Love Sick: Attachment Anxiety and COVID-Era Romantic Encounters Among College Students

Abstract

The current research explored how attachment anxiety influences attitudes and behaviors in romantic contexts among single emerging adults during COVID-19. Study 1 (n = 242) revealed that, despite increased risk perceptions, emerging adults high in attachment anxiety report decreased cautiousness and a greater percentage of hook-ups outside their pod/bubble. Attitudes about masking with a romantic partner mirrored those of low anxiety emerging adults. In study 2 (n = 186), we used a quasi-experimental design to explore whether romantic (vs. control) contexts differentially impact attitudes toward masking. High anxiety emerging adults reported somewhat increased risk perceptions across condition, but more negative attitudes toward masking and less confidence in helping a partner mask in the romantic (vs. control) condition. Low anxiety emerging adults’ attitudes and confidence were unaffected by condition. Results suggest that emerging adults high in anxiety, while generally more concerned about COVID, appeared to reduce cautiousness in romantic contexts.