Sexual Shame and Emotional Disconnection: The Mediating Role of Fear of Intimacy
Keywords:
Sexual shame, fear of intimacy, emotional disconnectionAbstract
This study aimed to examine the mediating role of fear of intimacy in the relationship between sexual shame and emotional disconnection in romantic relationships. A descriptive correlational design was employed involving 378 adult participants from Georgia, selected based on the Morgan and Krejcie sample size table. Participants completed standardized self-report questionnaires measuring sexual shame, fear of intimacy, and emotional disconnection. Data were analyzed using SPSS-27 for Pearson correlation and AMOS-24 for structural equation modeling (SEM). The assumptions of normality, linearity, and multicollinearity were checked and confirmed prior to inferential analysis. Pearson correlation analysis revealed that sexual shame was positively correlated with both fear of intimacy (r = .63, p < .001) and emotional disconnection (r = .59, p < .001), and that fear of intimacy was strongly correlated with emotional disconnection (r = .68, p < .001). The SEM analysis indicated an acceptable model fit (χ² = 186.73, df = 84, χ²/df = 2.22, CFI = 0.96, TLI = 0.95, RMSEA = 0.056). Path analysis showed that sexual shame had a significant direct effect on fear of intimacy (β = 0.63, p < .001) and emotional disconnection (β = 0.28, p < .001). Furthermore, fear of intimacy significantly predicted emotional disconnection (β = 0.58, p < .001) and partially mediated the relationship between sexual shame and emotional disconnection. The indirect effect was also significant (β = 0.37, p < .001), with the total effect of sexual shame on emotional disconnection estimated at β = 0.65 (p < .001). The findings underscore the significant mediating role of fear of intimacy in the link between sexual shame and emotional disconnection, highlighting the importance of addressing intimacy-related fears in clinical interventions aimed at reducing emotional disengagement in relationships.
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