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The Person and the Partner: Individual Differences Moderate the Relationship Between Partner Feedback and Condom Use

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Abstract

Attachment anxiety is negatively associated with condom use; however, little research has assessed mechanisms underlying this relationship. In two studies we assessed the relationships among attachment orientations, perceived partner rejection, and condom use. In Study 1 we used a survey methodology and found that a measure of perceived partner rejection mediated the relationship between attachment anxiety and reported condom use behavior. In Study 2, women responded to condom use scenarios in which rejection was manipulated. We found a three-way interaction among attachment anxiety, attachment avoidance, and condom use intentions, such that perceived rejection from a potential sexual partner was associated with greater intentions to engage in unprotected sexual intercourse among women high in attachment anxiety and low in attachment avoidance, and among those high in attachment avoidance and low in attachment anxiety.

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Acknowledgments

The present research was supported by a grant to the first author from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC Grant Number 410-2010-2118).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, Queen’s University, Kingston, ON, K7L 3N6, Canada

    Tara K. MacDonald, Claire McKenna & Leigh C. Mouck

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  1. Tara K. MacDonald
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  2. Claire McKenna
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  3. Leigh C. Mouck
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Correspondence to Tara K. MacDonald.

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MacDonald, T.K., McKenna, C. & Mouck, L.C. The Person and the Partner: Individual Differences Moderate the Relationship Between Partner Feedback and Condom Use. AIDS Behav 20 (Suppl 1), 185–196 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10461-015-1153-4

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