Learned a new word today: sexting. You probably know what it means but I didn’t have a clue. Sexting is: sending and receiving sexually suggestive images, videos, or texts on cell phones. Smartphones, computers and other toys with internet access also creep into our relationships. For example visiting dating sites, long distance interactions with webcam, even relationship termination can be done online: idump4u.com.
A recent study looked at attachment styles and the use of sexting.
Attachment theory has proposed that the attachment one forms in infancy to a caregiver may form a basis for the attachment one forms later with a romantic partner.
Different attachment styles. exist according to this theory. Attachment anxiety may relate to those seeking information from their romantic partner
about intimacy, their partner, and the future of the relationship as well as engaging in sex to reduce feelings of insecurity about a relationship and to get emotionally close to the partner.
In this study they looked at adult romantic attachment styles and the use of sexting. 128 Participants completed the online questionnaire about attachment and sexting. They included 22 male students and 106 female students. Keeping in mind this over representation of women and the fact that the researchers didn’t use a validated instrument for measuring sexting, attachment anxiety predicted positive attitudes towards the use of sexting. Those with attachment anxiety found sexting normal and enhancing the romantic relationship. Attachment anxiety also predicted sending texts that solicit sexual activity for those individuals in relationships.
In short Sexting as the new expression of attachment anxiety.
Weisskirch, R., & Delevi, R. (2011). “Sexting” and adult romantic attachment Computers in Human Behavior DOI: 10.1016/j.chb.2011.02.008
Popularity: 4% [?]
Related posts:
Flickr
Twitter
FriendFeed
LinkedIn
Facebook
[...] A short, but interesting, post from Dr. Shock: Is Sexting a Form of Attachment Anxiety? [...]
[...] biology. There’s definitely some interesting reading, though. My current favorite: Sexting as a form of attachment anxiety, by psychiatrist Walter van den [...]