Adult Attachment and Single vs. Partnered Relationship Status in Polish University Students

This study examined links between adult attachment and relationship status (single vs. partnered) in Polish young adults. Three hundred and seventeen participants (173 females and 144 males) aged 22-27 years (M=24.69, SD=1.87), completed the Polish-language version of the Revised Adult Attachment Scale (RAAS) used to measure adult attachment. All the respondents were heterosexual, unmarried and had no children. One hundred and fifty seven (49.50%) students declared being in a romantic relationship at the time of the assessment whilst 160 students (50.50%) were not. Results indicated that single participants reported higher levels of worry about being rejected or unloved (Anxiety dimension) and lower levels of comfort with closeness (Close dimension) and comfort with depending on others (Depend dimension). In terms of attachment categories, analyses indicated that higher proportions of single participants were categorized into fearful and preoccupied attachment styles and a lower proportion of them were categorized into the secure attachment style compared to partnered individuals. Discriminant analysis revealed that worry of being rejected or unloved (Anxiety dimension) was the strongest factor discriminating between single and partnered relationship status: the higher the anxiety dimension scores, the higher the chances of being single. No gender differences were obtained on attachment dimensions and styles.