Despite the prevailing mononormativity of Western societies, which positions monogamy
as the only legitimate and self-evident form of partnership, the past decades have seen
growing research interest in consensual non-monogamy (CNM). This thesis therefore
examines the relationship between the type of romantic relationship and attachment,
relationship satisfaction, life satisfaction, and jealousy, aiming to gain a more detailed
understanding of whether and how individuals in monogamous and various forms of non
monogamous relationships differ, and how the examined constructs are related. The study
included 145 participants aged 18 to 55 (M = 29,6; SD = 8,8), of whom 95 were
monogamous, 38 CNM, 6 casually non-monogamous, and 6 monogamous with an
inconsistent number of partners. Attachment was measured using the ECR-S, relationship
satisfaction using the CSI-16, life satisfaction using the SWLS, and jealousy using the
IJS. Groups were compared at the level of overarching categories and also across the
CNM subtypes, while associations between constructs were tested using correlation
analysis. No statistically significant group differences were found in anxious attachment
or life satisfaction, whereas statistically significant differences emerged in avoidant
attachment, relationship satisfaction, and jealousy. Correlation analysis revealed several
predominantly mild to moderate associations among life satisfaction, attachment,
relationship satisfaction, and jealousy. Given the small subgroup sizes, the sampling
method, the mononormativity of the instruments used, and inconsistent understandings
of partnership among participants, the results should be interpreted with caution. This
thesis represents a meaningful contribution to the relatively scarce and methodologically
limited domestic and international literature in this field. The findings may support a more
informed and less mononormatively oriented professional approach to individuals in
CNM relationships and provide a starting point for further, methodologically refined
research.
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