"Settling for less out of fear of being single": Correction to Spielmann et al. (2013).

Abstract

Reports an error in "Settling for less out of fear of being single" by Stephanie S. Spielmann, Geoff MacDonald, Jessica A. Maxwell, Samantha Joel, Diana Peragine, Amy Muise and Emily A. Impett (Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 2013[Dec], Vol 105[6], 1049-1073). In the article, the Fear of Being Single Scale used in Study 3 was in fact a version adapted for those currently involved in relationships. In error, it was reported that participants completed the exact same Fear of Being Single Scale as in the other studies in the manuscript, with items generally worded as though participants were currently single (e.g., "I feel it is close to being too late for me to find the love of my life"). The scale items in Study 3 were the same as those in the original scale but included qualifiers such as "If I were single, it would be close to being too late for me to find the love of my life." (The following abstract of the original article appeared in record 2013-36062-001.) The present research demonstrates that fear of being single predicts settling for less in romantic relationships, even accounting for constructs typically examined in relationship research such as anxious attachment. Study 1 explored the content of people's thoughts about being single. Studies 2A and 2B involved the development and validation of the Fear of Being Single Scale. Study 2C provided preliminary support for the hypothesis that fear of being single predicts settling for less in ongoing relationships, as evidenced by greater dependence in unsatisfying relationships. Study 3 replicated this effect in a longitudinal study demonstrating that fear of being single predicts lower likelihood of initiating the dissolution of a less satisfying relationship. Studies 4A and 4B explored the predictive ability of fear of being single for self-reported dating standards. Across both samples, fear of being single was unrelated to self-reported standards for a mate, with the exception of consistently higher standards for parenting. Studies 5 and 6 explored romantic interest in targets that were manipulated to vary in responsiveness and physical attractiveness. These studies found that fear of being single consistently predicted romantic interest in less responsive and less attractive dating targets. Study 7 explored fear of being single during a speed-dating event. We found that fear of being single predicted being less selective in expressing romantic interest but did not predict other daters' romantic interest. Taken together, the present research suggests that fear of being single is a meaningful predictor of settling for less in relationships. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).