The Interaction of Attachment Styles and Gender on Loneliness

Abstract

This study aimed to examine the interactive effects of attachment styles and gender on loneliness. In total, 487 Japanese adults with a mean age of 40.92 years completed the adult attachment style scales for “the generalized others” (ECR-GO), and the Japanese Version of the UCLA Loneliness Scale Version 3. Multiple regression analyses revealed a significant interaction between attachment anxiety and gender. Since the interaction was significant, a simple slope test indicated that the association between attachment anxiety and loneliness tended to be greater for women, while the association between attachment anxiety and loneliness was lesser for men.