Abstract
Previous studies have shown that romantic partners and siblings are important attachment figures. This study compares the attachment to the romantic partner with the attachment to the sibling as a function of the participant’s sibling type among monozygotic (MZ) twins, dizygotic (DZ) twins, and non-twin (NT) siblings. The results show that MZ twins prefer their sibling to their romantic partner whereas DZ twins are equally attached to their sibling and romantic partner. In contrast, NT siblings are more attached to their romantic partner compared to their sibling. These results indicate that genetic relatedness has profound impact on a person’s attachment hierarchy and the relative rank of the romantic partner and the sibling.
Highlights
Attachment plays an important role in a human being’s life, serving as a buffer against life stressors (Hazan & Zeifman, 1994; Shaver & Mikulincer, 2008)
We compared monozygotic (MZ), dizygotic (DZ) and non-twin (NT) siblings in the way they form the relative rank of the sibling and the romantic partner in their attachment hierarchies
Prior to the main analyses, we analyzed the associations among the three different dependent variables across all participants to validate our new rank place attachment hierarchy measure
Summary
Attachment plays an important role in a human being’s life, serving as a buffer against life stressors (Hazan & Zeifman, 1994; Shaver & Mikulincer, 2008). It is understood as an emotional bond between two persons that is relatively long-lasting and in which the attachment figure is perceived as unique, individual, and irreplaceable (Ainsworth, 1991). The aim of this study was to test the role of genetic relatedness in the attachment to the sibling and the romantic partner. In a person’s life more than one person can serve as an attachment figure
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callMore From: Interpersona: An International Journal on Personal Relationships
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
