Attachment and first sexual experience

This investigation examined the relationship between first sexual experience and attachment tendencies. Subjects\u27 first sexual experiences were examined as a function of Bartholomew\u27s four attachment categories: secure, fearful, preoccupied, and dismissing (Bartholomew & Horowitz, 1991). It was hypothesized that if a person\u27s first sexual experience was negative, then he or she would score significantly lower on the secure attachment subscale. Results indicated (a) that college females who had a fearful attachment style were more likely to report that their first sexual partner pressured them into sex, b) that college females who were more dismissing in their attachment style were less likely to have pressured their first sexual partner into sex, and c) that college students who were more fearful in their attachment style were more likely to report having been manipulated into sex by their first sexual partners. The discussion focuses on discrepancies within the study and suggests considerations for future studies