Attachment Styles, Interpersonal Cognitive Distortions, and Loneliness among Undergraduate University Students in Karachi, Pakistan

Attachment styles signify an important aspect in interpersonal cognitive distortions which can influence social relationships and lead towards loneliness. The current study aimed to explore the relationship between attachment styles, interpersonal cognitive distortions, and loneliness among undergraduate university students in Karachi, Pakistan. A sample of 670 undergraduate university students (Male =294, Female =376) within the age range of 18 to 25 years (M=20.81, SD=1.63) completed the survey. Revised Adult Attachment Scale (RAAS), Interpersonal Cognitive Distortion Scale (ICDS), and UCLA Loneliness Scale (Revised Version 3) were used as tools to collect the required data. Afterwards, Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS 26) was employed for data analysis. Significant correlations were found among attachment styles, interpersonal cognitive distortions, and loneliness. Furthermore, male students reported to have higher levels of interpersonal misperception (M =9.09, SD = 2.49) as compared to female students. The findings of the current research have implications for developing therapeutic interventions fostering healthy attachment styles to reduce interpersonal cognitive distortions and loneliness for better social integration.