RESEARCH_FILE
Lauren A. Reed
University of Michigan (now Arizona State University)
Known for:Coining 'electronic intrusion' and tracing it to attachment anxiety across college and high-school dating relationships
SEE THE PRACTICE
Turn a thought this research explains into one clear move.
THE THOUGHT
“They're online but not replying to me”
YOUR RECORDED RESPONSE
“A timestamp is not a sentence. It's a timestamp.”
ONE PRIVATE MOVE
Close the app. Write down the exact time you last checked their status. Do not reopen the app to verify their status for 15 minutes. Notice what the silence actually feels like without the timestamp feedback.
Key findings
- 2015
Among college students in dating relationships, reading a partner's private messages, tracking their whereabouts, and monitoring who they talk to — all without permission — was predicted by attachment anxiety in both men and women. Too Close for Comfort: Attachment Insecurity and Electronic Intrusion in College Students' Dating Relationships ↗
- 2016
Extending the same construct to 703 high-school students, higher attachment anxiety again predicted more frequent electronic intrusion — reading messages, monitoring whereabouts, and pressuring a partner for constant contact — for both girls and boys. Keeping Tabs: Attachment Anxiety and Electronic Intrusion in High School Dating Relationships ↗