“Sexual Self-Concept” and Attachment in Couples and Singles

Sexual self-concept refers to the totality of oneself as a sexual being, including positive and negative concepts and feelings. Sexual self-concept is described well along three dimensions, according to theorists (Snell & Papini, 1989) sexual self-esteem, sexual depression, and sexual preoccupation. Because attachment style moderates sense-of-self in general, and one’s expectations about and strategies for approaching relationships, sexual self-concept may be a good indicator of what kinds of relationships we tend to get into, and how we tend to behave within relationships, with an emphasis on sexual satisfaction.

In their recent research paper, “Sexual self-concept, sexual satisfaction, and attachment among single and coupled individuals,” authors Anticevic and colleagues (2017) examine the less-well studied intersection of partnering status, attachment style, and sexual self-concept (Pujols, Meston & Seal, 2010).

The authors look at a sample of single and coupled adults averaging 35 years of age, ranging from 25 to 45 years of age. They surveyed 630 men and women, an equal number of each. Interestingly, the level of education in this sample was higher than in the general population, limiting the results in some ways but making them possibly more specific for more highly educated people. Study subjects completed the…