The Mediating Role of Attachment Styles in the Relationship Between Rejection Sensitivity and Marriage Expectation in University Students

Abstract

University years are the years of intense anxiety about the future for university students. A young person is worried about what kind of life (s)he will have in the future and who (s)he will marry. Because one of the most important events in human life is marriage and having a happy marriage is an important life goal of individuals. Spouses have many expectations from each other, such as friendship, intimacy, compatibility, and equality. However, failure to meet expectations in marriage has been identified as an important factor in the termination of a marriage. These expectations became clear in the years coinciding with the university period. The present study aims to investigate the mediating role of attachment styles in the relationship between rejection sensitivity and marriage expectation. The sample group for this study included 365 university students, 265 females and 100 males. A questionnaire form, the Marriage Expectancy Scale, the Three-Dimensional Attachment Styles Scale, and the Rejection Sensitivity Scale were used to collect data. The data collected were analyzed using descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, and mediator analysis methods. The analyses revealed that secure attachment has a partial mediating role in the relationship between rejection sensitivity and marriage expectation. However, avoidant attachment and fearful attachment were found to have no mediating role. In line with the findings from this study, it is recommended that seminars be delivered on this issue and that similar studies be conducted with different groups.