Attachment styles of women-younger partners in age-gap relationships.

[Anonymous]

Attachment styles of women-younger partners in age-gap relationships.
Skentelbery, Sara G.; Fowler, Darren M.

Women have evolved to seek an older mate, however, research has shown negative opinions toward these relationships if the age-gap is significant. The most popular opinion is that women who date men that are 10 years or more their senior have an unhealthy relationship with their father. We investigated women-younger partners in age-gapped heterosexual romantic relationships to see if they differ in attachment styles when compared with women in similar-age relationships. We predicted that women in age-gap relationships will be predominantly securely attached, because it is evolutionary beneficial for women to seek older mates, and that there will be no significant difference in attachment styles between women in age-gap versus similar-age relationships. The common belief that the women who choose much older partners because of having “daddy issues” was unfounded in this study. There was no significant difference in attachment styles between the 2 groups, and 74% of the women in age-gap relationships were securely attached. Results are consistent with the limited literature on age-gap relationships regarding attachment style and relationship satisfaction. This study adds to the growing body of literature on attachment style and offers insight into the less-explored age-gap relationship dynamic. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)

http://psycnet.apa.org/psycinfo/2015-55834-001/

[Anonymous]

The 10 years rule is a bit simplistic. Big difference between 19 and 29. Not as big between 35 and 45.

[Anonymous]

There is a 14 year age gap between myself and BF, I am 33 and he is 47. I certainly don't have any daddy issues, in fact one of my best relationships I have is with my father. I agree w/ the PP that there is a huge difference between 19 and 29 and it depends on where the age gap is. At 33, I am mature, have my own career, goals, have a good understanding of who I am, etc and the same goes for my partner. I hardly recognize our age gap, except for when talking about movies, LOL. I appreciate our age gap because he is mature and has a lot of life experience and I view myself as an old soul. It works for us.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There is a 14 year age gap between myself and BF, I am 33 and he is 47. I certainly don't have any daddy issues, in fact one of my best relationships I have is with my father. I agree w/ the PP that there is a huge difference between 19 and 29 and it depends on where the age gap is. At 33, I am mature, have my own career, goals, have a good understanding of who I am, etc and the same goes for my partner. I hardly recognize our age gap, except for when talking about movies, LOL. I appreciate our age gap because he is mature and has a lot of life experience and I view myself as an old soul. It works for us.

My situation is somewhat similar, there is a 15 year difference (I am 52) and my gf (she is 37). We get along in every way except she wants to have a child and I already have several from a previous marriage and don't want more. That will be the deal breaker if we end the relationship, which by all means is great except for the child thing.

[Anonymous]

I've always assumed women who are attracted to older men are gay.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I've always assumed women who are attracted to older men are gay.

There was a 9 year gap between me and my ex DW. She decided she likes girls LOL

[Anonymous]

My husband is ten years older than I am. I didn't know that when we started dating, since he really does look younger. I have no daddy issues--my father was loving and supportive.

[Anonymous]

The "daddy issue" thing is just based on jealousy. There really no there there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The "daddy issue" thing is just based on jealousy. There really no there there.

Said the biggest lesbian of them all....

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I've always assumed women who are attracted to older men are gay.

That makes no sense. Wouldn't an older man be the complete opposite of what a lesbian would be interested in?

[Anonymous]

I think looks matter a great deal in these cases.

If there is an age difference, but they look around the same age, it doesn't seem like a big deal. But if one of the people in the relationship looks a generation older, it does hit you more as "whoah -- that guy must be rich!"

Look at Mary-Kate Olsen's boyfriend: Olivier Sarkozy. He's like 17 years older than she is, but he looks 25-30 years older, so it just seems odd. On the other hand, if she was dating Jared Leto, or Ryan Phillipe, they would look around the same age and it would jump out as much.

[Anonymous]

I like men in their early thirties. This age group hits the sweet spot in being sexually attractive for me. When I was 19, I guess I had daddy issues. At 49, I am a cougar. Lol!

[Anonymous]

Any journal devoted to evolutionary biology is totally suspect, IMO. They are always attributing everything to evolution, without considering the role of culture, society, institutions. I think they are pretty much looked down upon by those in other social science fields. Also, notwithstanding the female author of the study, the field tends to be populated by men looking for "evolutionary explanations" for sexist behavior.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Any journal devoted to evolutionary biology is totally suspect, IMO. They are always attributing everything to evolution, without considering the role of culture, society, institutions. I think they are pretty much looked down upon by those in other social science fields. Also, notwithstanding the female author of the study, the field tends to be populated by men looking for "evolutionary explanations" for sexist behavior.

Culture, society and institutions are arguably themselves a product of evolution. Male behavior in humans has clear parallels with male behavior in other mammals. I haven't heard about Evolutionary Biology being "looked down upon." This sounds like wishful thinking by someone who doesn't like what they have to say.