mediated by lower constructive communication and higher use of all types of destructive communication patterns (demand/withdraw, withdraw/withdraw or demand/demand).» (p. 748)

2. Méthode

Échantillon/Matériau :
«The sample was comprised of 145 French-Canadian couples recruited in the province of Quebec, including 123 cross-gender (women-men) and 22 same-gender couples (15 women-women, 7 men-men). One participant identified as a trans man and was analyzed as a man. On average, participants were aged 30.8 years […], had been in their current relationship for 6.3 years […].» (p. 748)

Instruments :
Questionnaire

Type de traitement des données :
Analyse statistique

3. Résumé

«[R]esults showed that (1) attachment insecurities are associated with the perception of the use of more destructive communication patterns which are, in turn, related to more sexual coercion victimization; (2) attachment avoidance is more consistently associated (actor and partner effects) with communication patterns and sexual coercion victimization than attachment anxiety; and (3) few gender effects were found, indicating that the gender of the participants and of the dyad rarely modifies the strength of associations between variables. Results supported [the] hypotheses and suggest that attachment insecurities are related to the perception of a diminished ability to express one’s needs and emotions constructively and to be open to negotiation and compromise during conflicts with a romantic partner. Results also imply that the perception of engaging in less constructive communication in the face of conflicts with the partner might manifest in the sexual aspects of one’s relationship, through the more frequent feeling of being coerced by the partner. In other words, attachment insecurities might manifest in dysfunctional communication patterns with the partner in ways that refrain individuals from asserting their emotions or their needs, which might extend to how they experience sex with the partner.» (p. 754-755)