The Influence of Primed Romantic Attachment on Attitudes Toward Consensual Non-Monogamy with a Mediating Role of Romantic Jealousy

Abstract

Although monogamy is the most common romantic relationship arrangement in Western cultures, interest and prevalence of consensual non-monogamy (CNM; romantic relationships negotiated between two or more people and therefore nonexclusive, either sexually, emotionally, or in combination) is increasing and attitudes tend to be negative. Furthermore, research indicates that romantic attachment impacts attitudes toward CNM, such that individuals who are anxiously attached report more negative attitudes than avoidant and securely attached individuals. However, previous research has only been correlational, thus the causal relationship between romantic attachment and CNM attitudes was assessed. Additionally, due to the relationships between attachment, jealousy, and CNM attitudes, the extent to which romantic jealousy mediates the relationship between romantic attachment and CNM attitudes was explored. A total of 173 adults were recruited via Mechanical Turk. Participants were randomly assigned to one of four conditions in which they were asked to reflect on a prompt designed to induce the three romantic attachment styles. All participants also completed a battery of questionnaires measuring romantic jealousy and CNM attitudes. Although results revealed that the manipulation did not have a significant effect on CNM attitudes (thus, a mediational analysis could not be performed), significant correlations between romantic jealousy and CNM attitudes emerged. Additionally, participants with infidelity experience reported higher jealousy. Results from this study have important implications for researchers and clinicians working to further understand if attachment can be manipulated and to help partners find ways to cope with and mitigate insecure attachment styles.