Gender and birth cohort differences in adult attachment in Chinese college students: A meta-analysis

Since China adopted its reform and opening-up policy, the state of society has changed dramatically. Correspondingly, Chinese college students' scores of the Experiences in Close Relationships scale are expected to have changed from 2003 to 2015. A cross-temporal meta-analysis found that Chinese college students' scores of the attachment anxiety subscale increased by 0.2 standard deviations in the past 13years. With a turning point in 2009, the scores of the attachment avoidance subscale increased by 0.58 standard deviations from 2003 to 2009 and decreased by 0.57 standard deviations from 2009 to 2015. Five social indicators including divorce rate, C-section rate, household size, Consumer Price Index, and Gini coefficient showed significant correlation with attachment anxiety. The results from a second meta-analysis showed that there was no gender difference or cohort effect in gender difference in Chinese college students' adult attachment scores. Finally, the explanations and implications of these changes and the insignificant gender difference are discussed. •The quality of Chinese students' adult attachment decreased in the past 13years.•Five social indicators can explain the changing pattern of adult attachment.•No gender difference was found in Chinese students' adult attachment.•No cohort effect of gender difference was found in the students' adult attachment.