Adult attachment style and lateral preferences in physical proximity

Abstract

Attachment scale is constructed from two components (anxiety and avoidance) effectively treated as providing salient measures in previous studies. Recent studies have suggested associations between sensitivities to physical warmth and anxiety scores of attachment scale. Some researchers also suggest that the degree of one’s comfort with physical proximity depends on attachment styles, attributing differences to the number of oxytocin (a neuropeptide released by physical touch) receptors. Lateral preference is an important aspect of physical proximity, coupled with the lateralization of visual, emotional, and other cognitive systems. However, there are few studies investigating the relationship between attachment scale scores and one’s lateral preferences in physical proximity. Here we surveyed the preferences of subjects regarding positional relations with their romantic partner in some daily situations, and examined the association with attachment scale score. Our results show that the existence or absence of partner correlates with different relations between attachment styles and subjects’ awareness of lateral preferences. Lateral preferences in physical proximity may play an important role in attachment in adulthood.