Perceived partner responsiveness and self-objectification: The mediating role of insecure attachment in a dyadic context

Abstract

The main aim of this study is to investigate the mediating role of partner-specific insecure attachment (i.e., attachment anxiety and attachment avoidance) in the relationship between perceived partner responsiveness and self-objectification in a dyadic context. Data were collected from 139 heterosexual romantic partners (18–59 years old) with a mean relationship duration of 72 months. Dyadic analysis was conducted through the Actor-Partner Interdependence Mediation Model framework. Among women, those who perceived their partners as more responsive tended to feel less anxious and less avoidant in their attachment to their partners, and women who felt more anxious in their attachment reported higher levels of self-objectification. Among men, those who perceived their partners as more responsive tended to feel less avoidant to their partners. A partner effect was observed in women, where their perceived partner responsiveness predicted lower attachment anxiety in their male partners. In addition, the association between women’s perceived partner responsiveness and self-objectification was mediated by their attachment anxiety. The findings highlight the potentially critical role of core romantic relationship dynamics, i.e., perceived partner responsiveness and partner-specific attachment, on self-objectification. Thus, the current preliminary findings could be noteworthy in contributing to the growing literature on self-objectification in romantic relationships.