Smith, Courtney (2010) Self-reported Attachment Style and Fear of Intimacy: The Impact of Perfectionism. Honours thesis, University of Southern Queensland. (Unpublished)
Abstract
The development of attachment theory has offered a model through which to understand the different patterns of behaviour individuals engage in when interacting with significant others. The area of attachment has instigated a substantial amount of research due to the suggestion that gaining an understanding of attachment constructs may enable additional understanding of the social, interpersonal and personal factors related to relationships. One domain which has not been extensively explored in relation to attachment is intimacy, or in the case of this study, fear of intimacy. A reluctance to engage in intimacy has been linked to enduring relationship problems, thus understanding the precursors to fear of intimacy would be beneficial for assisting individuals experiencing relationship difficulties (Hook, Gerstein, Detterich, & Gridley, 2003). The aim of the current study was to investigate whether insecure attachment styles (anxious and avoidant) were significant predictors of fear of intimacy in a university population. Previous research using university samples found that a large proportion of individuals endorsed perfectionist traits within the student population (Rice & Slaney, 2002). A limited amount of research has investigated the impact perfectionism has on university student’s well-being and functioning. Thus this study also aimed to investigate the impact of perfectionist classification on the relationship between avoidant attachment and fear of intimacy. The final sample of participants consisted of 257 undergraduate students who volunteered to complete an online test battery. The Experiences in Close Relationships-Revised Questionnaire was employed to measure self-reported adult attachment style in relation to individual’s romantic relationships (Fraley, Waller, & Brennan, 2000); the Fear of Intimacy Scale was used to assess the degree individuals felt capable of engaging in an intimate interactions (Descutner & Thelen, 1991); and the Almost Perfect Scale-Revised was utilised to measure an individual’s endorsement of perfectionist traits (Slaney, Rice, Mobley, Trippi, & Ashby, 2001). Analysis revealed that both avoidant and anxious attachment styles were significantly associated with and could predict fear of intimacy, with large overall effect sizes (p < .001). Of the final sample 56% of participants were categorised as non-perfectionists, 14% were classified as adaptive perfectionists and 30% were classified as maladaptive perfectionists. Further analysis revealed that perfectionist classification was a partial mediator in the relationship between avoidant attachment and fear of intimacy, with a large overall effect size (p < .05). These findings have implications for the development and implementation of interventions aimed at individuals struggling with intimacy difficulties. These results also highlight the importance of further understanding perfectionism and its impact, as pre-emptive awareness of potential issues for students may assist universities to aid students more effectively. This study supports a new approach to investigating potential difficulties in university student’s well-being, development and functioning by highlighting the connection between perfectionist classification, attachment and fear of intimacy.
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| Item Type: | Thesis (Non-Research) (Honours) |
|---|---|
| Item Status: | Live Archive |
| Additional Information: | Current UniSQ staff and students can request access to this thesis. Please email research.repository@unisq.edu.au with a subject line of SEAR thesis request and provide: Name of the thesis requested and Your name and UniSQ email address |
| Faculty/School / Institute/Centre: | Historic - Faculty of Sciences - Department of Psychology (Up to 30 Jun 2013) |
| Supervisors: | Littler, Sue |
| Qualification: | Bachelor of Science (Honours) (Psychology) |
| Date Deposited: | 16 Mar 2026 02:02 |
| Last Modified: | 16 Mar 2026 02:02 |
| Fields of Research (2008): | 17 Psychology and Cognitive Sciences > 1799 Other Psychology and Cognitive Sciences > 179999 Psychology and Cognitive Sciences not elsewhere classified |
| Fields of Research (2020): | 52 PSYCHOLOGY > 5299 Other psychology > 529999 Other psychology not elsewhere classified |
| URI: | https://sear.unisq.edu.au/id/eprint/52764 |
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