Gay males' intimate relationship quality: The roles of attachment security, gay identity, social support, and income

Past research of relationship quality in same-sex couples has emphasized similarities with heterosexual couples. The present study examined both general and gay-specific intra- and interpersonal factors as predictors of gay men's relationship durability and relationship satisfaction. Our proposed path model postulated effects of contextual variables on self and relationships (i.e., social support/acceptance as context for attachment security, self-acceptance, and intimate relationships). The data, collected from an Israeli sample of gay men (N= 121), supported this model. All hypothesized paths were significant: Attachment security mediated the association of perceived friends' support and self-acceptance with relationship quality, self-acceptance mediated the association of self-definition and perceived friends' acceptance with relationship quality, and income had a direct association with relationship quality.