Unwanted Celibacy: The Role of Attachment and Masculine Discrepancy Stress

Scientific interest in the consequences of unwanted celibacy, understood as frustration related to being unable to find a romantic or sexual partner, has increased in recent years in response to public debate surrounding incel communities. In this article, we integrate attachment theory, social role theory, and precarious manhood theory to examine the antecedents of unwanted celibacy. Across two correlational studies and one preregistered experiment conducted among young men (total N = 2341), we tested the hypothesis that masculine discrepancy stress statistically mediates the association between anxious attachment and unwanted celibacy. Consistent support for this indirect association was found across all studies. Importantly, the mediation held over and above social, romantic and family loneliness. In addition, masculine discrepancy stress was associated with unwanted celibacy but not with romantic loneliness. Together, these findings show the role of attachment‐related vulnerabilities and gendered self‐evaluations in shaping how young men experience romantic and sexual exclusion.