Relationship Between Attachment Styles and Willingness to Sign Prenuptial Agreements

Abstract

Prenuptial agreements are defined as written contracts between two people about to marry, deciding how future financial decisions and treatment of any potential children will be made in the event of relationship dissolution. Insecure attachments have been widely noted to influence the satisfaction and length of relationships due to avoidant and anxious individuals discomfort with closeness or fear of abandonment. The present study considers the influence attachment may have on willingness to sign a prenuptial agreement and whether this relationship extends to gender differences. A survey assessing the conditions under which a prenuptial agreement would be ideal and attachment dimensions was administered to 178 undergraduates. It was found men with attachment avoidance and anxiety were more willing to sign a prenuptial agreement, however the likelihood of signing was reduced when men were in a relationship.