Relationship Context – not Status – Linked to Sleep among Emerging Adults during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Live Poster Session: Zoom Link

Gabe Goldberg
Gabe Goldberg

Gabe Goldberg (‘22) is a senior double major in Psychology and Economics with a minor in Data Analysis. He grew up in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He is particularly interested in the effects of personal relationships on sleep. Outside of the lab, Gabe is the Chairman of the Board for the Arcadia Political Review at Wesleyan, and he also co-runs a student forum on the psychology of the reality TV show Survivor.

Abstract: Past research has established a link between personal relationships and well-being, with romantic relationship status, attachment anxiety, and social support all being associated with general well-being. But as perceptions of romantic relationships change in emerging adults–especially since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic–it is important to explore the continued association between these variables and psychological and health outcomes. Using analyses of covariance (ANCOVA) and a concurrent regression model, this study assessed how relationship status, attachment anxiety, social support, and COVID-19 stress predicted subjective sleep and general health in a sample of university students in the US. Results showed that relationship status had no link with any outcome, but attachment anxiety and COVID-19 stress predicted poorer sleep and general health, while social support predicted better sleep.

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