Cat Fishing

Adult attachment and online dating deception: A theory modernized.
Mosley, Marissa A., et al. Sexual and Relationship Therapy, Jan 27, 2020.
Abstract:
An extreme form of online dating deception, also known as ‘catfishing,’ involves falsely representing oneself to a potential romantic partner, without the intention of meeting in person. The limited body of existing research has identified mental health risks and legal implications associated with catfishing, as this relatively new phenomenon becomes more prevalent. This study utilizes logistic regression to analyze attachment anxiety, avoidance, and gender as predictor variables for the likelihood of being a catfish perpetrator or target among a sample of adults (N = 1107). Results indicate that women are more likely to be targets and men are more likely to perpetrate this form of online dating deception. Further, increased attachment anxiety and avoidance increases the likelihood of being both a catfish perpetrator and target. However, avoidance was no longer a significant predictor after controlling for attachment anxiety. These findings provide a valuable contribution to the literature toward greater understanding of catfishing and offer possible implications for attachment-informed clinical practice.