YOUNG ADULT ATTACHMENT STYLES AND INTIMATE RELATIONSHIPS WITH CLOSE FRIENDS A Cross-Cultural Study of Koreans and Caucasian Americans

The contribution of attachment styles to social intimacy and expectations of friends was investigated in Caucasian American and Korean young adults. Koreans scored higher on preoccupied attachment, lower on intimacy, and lower on friendship expectations. In regression analyses, secure attachment contributed positively and dismissive attachment contributed negatively to intimacy and positive expectations; culture added significantly to the equations, with Korean students reporting less intimate relationships with friends and more negative expectations than Caucasian Americans