Environmental Unpredictability in Childhood Is Associated with Anxious Romantic Attachment & Intimate Partner Violence Perpetration

Human life history theory describes how resources are allocated among conflicting life tasks, including trade-offs concerning reproduction. The current research investigates the unique importance of environmental unpredictability in childhood in association with romantic attachment, and explores whether objective or subjective measures of environmental risk are more informative for testing life history hypotheses. 

We hypothesize that 

1. unpredictability in childhood will be associated with greater anxious attachment, 
2. anxious attachment will be associated with intimate partner violence (IPV) perpetration, and 
3. anxious attachment will mediate the relationship between unpredictability in childhood and IPV perpetration. 

In two studies (total n= 391), participants in a heterosexual, romantic relationship completed self-report measures of childhood experiences, romantic attachment, and IPV perpetration. Study 1 provides support for Hypothesis 1. Hypothesis 1 is replicated only for men, but not women, in Study 2. Results of Study 2 provide support for Hypothesis 2 for men and women, and Hypothesis 3 was supported for men but not women. 

The findings contribute to the literature addressing the association of environmental risk in childhood on adult romantic relationship outcomes.

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By:  Barbaro N1, Shackelford TK2.

• 1Oakland University, Rochester, MI, USA nmbarbar@oakland.edu.
• 2Oakland University, Rochester, MI, USA. 
• J Interpers Violence. 2016 Mar 27. pii: 0886260516640548.

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Anxious and Hostile: Consequences of Anxious Adult Attachment in Predicting Male-Perpetrated Sexual Assault

Attachment theory has increasingly been utilized to understand the etiology of sexual violence, and anxious attachment appears to be especially informative in this domain. 

We investigate the influence of general anxious attachment and specific anxious attachment on hostile masculine attitudes to predict male-perpetrated sexual assault. We hypothesize that hostile masculinity will mediate the relationship between general anxious attachment style and sexual assault perpetration (Hypothesis 1) and the relationship between specific anxious attachment to the assaulted woman and sexual assault perpetration (Hypothesis 2). Men (N = 193) completed the Sexual Experiences Survey (SES) to determine sexual assault history and completed measures of general attachment style, specific attachment to the woman involved in the sexual activity, and measures of hostile masculine attitudes. 

Results support the hypothesized mediation models, such that general anxious attachment and specific anxious attachment are significantly associated with hostile masculinity, which in turn, predicts the likelihood of male-perpetrated sexual assault. 

The findings suggest that the unique characteristics of anxious attachment may escalate into hostile masculinity, which then increases the likelihood of sexual assault perpetration. 

This research is the first to investigate attachment bonds to the woman involved in the sexual activity and likelihood of sexual assault perpetration against the same woman.

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By:  Nicole Barbaro1⇑, Michele R. Parkhill1, David Nguyen2, ¹Oakland University, Rochester, MI, USA

²University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Nicole Barbaro, Department of Psychology, Oakland University, 108 Pryale Hall, Rochester, MI 48309, USA. Email: nmbarbar@oakland.edu

J Interpers Violence January 3, 2016 0886260515622301

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Sexual Functioning and Behavior of Men with Body Dysmorphic Disorder Concerning Penis Size Compared with Men Anxious about Penis Size and with Controls

Little is known about the sexual functioning and behavior of men anxious about the size of their penis and the means that they might use to try to alter the size of their penis.

To compare sexual functioning and behavior in men with body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) concerning penis size and in men with small penis anxiety (SPA without BDD) and in a control group of men who do not have any concerns.

An opportunistic sample of 90 men from the community were recruited and divided into three groups: BDD (n = 26); SPA (n = 31) and controls (n = 33).

The Index of Erectile Function (IEF), sexual identity and history; and interventions to alter the size of their penis.

Men with BDD compared with controls had reduced erectile dysfunction, orgasmic function, intercourse satisfaction and overall satisfaction on the IEF. Men with SPA compared with controls had reduced intercourse satisfaction. There were no differences in sexual desire, the frequency of intercourse or masturbation across any of the three groups. Men with BDD and SPA were more likely than the controls to attempt to alter the shape or size of their penis (for example jelqing, vacuum pumps or stretching devices) with poor reported success.

Men with BDD are more likely to have erectile dysfunction and less satisfaction with intercourse than controls but maintain their libido. Further research is required to develop and evaluate a psychological intervention for such men with adequate outcome measures.

Table 2

Sexual history of BDD, SPA, and control participants

Measure	BDD group	Small penis anxiety group	Control group	Comparison
	n = 26	n = 31	n = 33	ANCOVA/Fisher's Exact Test
Previous sexual experience, n (%)	23 (88.5)	30 (96.8)	32 (97)	Fisher's Exact Test P = 0.432
Mean age at first sexual experience (SD)	17.17 (5.80)	19.13 (5.78)	18.66 (2.77)	n/a
Mean number of previous sexual partners (SD)	22.15 (29.37)	35.90 (94.15)	36.16 (105.00)	F (2, 86) = 1.60, P = 0.209
Median number of previous sexual partners	12.50	6.00	12.50
Mean number of long-term sexual partners (SD)	3.12 (2.76)	2.13 (1.50)	2.94 (2.95)	F (2, 86) = 0.823, P = 0.443
Mean frequency of sexual intercourse per month (SD)	2.88 (4.66)	5.29 (7.78)	6.58 (6.58)	F (2, 86) = 0.700, P = 0.499
Mean frequency of pornography access per month (SD)	11.69 (11.45)	13.87 (12.94)	15.00 (12.12)	F (2, 86) = 0.219, P = 0.804
Mean age at first masturbation (SD)	14.46 (5.84)	12.58 (3.01)	12.76 (2.17)	F (2, 86) = 2.73, P = 0.071
Mean frequency of masturbation per month (SD)	14.54 (11.63)	16.68 (9.91)	20.58 (15.73)	F (2, 86) = 1.21, P = 0.304
Belief penis damaged through masturbation, n (%) (0 “not at all”—10 “convinced”)	3 (11.5)	5 (16.1)	4 (12.1)	Fisher's Exact Test P = 0.859
Sexual Orientation, n (%)
Heterosexual	19 (73.1)	22 (71.0)	26 (78.8)	Fisher's Exact Test P = 0.790
Homosexual	7 (26.9)	9 (29.0)	7 (21.2)

Table 4

Interventions tried to alter the size or appearance of the penis, and their success rates

Measure	BDD group	Small penis anxiety group	Control group	Comparison
	n = 26	n = 31	n = 33
Previous attempt to alter the shape or size of the penis, n (%)	11 (42.3)	10 (32.3)	0 (0)	Fisher's Exact Test P < 0.001
Mean number of procedures tried (SD)	1.75 (0.75),	1.36 (0.67)	n/a	t (20) = .−1.29, P = 0.211
Type of procedure n (%)
Exercises	2 (18.2)	8 (80)
Pump	2 (18.2)	0 (0)	n/a	Fisher's Exact Test P = 0.083
Elastic stretching device	1 (9)	0 (0)
Viagra	1 (9)	0 (0)
Multiple procedures	5 (45.5)	2 (20)
Mean cosmetic success of procedure (0–8) (SD)	2.67 (2.31)	5.00 (1.87)	n/a	t (20) = 1.58, P = 0.166
Mean reduced preoccupation with size concern following the procedure (0–8)(SD)	1.67 (2.08)	4.17 (2.40)	n/a	t (20) = 1.53, P = 0.170

Full article at: http://goo.gl/8HIR4D

By: David Veale,* Sarah Miles,* Julie Read,* Andrea Troglia,* Kevan Wylie,† and Gordon Muir‡

*Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neurosciences, Kings College London, South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK

†Porterbrook Clinic, Sheffield Health and Social Care NHS Foundation Trust, Sheffield, UK

‡King's College Hospital, NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK

  

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