Vulnerability to “Breadcrumbing” in a Sample of Adults in the United Kingdom: A Cross-Sectional Survey Study

Breadcrumbing is a psychologically harmful dating behavior that involves sending non-committal signals to another person and periodically feigning interest in them, despite having no intention of taking the relationship forward. This is the first empirical study to examine the correlates of breadcrumbing experiences in the United Kingdom. A sample of 544 adults in the United Kingdom indicated their age, sex, sexual orientation, and relationship status and completed measures of social support and frequency of exposure to ghosting, gaslighting, and breadcrumbing. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses showed that age and social support were negatively correlated with breadcrumbing, and that ghosting and gaslighting were positively associated with breadcrumbing. When ghosting and gaslighting were entered in the model as predictors, the effects of social support were no longer statistically significant. The findings suggest that there is a cumulative effect of exposure to victimization that can increase vulnerability to breadcrumbing and that, under these circumstances, social support may cease to operate as a protective factor. Coping may be impaired, heightening the risk of revictimization. Younger adults appear to be at higher risk of breadcrumbing.