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How anxious and avoidant attachment affect romantic relationship quality differently: A meta‐analytic review
Abstract
Adult attachment has been studied as an important predictor of romantic relationship quality in many empirical studies. This meta‐analysis quantitatively summarized the associations between the two insecure adult attachment dimensions, anxiety and avoidance, and cognitive, emotional, and behavioral indicators of romantic relationship quality based on 73 previous studies with 118 independent samples of 21 602 individuals. More importantly, we examined the different effects of anxiety and avoidance on relationship quality. We also tested the potential moderating effects of gender on the strength of these associations. Meta‐analytic results confirmed that both anxiety and avoidance were detrimental to the cognitive, emotional, and behavioral aspects of relationship quality. Compared with anxiety, avoidance was more negatively associated with general satisfaction, connectedness, and general support in relationships. In contrast, anxiety was more positively associated with general conflict in relationships. The moderating effect of gender was weak. However, supplementary analyses found that the type of couple interaction measures (self‐report versus observation) significantly moderated the relations between insecure attachments and the behavioral indicators of relationship quality. Our results integrate and extend previous findings about the dynamics of adult attachment and romantic relationship quality. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
... Different dimensions of attachment are based on the definition of the image of the self and the image of the other from childhood contributing to the development of the internal working models (Bowlby, 1969). These models are representations of the individual's attachment relationships that become more complex and differentiated during the course of development (Bowlby, 1969;Li & Chan, 2012;Taylor et al., 2014). Therefore, different attachment dimensions determine how one relates to another even in adulthood (Constant et al., 2021;Li & Chan, 2012). ...
... These models are representations of the individual's attachment relationships that become more complex and differentiated during the course of development (Bowlby, 1969;Li & Chan, 2012;Taylor et al., 2014). Therefore, different attachment dimensions determine how one relates to another even in adulthood (Constant et al., 2021;Li & Chan, 2012). Beginning with theories of attachment in childhood, different approaches have been proposed to characterize adult attachment dimensions. ...
... Anxious attachment characterizes individuals who desire a close relationship with others and worry about being abandoned, whereas avoidant attachment is typical of individuals who fear closeness and try to avoid depending on others. These aspects lead to different ways of connecting with others and difficulties in establishing stable and lasting relationships (Brennan et al., 1998;Fraley et al., 2015;Li & Chan, 2012;Mikulincer & Shaver, 2016). Studying adult attachment using this model has shown that both insecure dimensions of attachment are associated with diminished relationship quality and reduced psychological wellbeing. ...
Cette étude visait à explorer l’alexithymie, l’attachement et la détresse psychologique chez des personnes en couple par rapport à des personnes célibataires. En outre, elle visait à évaluer lesquels des facteurs étudiés pouvaient prédire de manière significative le statut relationnel des participants. Au total, 596 participants ont rempli une batterie de questionnaires évaluant l’alexithymie, l’attachement romantique et la détresse psychologique. Les résultats ont montré que les participants qui n’étaient pas en couple présentaient des niveaux plus élevés de symptômes d’anxiété/de dépression et de traits alexithymiques, ainsi que des scores plus élevés d’anxiété et d’évitement de l’attachement que ceux qui étaient en couple. En outre, l’âge, l’éducation, l’attachement insécurisant, l’alexithymie et les symptômes dépressifs sont des facteurs prédictifs significatifs pour déterminer qu’un individu est célibataire plutôt que dans une relation. Les résultats actuels soulignent l’importance pour les psychologues et les psychothérapeutes de prêter attention à ces aspects lorsque des clients célibataires signalent la fin d’une relation ou le désir de trouver un partenaire.
... Mnogobrojna su longitudinalna i transverzalna istraživanja posljednjih tridesetak godina pokazala da se i romantične veze mogu sagledati u kontekstu privrženosti (Candel i Turliuc, 2019;Li i Chan, 2012). Tako, primjerice, pojedinci sa sigurnom privrženošću izvješćuju o pozitivnijim iskustvima u romantičnim vezama nego pojedinci s anksioznom ili izbjegavajućom privrženošću (Hazan i Shaver, 1987). ...
... Općenito, sigurna je privrženost pozitivno povezana sa zadovoljstvom u vezi, dok su nesigurni stilovi privrženosti s njime negativno povezani (Pistole, 1989;Shaver i Mikulincer, 2002). Govoreći u terminima dimenzija privrženosti, visoki rezultati na anksioznosti i izbjegavanju, koji se nalaze u podlozi nesigurnih silova privrženosti, imaju negativne efekte na većinu aspekata kvalitete veze (Li i Chan, 2012). ...
... Neka istraživanja pokazuju da postoje razlike u negativnim efektima dimenzija anksioznosti i izbjegavanja (npr. Li i Chan, 2012). Naime, čini se da je dimenzija izbjegavanja snažnije negativno povezana s indikatorima kvalitete veze kao što su opće zadovoljstvo vezom, osjećaj povezanosti i podrška. ...
Na uzorku od 215 heteroseksualnih romantičnih parova ispitani su efekti stilova privrženosti na zadovoljstvo vezom obaju članova para. Za mjerenje stilova privrženosti korišten je Upitnik interpersonalnih odnosa koji mjeri četiri stila privrženosti: sigurnu, odbijajuću, zaokupljenu i plašljivu privrženost. Zadovoljstvo vezom operacionalizirano je trima pokazateljima: percipiranom kvalitetom veze, zadovoljstvom partnerom i procjenom stabilnosti veze, a na temelju tih triju pokazatelja izračunan je i ukupan rezultat koji je nazvan ukupna evaluacija veze. Po svojoj je prirodi zadovoljstvo vezom interpersonalni fenomen, odnosno povezan je ne samo s vlastitim karakteristikama, nego i s karakteristikama partnera. Zbog toga je za obradu podataka korišten model međuzavisnosti aktera i partnera koji je omogućio analizu odnosa između stilova privrženosti pojedinca i pokazatelja njegova zadovoljstva vezom (akterski efekti) te odnosa između njegovih stilova privrženosti i pokazatelja zadovoljstva vezom njegova/njezina partnera (partnerski efekti). Rezultati su pokazali da sigurna privrženost ima pozitivan akterski efekt na kvalitetu i stabilnost veze muškaraca te na ukupnu evaluaciju veze, dok plašljiva privrženost ima negativan akterski efekt na kvalitetu veze, zadovoljstvo partnerom i ukupnu evaluaciju veze, također samo kod muškaraca. Dobiven je jedan partnerski efekt i on pokazuje da su žene manje zadovoljne partnerima koji imaju višu plašljivu privrženost. Naglašena je važnost dobivenih rezultata u kontekstu prethodnih istraživanja koja su uglavnom provedena na pojedincima, a navedene su i neke njihove potencijalne kliničke implikacije.
... Furthermore, most studies considered single indicators of relationship functioning rather than embracing a multidimensional view of relationship quality. It is known that attachment insecurities are associated with challenges in maintaining healthy couple bonds (Li & Chan, 2012), potentially heightening depression risk (Cortés-García et al., 2020;Dagan et al., 2018;Zhang et al., 2022). However, there is limited research on whether these associations are invariant across sex assigned at birth and sexual orientation . ...
... Couple relationship quality, understood as an individual's subjective evaluation of his/her relationship, is generally regarded as a multidimensional construct comprising positive and negative indicators (Li & Chan, 2012). As positive indicators, aspects such as emotional intimacy, trust, and satisfaction have been identified as key determinants of CRQ (Sprecher et al., 2015). ...
... Attachment insecurity and CRQ are closely connected (Li & Chan, 2012;Mikulincer & Shaver, 2016), given that IWMs shape how individuals process socio-emotional information and regulate emotions in intimate relationships. The deactivation of attachment needs observed in individuals high in attachment avoidance and the hyperactivation present in individuals high in attachment anxiety negatively affect CRQ (Li & Chan, 2012;Mikulincer & Shaver, 2016). ...
Substantial evidence has established a connection between attachment insecurity and depressive symptoms. Although numerous mechanisms explain this relationship, the role of couple relationship quality as a mediator has received less attention, particularly within diverse cultural contexts. This study examined the direct and indirect associations between attachment insecurity and depressive symptoms through couple relationship quality, and the moderating effect of sex, and sexual orientation in Chilean adults involved in a couple relationship. 985 Chilean adults completed self-report measures of attachment insecurity, indicators of couple relationship quality (dyadic trust, emotional intimacy, positive sexuality, and relationship satisfaction), and depressive symptoms. Structural equation modelling analyses supported our proposed model, which explained 28% of the variance in depressive symptoms, and 32% of couple relationship quality. Attachment insecurity was associated with more depressive symptoms directly and indirectly, through lower couple relationship quality. The model was invariant across sex assigned at birth, and sexual orientation. This study suggests that one of the pathways through which attachment insecurity may contribute to poorer mental health is via lower couple relationship quality. For clinical practice, this study highlights that addressing attachment insecurity and couple relationship quality can be relevant in designing effective interventions for individuals with depressive symptoms.
... On the other hand, avoidant attachment, linked to deactivating strategies in romantic relationships, is associated with fear of intimacy and commitment, avoidance of dependency on others, low acceptance of the partner's faults, and holding a grandiose self (Berant et al., 2005;Hazan & Shaver, 1987;. In numerous studies, these insecure attachment styles are linked to lower romantic relationship satisfaction in adulthood (Candel & Turliuc, 2019;Hadden et al., 2014;Li & Chan, 2012;. ...
... However, the unique effects of both dimensions on relationships are investigated relatively less (Li & Chan, 2012). ...
... In addition, the current study can potentially offer further understanding of distinct insecure attachment dimensions in romantic relationships. Limited research showed that anxious and avoidant attachments affect romantic relationships differently (Li & Chan, 2012). The current study can provide more information regarding the possible differences and similarities of these attachment dimensions in the functioning of romantic relationships. ...
This study aims to test a multiple-mediation model which examines mindfulness, relationship mindfulness, self-compassion, and cognitive defusion as possible mediators of the relationship between attachment insecurity and romantic relationship satisfaction. The sample consisted of 521 emerging adults in a romantic relationship for at least one month (70% female, 27% male, and 3% non-binary). Their ages ranged from 19 to 29 years old (M = 22.52, SD = 2.45). In data collection, Relationship Assessment Scale, Experiences in Close Relationships- Revised, Mindful Attention Awareness Scale, Relationship Mindfulness Measure, Self-Compassion Scale Short Form, Drexel Defusion Scale, and demographic information form developed by the researcher were used. To test the proposed model, structural equation modeling was used. Since the proposed model did not fit the data, insignificant paths and cognitive defusion variable were trimmed from the model. The trimmed model revealed a good model fit. Although self-compassion and trait mindfulness did not predict relationship satisfaction significantly, relationship mindfulness acted as a mediator in the relationship between attachment anxiety and relationship satisfaction. Discussions were made on the importance of context-specific relationship mindfulness measure as well as the distinct effects of attachment anxiety and avoidance in romantic relationships. Also, cognitive defusion was evaluated in the context of romantic relationships. Lastly, recommendations for future research and implications of the study were indicated.
... Among those factors, attachment determines the way of being in a relationship with the other, in terms of defining the image of self and the image of the other (Constant et al., 2021;Li and Chan, 2012). Particularly, the anxious attachment dimension characterises individuals who worry about being abandoned by their partners, while the avoidant dimension is typical of individuals who fear closeness and dependence on others (Li and Chan, 2012). ...
... Among those factors, attachment determines the way of being in a relationship with the other, in terms of defining the image of self and the image of the other (Constant et al., 2021;Li and Chan, 2012). Particularly, the anxious attachment dimension characterises individuals who worry about being abandoned by their partners, while the avoidant dimension is typical of individuals who fear closeness and dependence on others (Li and Chan, 2012). Both those insecure attachment dimensions have been negatively associated with the quality of romantic relationships (Siegel et al., 2019). ...
... It is well known both from theoretical framework and from several empirical studies that attachment plays a significant role in the quality of couple relationships (Mikulincer and Shaver, 2007). Several researchers have described a negative association between both anxious and avoidant attachment and dyadic adjustment (Noftle and Shaver, 2006;Li and Chan, 2012;Siegel et al., 2019). Particularly, in line with our findings, Noftle and Shaver (2006) found that avoidant attachment was negatively correlated with relationship quality, and it was found to predict relationship quality better than personality factors. ...
... Mutuality, Romance, and composite lovebird scores were also associated with less insecure attachment, demonstrating satisfactory discriminant validity [47]. The Disconnect subscale was positively associated with both insecure attachment dimensions. ...
... The Disconnect subscale was positively associated with both insecure attachment dimensions. This is not surprising, as we would expect individuals in lovebird couples to exhibit characteristics of secure attachment, such as engaging in constructive interactions (e.g., ability to discuss problems or insecurities), reporting greater feelings of connectedness, and experiencing less general conflict [47]. However, since we did not explicitly measure secure attachment in our study, more research is needed to confirm this. ...
The term “lovebirds” is often used to describe the loving behaviors and interactions between two romantic partners, but what specific processes distinguish these flourishing lovebird relationships from other committed but “numbed” relationships? The present study aimed to address this knowledge gap through the development and preliminary validation of the Lovebird Scale. The Lovebird Scale describes the thoughts, feelings, behaviors, and habits that constitute and maintain relationship flourishing, which in turn could promote aspects of individual flourishing such as positive affect. We conducted three studies using data collected from 996 English-speaking U.S. adults (64.2% Female, M = 39.2 years old) who reported being in a romantic relationship for at least six months (M = 11.2 years). In Study 1, we conducted an exploratory factor analysis to determine the underlying factor structure. In Study 2, confirmatory factor analyses revealed a three-factor model nested within a higher-order factor representing lovebird relationships. In Study 3, we cross-validated the higher-order structure, examined the construct validity of the scale, and explored associations between the Lovebird Scale and affective state. Finally, we discuss how the Lovebird Scale contributes to the growing field of positive relationship science as well as conceptual and clinical implications of the scale.
... For adult attachment measures that do not cleanly adopt the two-dimensional view of attachment, we transformed these to the two-dimensional form based on theoretical grounds and past practice. For example, the Attachment Style Questionnaire (Feeney et al., 1994) incorporates five subscales, out of which the discomfort with closeness subscale corresponds to the attachment avoidance that contrasts secure with avoidance, while the preoccupation with relationships subscale corresponds to attachment anxiety (Feeney, 1995;Li & Chan, 2012). The Relationship Questionnaire features four subscales (i.e., secure, preoccupied, dismissing, fearful) that are derived from the model of the self and other (Bartholomew, 1990), thus it is possible to transform the four subscales to the model of self (i.e., anxiety) by using secure + dismissingpreoccupiedfearful, and the model of other (i.e., avoidance) can be expressed as secure + preoccupieddismissingfearful. ...
... The Relationship Questionnaire features four subscales (i.e., secure, preoccupied, dismissing, fearful) that are derived from the model of the self and other (Bartholomew, 1990), thus it is possible to transform the four subscales to the model of self (i.e., anxiety) by using secure + dismissingpreoccupiedfearful, and the model of other (i.e., avoidance) can be expressed as secure + preoccupieddismissingfearful. The transformation formula can be found below (Li & Chan, 2012). Transformations were also conducted for the Adult Attachment Scale (AAS), which includes the depend, close, and anxiety subscales (Collins & Read, 1990). ...
Objectives: Self-compassion, the capacity to hold a compassionate attitude towards oneself without self-criticism when in distress, has been conceptualized to originate from receiving secure caregiving. Attachment theory offers a framework to explain self-compassion as effective coping with resources from healthy activation of the attachment system. Recent research has increasingly explored the connections between self-compassion and attachment security. Our meta-analysis seeks to consolidate existing evidence by statistically synthesizing findings on the relationship between self-compassion and the two dimensions of attachment: anxiety and avoidance. Methods: A systematic literature search was conducted, and based on the inclusion criteria, the authors found data from 46 studies with a total size of 17,650 participants. Inclusion criteria were peer-reviewed journals and dissertations published in English that used quantitative and validated methods to measure attachment and self-compassion in participants aged 16 years and older. Results: We found robust negative correlations between self-compassion and both attachment anxiety ( r = −.42) and avoidance ( r = −.32), with age significantly moderating the relationship between avoidance and self-compassion. Subscale analyses suggested that each of the six components of self-compassion is significantly associated with attachment insecurity. Conclusions: The results highlight the robust associations between self-compassion and adult attachment, as well as significant associations between the individual components of self-compassion and adult attachment. Additionally, age emerges as a potentially influential moderator. Future research should further examine the causal mechanism of these associations and include correlations for self-compassion’s individual dimensions.
... It entails the desire for affection and intimacy, while at the same time having negative feelings about oneself as undeserving of affection, characterizing individuals who worry that others do not care about them as much as they care about others (Baroncelli et al., 2023;Fossati et al., 2003;Grady et al., 2019;Karantzas et al., 2010). Preoccupation with Relationships is similar to anxious/ambivalent attachment (Hazan & Shaver, 1987), and is characterized by wanting to form emotional bonds with others, but at the same time feeling uncomfortable getting close to others because others are seen as untrustworthy and incapable of giving love and attention (Baroncelli et al., 2023;Grady et al., 2019;Li & Chan, 2012). Finally, Relationships as Secondary is similar to dismissing attachment (Bartholomew, 1990), and is characterized by a defensive attitude and an emphasis on independence, to protect oneself from vulnerability or harm (Baroncelli et al., 2023;Fossati et al., 2003;Karantzas et al., 2010). ...
... Although no specific hypotheses were formulated about Preoccupation with Relationships as a significant mediator in the relationships between the experience of childhood trauma and the three domains of psychopathy, we found a significant indirect effect of experiencing childhood trauma on both the Egocentricity and Antisocial domain, through Preoccupation with Relationships. Thus, individuals who seem to show more interpersonal manipulation and antagonism, characteristics of the Egocentricity domain, and more immoral, impulsive, and angry behavior, characteristics of the Antisocial domain (Brinkley et al., 2008), appear to have an attachment dimension characterized by a concomitant desire and fear of closeness, possibly due to traumatic experiences during childhood (Grady et al., 2019;Li & Chan, 2012). There is previous literature that builds a strong case for this idea. ...
While psychopathy has been a topic of interest in the psychological field for a long time, it is still unclear which developmental factors are related to its onset. Theories have suggested that experiencing trauma in childhood may contribute to the development of psychopathic traits. Experiencing trauma may also contribute to the development of an insecure attachment style, which in turn might cause the emergence of psychopathic traits. The current study investigated links between experiencing childhood trauma and the three psychopathy domains of the Extended Levenson Self-Report Psychopathy scale (E-LSRP; Egocentricity, Callousness, and Antisocial), and whether these links were mediated by the four insecure attachment dimensions of the Attachment Style Questionnaire (ASQ; Need for Approval, Preoccupation with Relationships, Relationships as Secondary, and Discomfort with Closeness), in a large sample of non-clinical participants (N = 2023, Mage = 32.7, 70.0% female). The results suggested that Relationships as Secondary, but not Discomfort with Closeness, positively mediated the relationship between childhood trauma and the three domains of psychopathy, while Need for Approval negatively mediated this relationship. Preoccupation with Relationships was a significant mediator in the links between childhood trauma and both the Egocentricity and Antisocial domains, but not the Callousness domain. The current findings suggested that there might be both shared and differential mechanisms linking childhood trauma and psychopathic traits through insecure attachment styles. These findings can guide further investigations in longitudinal research.
... The activation component of the model explains when the attachment system is activated and is relevant to our (later) theorizing concerning moderation, whereas the model's regulation component explains how regulating the attachment system affects relationship functioning and is relevant to our theorizing about mediation. Although avoidant and anxious attachment styles have both been found to undermine relationship functioning (e.g., Li & Chan, 2012), the model's regulatory component explains how they exert effects through different mechanisms (Main, 1990;. ...
... Consequently, the major implication of people utilizing hyperactivating strategies is that '…they tend to intensify the magnitude of their cognitions, emotions, and behaviors, both positive and negative ones, toward their partner' (Li & Chan, 2012, p. 409). That is, people with anxious attachment tend to perceive more negative experiences in their relationships but they are also likely to perceive relatively more positive experiences (compared with those with avoidant attachment) (Li & Chan, 2012). As a result, they are likely to have a more nuanced and conflicted view of the relationship, and not simply evaluate it in a negative fashion. ...
We integrate insights from attachment theory and relational leadership to develop a novel interpersonal explanation of why, how and when followers' attachment anxiety and avoidance impact performance. Drawing on the attachment system dynamics model, we posit that attachment avoidance will be negatively related to LMX quality, whereas attachment anxiety will be positively related to LMX ambivalence. Furthermore, we predict that followers' anxious (and avoidant) attachment styles will interact with leader neuroticism leading to a hyperactivation (deactivation) of the attachment system, manifesting in greater LMX ambivalence (and lower LMX quality). Across three studies, we found consistent evidence for a positive relationship between follower attachment anxiety and LMX ambivalence, as well as an indirect effect between attachment anxiety and job performance. Leader neuroticism was especially likely to induce LMX ambivalence and, in turn, undermine job performance in anxiously attached followers. Attachment avoidance, although unaffected by leader neuroticism, was negatively related to LMX quality across all three studies and demonstrated an indirect effect on job performance in Study 3. Overall, our findings shed light on the unique explanatory power of relational mechanisms, beyond previously examined intrapersonal mechanisms, for understanding the attachment style–performance relationship as well as the role that leader characteristics play in triggering the attachment system in anxious followers.
... Attachment research also demonstrates attachment related differences in emotional responses to relational events (Mikulincer & Shaver, 2005). Evidence from close-relationship studies shows negative relationships of both insecure attachment orientations and indicators of romantic relationship quality (Hadden et al., 2014;Li & Chan, 2012;Rodriguez et al., 2021). Therefore, attachment orientations can also be seen as personal demands regarding relationships and relationship functioning. ...
In response to the call to integrate two separate streams of research, on the relations between daily job stressors and well-being, and on the relations between daily leader-member exchange (LMX) fluctuations and well-being, this study analyzed the mediating role of daily LMX quality in the daily relationship between workload and emotional strain. In addition, we examined whether insecure attachment orientations moderate the relationships between workload and LMX quality, and LMX quality and emotional strain at the day- and person-level. Employees (N = 339) completed daily surveys over ten working days. Results support an indirect effect of daily LMX quality on the daily workload-emotional strain relationship when attachment anxiety and avoidance are high. Attachment avoidance moderates the daily relationship between workload and LMX, such that a higher than usual daily workload worsens daily LMX quality for employees high in attachment avoidance. The person-level moderator effect for attachment anxiety implies that the LMX quality of employees with high attachment anxiety worsens, when workload is higher than the average sample workload. Attachment anxiety also moderates the daily relationship between LMX quality and negative emotions, such that employees high in attachment anxiety experience more negative emotions on workdays with lower LMX quality. In summary, we integrate and contribute to day-level research on LMX and well-being, by showing that LMX quality plays a decisive role in the stressor-strain process of insecurely attached employees. Our findings also add to day-level research on LMX and well-being by identifying two conditions that hinder daily LMX relationship quality: workload and attachment orientations.
... However, there is little by way of research into how individual differences in people's cognitions and behaviors in romantic relationships may be associated with their evaluations of their partners against ideal standards, and in turn, the strategies used to evoke partner change. This is despite the fact that individual differences are known to play an important role in people's relationship evaluations in general as well as the communication strategies used in addressing relationship dissatisfaction (Domingue & Mollen, 2009;Li & Chan, 2012). In this paper, we investigate the association between adult attachment orientationsone of the most widely researched and theoretically relevant individual differences in the study of close relationships (Gillath et al., 2016;Mikulincer & Shaver, 2016), ideal-partner discrepancies, and partner regulation strategies. ...
The current study investigated how a partner falling short of the desired standard may act as a mediator in the association between attachment orientations and the strategies people use to change qualities of their partners (termed partner regulation). The proposed mediation model was tested on a large sample (N = 965) recruited from the community. The results revealed that for attachment anxiety, evaluating a partner as falling short of the ideal standards of warmth and status mediated associations with negative and positive regulation strategies. For attachment avoidance, evaluating a partner as falling short of ideal standards of attractiveness and status mediated associations with negative and positive regulation strategies.
... Research has shown that people with attachment insecurity are more likely to be engaged in destructive communication (e.g., escalating conflict, attacking, criticizing), give less support (i.e., forgiveness and caregiving), and are involved in fewer constructive interactions (behaviors linked to successful conflict resolution such as cooperation and compromise; Li & Chan, 2012). In line with these outcomes, results from our study demonstrated that individuals who were higher in attachment anxiety experienced a stronger negative within-person association between daily relationship uncertainty and daily relationship talk (H4). ...
Guided by relational turbulence theory (RTT), this intensive longitudinal study examined how within-person daily fluctuations in relationship uncertainty corresponded with individuals’ decisions to engage in daily enacted relationship talk. Using a person-specific approach, this study also examined how individuals’ attachment insecurity predicted within-person differences in month-long processes predicted by RTT. College-aged dating partners ( N = 202, between-person) reported their attachment proclivities in a pre-test survey and subsequently reported on their relationship uncertainty and enacted relationship talk once per day over a period of 30 consecutive days ( N = 5,240, within-person). Results indicated that on days when individuals experienced elevated relationship uncertainty, they engaged in less relationship talk than they typically did. Additionally, we found that individuals with more volatility (intraindividual variability) and inertia (day-to-day carryover) in relationship uncertainty throughout the month enacted less relationship talk on average. Finally, results indicated that attachment insecurity predicted person-specific month-long processes consistent with RTT.
... Örneğin, matematik anksiyetesi ile matematik başarısı arasında negatif bir ilişki bulunmaktadır (Barroso vd., 2021). Ayrıca, anksiyetenin artması akademik performansı düşürmekte (Ragusa vd., 2023), ilişki kalitesinin bilişsel, duygusal ve davranışsal boyutlarında sorunlara neden olmaktadır (Li & Chan, 2012). Bu sonuçlar, beliren yetişkinlikte ortaya çıkan zorlayıcı yaşam olaylarının anksiyeteye neden olabileceği ve bu durumun işlevsellikte azalmaya neden olabilecek sorunlarla ilişkili olduğunu göstermektedir. ...
Bu araştırma, beliren yetişkinlerde akılcı olmayan düşünce, depresyon, anksiyete, stres ve internet bağımlılığı arasındaki ilişkileri korelasyon ve ağ analizi ile incelemeyi amaçlamaktadır. İlişkisel tarama modeline uygun olarak tasarlanan bu çalışma, bir devlet üniversitesinin eğitim fakültesinde öğrenim gören 285 öğrenci (213 kadın, 74 erkek) üzerinde gerçekleştirilmiştir. Katılımcıların yaş ortalaması 20.69’dur (ranj 18-29). Çalışmada veri toplama araçları olarak Akılcı ve Akılcı Olmayan Düşünceler Ölçeği, Depresyon Anksiyete Stres Ölçeği ve İnternet Bağımlılığı Ölçeği kullanılmıştır. Analizler SPSS ve JASP programları aracılığıyla yapılmıştır. Araştırma bulgularına göre, akılcı olmayan düşünceler ile depresyon, anksiyete, stres ve internet bağımlılığı arasında pozitif yönde anlamlı ilişkiler bulunmuştur. Özellikle felaketleştirme ve değersizleştirme ile depresyon, anksiyete, stres ve internet bağımlılığı arasında pozitif yönde anlamlı ilişkiler tespit edilse de rahatsız olmaya katlanamama ile depresyon, anksiyete, stres ve internet bağımlılığı arasında anlamlı bir ilişki bulunmamıştır. Talepkarlık sadece stres ile pozitif yönde anlamlı bir ilişki göstermiştir. Ayrıca, internet bağımlılığı ile depresyon, anksiyete ve stres arasında pozitif yönde anlamlı ilişkiler bulunmuştur. Ağ analizi sonuçları, felaketleştirmenin en yüksek aradalık ve yakınlık puanlarına, stresin ise en yüksek güç puanına sahip olduğunu göstermiştir. Bu veriler ışığında, gelecekteki çalışmalar için çeşitli öneriler sunulmuştur.
... Attachment anxiety, attachment avoidance, marital satisfaction, perceived partner responsiveness, Chinese couples A highly satisfying marital relationship profoundly benefits individuals' physical and mental health (Yoder & DuBois, 2020). Marital satisfaction, indicating the quality of adult interpersonal relationships, refers to individuals' subjective assessment of positive emotions within couples (Li & Chan, 2012). Many researchers have devoted to finding critical factors that affect marital satisfaction in order to enhance the psychological experience and wellbeing of individuals in marital relationships. ...
Insecure attachment styles, widely recognized as negative predictors in most Western samples, have been found to impair marital satisfaction for individuals high in attachment anxiety and attachment avoidance. However, Chinese culture is more tolerant of some features of attachment avoidance, which may lead to different implications of attachment styles for marital relationships. Besides, considering that responses of the partner play a vital role in the interaction of intimate relationships, the current study examined how attachment styles affect marital satisfaction through perceived partner responsiveness (PPR). This study is based on dyadic data from 668 Chinese couples across six marital stages, whose average length of marriage was 15.22 years (ranging from 0.03 to 67.57 years, SD = 13.88). Using the actor-partner interdependence model (APIMeM) to analyze these data, results suggested that: (a) individuals' attachment anxiety was negatively associated with marital satisfaction for both themselves and their partner, and these associations were partially mediated by PPR; (b) PPR was a full mediator of the positive association between individuals' attachment avoidance and their own marital
... Existing research has revealed insecure attachment exerts a strong negative impact on romantic relationships. For example, both attachment anxiety and avoidance were negatively associated with relationship satisfaction (Candel & Turliuc, 2019), relationship stability (Hadden et al., 2014), and relationship quality (Li & Chan, 2012). ...
The present study examined the heterogeneity of Chinese romantic couples' filial piety belief patterns. In addition, we investigated how the configuration of filial piety belief profiles within couples can link to individuals' perceptions of romantic relationship satisfaction and different attachment tendencies. We recruited 297 dyads of Chinese couples currently in heterosexual romantic relationships in the university. The couples completed self‐reported measures of dual filial piety beliefs (reciprocal and authoritarian filial piety), romantic relationship satisfaction, and insecure attachment (attachment anxiety and avoidance). We used latent profile analysis (LPA) to identify couples' dual filial piety belief interaction profiles. Four‐couple profiles emerged: (1) authoritarian couples, (2) balanced couples (while men with slightly higher reciprocal filial piety), (3) balanced couples (while men with lower reciprocal filial piety), and (4) divergent couples (balanced men and non‐filial women). The couples in the four profiles did not show significant differences in their romantic relationship satisfaction, but their attachment styles differed. (1) authoritarian couples experienced the highest levels of attachment anxiety and avoidance; (2) balanced couples experienced relatively lower levels of attachment anxiety and avoidance; and (3) non‐filial women in divergent couple profiles experienced significantly higher levels of attachment avoidance. This was the first study to uncover the possible associations between Chinese young couples' dual filial piety interaction profiles, and their dyadic relationship satisfaction and insecure attachment by adopting the person‐centered approach. We further discussed the theoretical and practical implications of the findings.
... In fact, greater attachment avoidance has been found to correlate negatively with several aspects of relationship quality, including satisfaction, supportive behaviors, constructive communication (T. Li & Chan, 2012), and relationship disclosure (Tan et al., 2012). Attachment avoidance, but not anxiety, was found to distinguish distressed from nondistressed couples and was a strong predictor of marital dissatisfaction (Mondor et al., 2011). ...
Processes that occur in romantic relationships can impact both relational and personal well-being. For example, relational hurts big and small are an unfortunate feature of all relationships, and some partners are better at moving on from these offenses than are others. In this study, we used an adult attachment framework to examine self-forgiveness and partner-forgiveness following relational transgressions as mediators between adult attachment and well-being outcomes. In a sample of U.S. adults in a romantic relationship of 1+ year (N = 302), we tested a hypothesized structural equation model in which a positive model of self (low attachment anxiety) predicted personal well-being directly and as mediated by intrapersonal (internal) aspects of self- and partner-forgiveness, and in which a positive model of others (low attachment avoidance) predicted relational well-being directly and as mediated by interpersonal (relational) aspects of self- and partner-forgiveness. Results supported these predictions but also suggested a path from a positive model of others to intrapersonal aspects of partner-forgiveness. Findings suggest that the ability to forgive oneself and one’s partner following relationship transgressions can explain part of the connection between attachment and well-being. Results further suggest the importance of examining both internal and relational aspects of self-forgiveness and partner-forgiveness.
... This finding is consistent with research showing that women are more likely to develop anxious attachment styles in general (Donges et al., 2015;Weber et al., 2022), with anxious attachment style having stronger associations with life outcomes among women (Reis & Grenyer, 2004;Weber et al., 2022). However, a meta-analysis of 118 independent samples showed that attachment avoidance had a greater negative impact on constructive interaction between partners for men compared to women (Li & Chan, 2012). Further investigation is required to determine the genderspecific role of attachment styles on relationship satisfaction for men and women. ...
This study sought to test actor and partner effects of rejection sensitivity on romantic relationship outcomes. In total, 200 participants (100 mixed-sex couples; mean age = 36.17 ± 11.11 years) completed questionnaire measures at a single timepoint. After controlling for participant age and relationship duration, results showed that personal rejection sensitivity, but not partner rejection sensitivity, predicted self-report relationship outcomes for both men and women. Higher levels of rejection sensitivity were associated with lower levels of relationship satisfaction and relationship commitment, and higher levels of jealousy and self-silencing behaviour. Rejection sensitivity was unrelated to relationship investment. Multiple mediation models further demonstrated that anxious and avoidant attachment styles mediated associations between rejection sensitivity and relationship outcomes. Analyses of couple similarity in rejection sensitivity showed that couples report worse relationship outcomes when both partners score high on rejection sensitivity. Overall, the study provides evidence that rejection sensitivity has an important role in relationship outcomes among couples. Creating awareness of the role of rejection sensitivity in relationship outcomes might be a useful approach to improving relationship quality.
... Researchers proposed that caring and supportive parenting leads to developing a secure attachment style, which, in turn, is associated with a positive experience in romantic relationships. Insecure attachment styles were associated with emotional and behavioral difficulties in romantic relationships (Li & Chan, 2012;Shadach et al., 2018;Sun et al., 2010;Zagefka, 2022). ...
This study investigates how parenting and value preferences are connected to emerging adults' attitudes toward romantic relationships. The study was conducted in Israel among young Jews and Arabs looking for a romantic partner (n = 1121, 40% male, age 18-30). Higher preferences for conservation versus openness to change and self-enhancement versus self-transcendence values and higher levels of parental care were associated with positive romantic attitudes. In addition, parental care was associated with higher preferences for self-transcendence versus self-enhancement and conservation versus openness to change values, and autonomy-providing was associated with higher preferences for openness to change versus conservation and self-transcendence versus self-enhancement values. Personal value preferences partially mediated the connection between parental bonding and romantic attitudes. More specifically, high levels of parental care and overcontrol lead to a higher preference for conservation values, which, in turn, lead to more positive romantic attitudes. The obtained results advance our understanding of the connections between parenting, general motivational goals, and romantic relationships among emerging adults.
... For instance, studies have found that individuals with an insecure attachment are more anxious and hostile than securely attached individuals (Kobak & Sceery, 1988) and more likely to feel lonely and to be perceived as less socially competent (Hazan & Shaver, 1987). In terms of romantic relationships, a meta-analysis by Li and Chan (2012) showed that both insecure attachment dimensions were negatively associated with romantic relationship satisfaction and felt partner support. ...
This study investigated whether couple-related memories and their organization in memory networks could act as cognitive resources to protect against the negative impact of insecure attachment on couple adjustment. In two studies (n1 = 153, n2 = 567), participants in a romantic relationship described a significant couple-related memory and provided networked memories associated with their couple-related memory, to assess its organization in the memory system, and rated each memory for its level of need satisfaction. Findings across the two studies revealed significant moderations of need satisfaction in couple-related memory networks , such that a higher level of satisfaction need within couple-related memory networks was associated with a reduced negative association of attachment anxiety and avoidance with couple adjustment. When examined separately, it was shown that need-satisfying networked memories, but not main couple-related memories, moderated the negative association of insecure attachment with couple adjustment. K E Y W O R D S attachment, couple adjustment, memory, memory network, need satisfaction
... Moreover, anxious attachment and avoidant attachment have been found negatively connected with the quality of relationship and relationship satisfaction of an individual (19) . Another study found that avoidant attachment was negatively correlated with satisfaction and support in relationships while confrontation was correlated with anxious attachment (20). ...
The present study was designed to investigate the cross-cultural anxiety, parental attachment, partner attachment and their correlation with the relationship satisfaction. In this study, the data were collected by voluntary sampling method and a total of 434 participants were recruited. One-way ANOVA analysis showed that Americans, Bangladeshi, and English reported higher levels of anxiety in their life than Thai nationalities which indicated that Thai have more relationship satisfaction than other nationalities. Further analysis showed that there is a significant positive correlation between anxiety and avoidant attachment, anxious attachment, mother avoidant, mother anxious, father avoidant, father anxious. In the analysis of attachment style, it was found that father avoidant and mother avoidant attachment was higher than father anxious and mother anxious attachment with their children. Dhaka Univ. J. Biol. Sci. 33(1): 23-31, 2024 (January)
... 19 On the other hand, individuals with insecure attachments usually tend to remain independent and avoid emotional connections. 20 They may inhibit emotional expression, avoid dependence on others, and be wary of making deep emotional connections. 21 Their subjective well-being may be negatively impacted by the lack of true emotional connection. ...
Purpose
Although insecure parental attachment (IPA) has been shown to play an important role in anxiety, little is known about the mediating and moderating mechanisms underlying this relationship.
Patients and Methods
In the present study, we examined the mediating role of subjective well-being (SWB) in the association between IPA and anxiety and the moderating role of self-esteem. 947 Chinese vocational college students completed the measures of IPA, anxiety, SWB, and self-esteem.
Results
The results indicated that IPA was significantly and positively associated with anxiety, and SWB partially mediated this relationship. Moreover, the results indicated that self-esteem moderated the relationship between IPA and anxiety. The higher the level of self-esteem, the weaker the effect of insecure attachment on the anxiety of vocational college students.
Conclusion
This study highlights the significance of identifying the mechanisms of mediating and moderating paths between IPA and anxiety in vocational college students.
... According to the attachment theory, attachment models in adulthood are relatively stable and guide individuals through close relationships (Crowell et al., 1999). Empirical research using both the self-report measures of adult attachment orientations (assessing attachmentrelated thoughts and feelings in current or recent close relationships) and interview-based measures of adult attachment representations (evaluating an individual's current state of mind with respect to their early experiences with caregivers) has established links between adult attachment and romantic relationship quality (e.g., Curran et al., 2005;Li & Chan, 2012). ...
We examined couples’ dyadic trust profiles over the transition to parenthood and their associations with couples’ attachment representations, perceptions of partner’s caregiving, and parenting quality. We followed 125 couples from pregnancy to 24 months postpartum and applied the latent profile analysis (LPA) to examine whether distinct dyadic patterns of trust would emerge among couples. We then examined couples’ attachment representations and perceptions of partner’s caregiving as factors that might explain their trust profiles. Finally, we examined how couples’ trust profiles would be related to their parenting quality 24 months postpartum. The dyadic LPA yielded three trust profiles: a both high profile (N = 64), a mother high, father moderate profile (N = 42), and a mother moderate to low, father moderate profile (N = 19). Mothers with dismissing attachment were able to hold high-stable trust when their partner also held high trust toward them, whereas mothers with preoccupied attachment, in general, were likely to have low and declining trust over time. Mothers’ more positive perceptions of their husband’s caregiving quality were also related to their high-stable trust over time. Mothers’ high trust, in turn, was associated with their less emotionally disengaged and less role-reversed parenting. The findings highlight mothers’ important role in couples’ dyadic trust over the transition to parenthood. Implications of study findings are discussed.
... Paradoxically, these actions can then drive partners away creating the scenario that the individual was so fearful of in the first place. People prone to avoidant attachments are more distant and may at times appear cold, they often prefer to be independent so they do not have to rely on other people, even if this is something that they might actually desire (Li & Chan, 2012). Attachment theory has successfully informed approaches to psychotherapy and treatment for couples and individuals for decades (Daly & Mallinckrodt, 2009;Meyer & Pilkonis, 2001). ...
... These personality traits are themselves be related to relationship outcomes (Malouff et al., 2010;Weidmann et al., 2017). Anxious and avoidant attachment styles were likewise included as covariates, as attachment style is a consistent predictor of both perceived support provision (Moreira et al., 2003) and relationship quality (Candel & Turliuc, 2019;Li & Chan, 2012). ...
A limited willpower belief describes the belief that one’s willpower is depletable and that mental exertion results in a diminished self-control capacity. Limited willpower beliefs have been associated with detrimental personal outcomes (such as poorer goal progress) and may even be related to a lower quality of one’s romantic relationship. With dyadic survey data from 745 couples across 14 days, we investigated how willpower beliefs of both partners were associated with their provision and receipt of social support, as well as their relationship satisfaction. We also examined whether partners with more similar willpower beliefs tended to have higher relationship satisfaction. A limited willpower belief was indeed associated with less provision of both instrumental and emotional support, according to both partners’ perspectives, and was also associated with a lower likelihood of receiving instrumental support. A limited willpower belief negatively correlated with one’s own relationship satisfaction, but partner effects were not significant. While couples’ willpower beliefs were more similar to each other than would be expected by chance, degree of similarity in willpower beliefs was not related to relationship satisfaction. Future research should examine the mechanisms via which willpower beliefs are involved in romantic relationships, potentially through impacting the exchange of support.
... While the Inconsistent-Low profile could also be related to personality, attachment style seems as though it would be more strongly correlated with such consistently low PRS ratings. Individuals who are avoidantly attached tend to be fearful of becoming close to and depending on others, which is negatively associated with connectedness and overall satisfaction in romantic relationships (Li & Chan, 2012) and could be a contributing factor for those perceiving themselves as single while partnered. Relationship withdrawal has also been studied as a terror management strategy used by avoidantly attached men for whom the mere thought of marriage leads to existential dread and mortality salience (Seagel et al., 2020), which further supports the possibility that attachment may be related to PRS. ...
At its core, romantic relationship status is binary (i.e., one is either single or partnered). However, many people often do not describe their status using this dichotomy. As such, we establish the construct perceived relationship status (PRS; the extent to which a person perceives themself as single versus partnered), and we demonstrate that people’s actual relationship status (ARS) and PRS are not always in alignment. In the current preregistered study, 150 participants reported their PRS across 27 hypothetical pre- and post-establishing exclusivity scenarios. We found considerable variation in PRS for every scenario, indicating that PRS is in fact distinct from ARS and is influenced by context for most people. Additionally, for the post-establishing exclusivity scenarios, the results of two repeated measures ANOVAs revealed that participants reported being significantly more single in certain intradyadic and social contexts than others. We also used this scenario data to qualitatively identify five distinct Consistent and Inconsistent profiles based on the nature of participants’ PRS-ARS misalignment. Lastly, we explored increased acceptance of infidelity as a potential outcome of the PRS-ARS misalignment within the context of the bachelor party, but our results did not indicate a significant association between the two. The implications of these findings and the need for future PRS research are discussed.
... Our data support that as stress increases, the feeling of personal distress becomes more demanding (and/or less manageable) and therefore more strongly relates to social avoidance behaviors. Such behaviors were previously found to increase depressive symptoms (Holahan et al., 2005), sabotage relationship satisfaction (Li and Chan, 2012), and increase parental exhaustion (Mikolajczak et al., 2018). ...
Introduction
Empathy is a complex, multifaceted ability allowing for the most basic forms of social communication and plays a prominent role in multiple aspects of everyday lives. In this intensive longitudinal study, we assessed how empathy interacts with stress to predict central domains of psychosocial functioning: mental health, romantic relationships, and parenting.
Methods
Fluctuations and individual differences in empathy were assessed across eight time points, where participants from the general population (N = 566) self-reported their empathy, stress, depressive symptoms, romantic satisfaction, and parental functioning.
Results
Both trait and state aspects of empathy were associated with all psychosocial outcomes, with state empathy showing a stronger effect. Additionally, empathy components interacted with stress—emotional empathy better-predicted outcomes under high stress, while cognitive empathy under low stress.
Discussion
Our findings advance the theoretical understanding of empathy, emphasizing the effects of state-dependent empathy fluctuations on our everyday mental and social lives.
... Attachment, specifically insecure attachment (anxiety and avoidance), has been found to predict presenting problems in mental health (Mikulincer & Shaver, 2012) and poor relationship outcomes Mohr et al., 2013;Parker et al., 2013). Attachment anxiety and attachment avoidance differ in their interactions with their partners, resulting in a variety of relationship outcomes (Li & Chan, 2012). However, the consistent finding in the research is that low relationship satisfaction is associated with attachment insecurity, due to the difficulty in meeting attachment needs (Kobak et al., 1994;Mikulincer & Shaver, 2018). ...
Phubbing, or phone snubbing, is the extent to which someone uses their phone in the presence of others. Phone use has become expected when people are around each other and research continues to explore the impact it has on relationship satisfaction. More specifically, the impact of phubbing through the lens of attachment and couple satisfaction. This study utilized a sample of 103 heterosexual couples to explore how perceptions of phubbing behaviors can inform the established relationship between attachment and relationship satisfaction for the individual and the relationship. An Actor-Partner Interdependence Moderation Model (APIMoM) was used for analysis and found actor and partner effects in perceptions of phubbing moderated the relationship between an individual's anxious attachment and avoidant attachment to their partner's reports of couple satisfaction. This supports the independent and interdependent nature of phubbing and the impact it has on the understanding of attachment and couple satisfaction.
... When looking at individual stress within romantic relationships, Powers, Pietromonaco, Gunlicks, and Sayer (2006) found that individuals with insecure attachments showed higher levels of stress responses when compared to individuals with secure attachments. In a meta-analysis on the literature on insecure attachment and relationship quality, Li and Chan (2012) found there was evidence that insecure attachment (both anxious and avoidant) is detrimental to cognitive, behavioural, and emotional aspects of romantic relationship quality. Avoidance was negatively correlated with feelings of connection and support in relationships and anxiety was positively correlated to relationship conflict. ...
Dyadic coping conceives coping as a response in which partners support each other and cope with stress as a couple rather than individuals, but little is known of the factors that lead to dyadic coping. The present study aims to explore the relationship between dyadic coping and adult attachment. That is, to examine whether an individual’s attachment style is a predictor of their own dyadic coping style and their partner’s dyadic coping style. Online, survey data was collected from 74 childless couples, between the ages of 18 and 31, who had been in their relationships for over 6 months. Overall, analysis showed stronger associations between dyadic coping and attachment for females, with minimal associations for males. The results of the present study are supportive of the existing literature, though provide opportunities for further research.
... post-traumatic stress disorder, positive and negative psychosis symptoms), compared to insecure attachment styles (Carr et al., 2018;Woodhouse et al., 2015). Similarly, meta-analyses of dimensional attachment styles have shown that although both insecure dimensions are negatively associated with general relationship satisfaction, anxious attachment is associated with more relationship conflict (Li & Chan, 2012), whereas avoidant attachment is associated with poorer perceptions of support and connectedness (Candel & Turliuc, 2019). Insecure attachment dimensions, particularly anxious attachment, have also been associated with greater prevalence of internalizing symptoms and borderline personality traits (Dagan et al., 2019(Dagan et al., , 2020Smith & South, 2020). ...
Introduction: This meta-analysis examined the association between dimensional and categorical conceptualizations of attachment styles and suicidal thoughts and behaviors (STBs). Methods: Random-effects meta-analysis was conducted to examine the associations between categorical secure attachment, categorical insecure attachment, and insecure attachment dimensions and STBs. Methodological moderators were also explored. This protocol was registered in PROSPERO (CRD42020152604). Results: Systematic search for articles published by December 2020 returned 58 eligible studies and 159 cross-sectional effects. Secure attachment was inversely associated with suicidal thoughts and not associated with suicide attempts. All categorical insecure attachment styles were positively associated with suicidal thoughts. Only fearful and preoccupied attachment were associated with risk for suicide attempts. Dimensional attachment anxiety was more strongly associated with suicidal thoughts and attempts than dimensional attachment avoidance. Discussion: Overall, attachment styles characterized by high attachment anxiety were associated with greatest vulnerability to STBs. Longitudinal studies are needed to better understand the association between attachment insecurity and STBs.
... Так, в качестве факторов удовлетворенности отношениями рассматриваются психологическая гибкость (Twiselton, Stanton, Gillanders & Bottomley, 2020), эмпатия и эмпатическая точность (Ickes & Hodges, 2013), степень согласованности идеального представления об отношениях и их реального воплощения (Fletcher, 2000). Также большая роль отводится таким переменным, как преданность, сексуальность, страсть, совладающее поведение (в том числе и диадическое) (Shaver & Miculincer, 2002;Li & Chan, 2012). ...
Introduction. The article discusses the acute problem of researching the specifics of close relationships between men and women at different ages. Changes in living space and context, as a sociocultural factor, affect the quality and dynamics of close relationships. However, relationships with the significant Other throughout a person's life are the most important resource for development, a factor in psychological well-being and a condition for socialization. The authors focus on dynamic changes in the parameters of close relationships, resulting from internal processes that take place against the backdrop of unprecedented changes in the modern world. The academic originality of the study lies in identifying the specifics of close relationships at different stages of adulthood.
Methods. The sample included 558 adults aged 18 to 65 years (288 women, 270 men) of different age categories. The design of the study included the collection of socio-biographical information about the respondents; self-assessment of the degree of closeness and relationship problems; standardized methods to verify the main categorical features of close relationships.
Results. In adolescence, avoidance of closeness is well seen. In early maturity, sexual, recreational, intellectual types of closeness with a partner are most pronounced, relationships are characterized by a high degree of involvement, positive emotional colouring, and are a resource for coping with the high uncertainty of the future and the stressfulness of the present. In the period of middle maturity, flexible coping develops, relationships are characterized by emotional ambivalence. At the stage of late maturity, relationships become more predictable, the importance of sexual closeness decreases, trust and mutual support come to the fore, and a high level of life satisfaction is achieved.
Discussion. Age in adulthood predicts a decrease in indicators of sexual, intellectual, recreational closeness in relationships with a partner and an increase in indicators of social closeness, life satisfaction, and coping rigidity. Gender differences in the severity of the parameters of close relationships, characteristic of adolescence and youth, are levelled by the time of late maturity. It is concluded that there are age and gender differences in close relationships at different stages of adulthood.
... Stoga su prisutne inhibicija emocija, teškoće u povjeravanju i otvaranju spram drugih, pretjerana neovisnost, ali i odbijanje pomoći i emocionalne podrške. Sukladno tome, za pojedince koji imaju razvijen taj stil privrženosti manje je vjerojatno da će uspostaviti privrženu romantičnu vezu i vjerojatnije je da će izbjegavati nove veze nakon prekida (Brassard i sur., 2007;Li i Chan, 2012). Pepping i suradnici (2018) daju shematski prikaz i objašnjenje dugotrajnog samaštva u kontekstu izbjegavajućeg stila privrženosti. ...
On a global level, from year to year there is an increase in the number of singles, that is, people who, either willingly or unwillingly, are not in any form of partner relationship, which increases the need for research into this specific phenomenon. This paper presents certain aspects of singlehood and the challenges faced by singles, which have been reviewed and researched in the previous literature: the reasons that lead to singlehood, ubiquitous stereotypes and discrimination, the psychological well-being of singles and their functioning in the context of the workplace and complying work with family and private life. Specific methodological challenges in the given field of research and guidelines for future research are also presented. Mainly, in this paper, singleness is analyzed taking into account the perspective of never-married adults without children, who are not in a committed romantic relationship. Despite the fact that, due to their status, they often have to face criticism from those who do not respect the plurality of attitudes and life choices, single people in terms of subjective well-being, generally did not prove to be inferior to married people. Nevertheless, the relationship between marital status and psychological well-being is still complicated and ambiguous. It has been shown that it is necessary to appeal for equality of rights and treatment in terms of working conditions, regardless of a person’s personal and family status, which would ultimately have a beneficial effect on organizations and society as a whole. The lack of a larger number of targeted studies of single people in Croatia is evident. In view of the above, it would be necessary to perform more detailed research that would thoroughly examine the role of the variables presented in this paper in the context of singlehood, but also other mechanisms and determinants of satisfaction and well-being of this group of people.
... Attachment is a key variable that explains relationship satisfaction; however, meta-analytics studies (e.g., Candel & Turliuc, 2019;Li & Chan, 2012) have observed that the dimension of avoidance exerts a stronger detrimental impact on relationship satisfaction. Candel and Turliuc (2019) analyzed gender differences in the link between avoidant attachment and relationship satisfaction but focused only on a moderation effect, finding that the link of such attachment orientation with relationship satisfaction was weaker in Asian individuals compared to counterparts from North America and Europe. ...
The utilization of specific strategies to manage couple conflict has a differential impact on women’s relationship satisfaction. However, considering that women’s role within couple relationship is shaped by societal norms, such association should be examined by embracing a cross-cultural perspective. Thus, the objective of this study is to analyze the effect of individualism/collectivism and masculinity/femininity cultural values on avoidant attachment, perceived conflict solving, and relationship satisfaction. The sample consisted of 334 women from Israel, USA, Türkiye, and Spain. An unconstrained general model elucidates the connections among relationship satisfaction, avoidant attachment, and conflict solving strategies across all countries; yet, the strength of certain associations varies based on the dimensions of masculinity and individualism. In individualistic countries, avoidant attachment predicts lower relationship satisfaction in women. The prediction of own withdrawal by avoidant attachment remains similar among women, regardless of the individualism dimension. Nevertheless, in feminine (i.e., role egalitarian) countries, the link between female’s avoidant attachment and their partner’s use of positive conflict solving strategies is stronger. Additionally, the withdrawal strategy predicts partner demand to a greater extent in women from feminine countries. These findings will assist professionals from different countries in developing culturally sensitive and tailored prevention and intervention tools.
... There is substantial evidence that attachment can be measured along the two dimensions of anxiety and avoidance (Brennan et al., 1998;Fraley et al., 2015;Fraley & Spieker, 2003), with securely attached individuals scoring low on both. Individual differences in attachment dimensions are linked to relationship functioning (Feeney, 2008;Li & Chan, 2012) and other aspects of mental health. Both attachment anxiety and avoidance are associated with a broad range of mental health problems such as depression (e.g., Cortes-Garcia et al., 2020), anxiety disorders (e.g., Doron et al., 2012), or personality disorders (e.g., Crawford et al., 2007). ...
Attachment insecurity is important for psychotherapy both as an aspect influencing the therapeutic process as well as potential outcome variable of a treatment. Two German short forms of the Experiences in Close Relationships - Revised (ECR-R) have been proposed to assess individual differences in attachment anxiety and avoidance. In this research, we examined whether these questionnaires are suitable for measuring change in attachment anxiety and avoidance by testing longitudinal measurement invariance in two independent clinical samples (N1 = 493, N2 = 273) using a pre-post design. Results indicated that strict longitudinal measurement invariance can be assumed for both measures. Thus, changes in scale scores before and after treatment can be interpreted as changes in the latent dimensions of attachment anxiety and avoidance. Both questionnaires were also sensitive to treatment in that attachment insecurity was overall reduced after therapy. Although both measures appear to be generally suitable for investigating treatment effects, they exhibited consistent problems with structural validity across samples that should be reexamined in future research.
... In the international literature examining attachment patterns, romantic attachment has been categorized into two continuous dimensions: avoidance (characterized by the minimization of attachment needs and an individual's discomfort in close relationships) and anxiety (characterized by the hyperactivation of the attachment system) [8,9], which are strictly associated with relationship quality and satisfaction in both heterosexuals and LG people [10,11]. Evidence of the links between attachment patterns and romantic relationship quality and satisfaction in same-sex couples has been found by several researchers [12][13][14][15][16][17][18], generally indicating a significant positive association between high levels of attachmentrelated anxiety and avoidance and low levels of relationship satisfaction. ...
This study examines romantic attachment, internalized sexual stigma, relationship satisfaction , and motives for parenthood in a sample of 313 Italian lesbian women (47.9%) and gay men (52.1%) aged 18-71 years (M = 36.2; SD = 11.9) and in same-sex relationships. The following hypotheses were tested: that romantic attachment is positively correlated with internalized stigma and motives to not have children, while it is negatively correlated with relationship satisfaction; that relationship satisfaction is negatively correlated with internalized stigma and motives for parenthood; that internalized stigma is negatively correlated with motives for parenthood; and that relationship satisfaction mediates the relationships between romantic attachment and motives for parenthood and between internalized stigma and motives for parenthood. The results strongly support the hypotheses. Furthermore, the results indicate that the lesbian participants reported lower levels of avoidance and internalized stigma and higher levels of relationship satisfaction and motives to not have children, and the participants in civil unions reported lower levels of anxiety and internalized stigma and higher levels of relationship satisfaction and motives to not have children. Taken together, our findings contribute to the growing body of research on LG parenthood and may inform social policy and psychological support for LG individuals pursuing parenthood.
Just as people strive to understand their own individual identities—to form a clear and coherent sense of who they are—they also seek to gain a clear understanding of who and what they are as a couple. However, some people may struggle in this goal; specifically, people high in attachment avoidance, who face barriers unique to the specific nature of their insecurity. We investigated whether attachment avoidance is negatively correlated with couple identity clarity and tested potential mechanisms for this association. We proposed that less interpersonal closeness and self‐verification from their partner would mediate the association between attachment avoidance and couple identity clarity. We found support for these hypotheses across three studies (total N = 912). Thus, attachment avoidance may create identity‐specific challenges in relationships.
Romantic relationships have the potential to shape individuals’ self-concepts for better or worse. Because these changes to the self have the potential to modify working models of self and other, they may also be associated with individuals’ levels of attachment security. The current research sought to examine whether relationship-induced self-concept improvement and degradation is associated with attachment security. Across three correlational studies (Studies 1a-1c; overall N = 579) and one experiment (Study 2; N = 196), we found that relationship-induced concept improvement (vs. degradation) is associated with greater state attachment security and lower state attachment avoidance (but not state anxiety). Further, state attachment security and avoidance mediated the association between overall self-concept improvement and relationship quality. Overall, relationship-induced changes to the self-concept appear to modify attachment systems, which cultivate relationship quality.
Empathic accuracy—the ability to decipher others’ thoughts and feelings—promotes relationship satisfaction. Those high in attachment avoidance tend to be less empathically accurate; however, past research has been limited to relatively negative or neutral contexts. We extend work on attachment and empathic accuracy to the positive context of love. To do so, we combined data from three dyadic studies ( N = 303 dyads) in which couple members shared a time of love and rated each other’s positive emotions. Using the Truth and Bias Model of Judgment, we found that individuals higher (vs. lower) in attachment avoidance were less accurate in inferring their partners’ positive emotions during the conversation, but did not systematically over- or under-perceive their partners’ positive emotions. Our results suggest that avoidant individuals may be less sensitive to positive cues in their relationships, potentially reducing relational intimacy.
This study examined the significance of a novel coding system for evaluating hyperactivation, deactivation, and anomalous content in the Attachment Script Assessment for romantic relationship functioning. In a sample of 208 couples (69% White, Mage 28.7 years), we tested whether ASA hyperactivation and deactivation were associated with theoretically relevant correlates, including observed behavior, parasympathetic reactivity, self-reported affective reactivity to conflict, and relationship satisfaction. Exploratory analyses examined associations of secure base script knowledge (SBSK) and anomalous content with these outcomes. ASA hyperactivation and deactivation were associated with behavioral, physiological, and self-reported functioning in theory-consistent ways. Anomalous content was not associated with romantic functioning. SBSK was associated with satisfaction, but this was not robust to covariates. Findings support the predictive validity of the hyperactivation and deactivation dimensions and suggest that these scales complement SBSK, enabling researchers to assess a wider range of behavioral and physiological indicators associated with distinctive forms of attachment insecurity.
Bu çalışma Hirschfeld ve diğerleri (1977) tarafından geliştirilen ve Türkçe’ye uyarlanmış olan Kişilerarası Bağımlılık Ölçeği’nin kısa formunu geliştirmeyi amaçlamaktadır. Ölçeğin geçerliliği, yapı ve ölçüt bağıntılı geçerliliğine bakılarak incelenmiştir. Ölçeğin orijinal formu yaşları 17-52 arasında 581 üniversite öğrencisinden oluşan birinci örnekleme uygulanmış ve elde edilen veriler üzerinde açımlayıcı faktör analizi gerçekleştirilmiştir. Açımlayıcı faktör analizi sonucunda ortaya çıkan 12 maddelik kısa form, yaşları 19-51 arasında değişen toplam 385 üniversite öğrencisinden oluşan ikinci örnekleme uygulanmış ve elde edilen veriler üzerinde doğrulayıcı faktör analizi gerçekleştirilmiştir. Yapılan analizler sonucunda 12 maddelik kısa formun, üç boyutlu yapısı doğrulanmıştır. Ölçüt bağıntılı geçerlik kapsamında anksiyete, depresyon, kişilerarası duyarlılık ve otonomi değişkenleri ile Kişilerarası Bağımlılık Ölçeği Kısa Formu arasında hesaplanan korelasyon değerleri, önceki çalışmalardan elde edilen bulgularla benzerlik göstermiştir. Ölçeğin güvenirliği kapsamında, iç tutarlılığı hesaplanmış ve ölçeğin toplam puanı için Cronbach alfa güvenirlik katsayısı .60 olarak hesaplanmıştır. Mevcut çalışma kapsamında elde edilen bulgular, Kişilerarası Bağımlılık Ölçeği Kısa Formu’nun geçerli ve güvenilir bir ölçme aracı olarak kullanılabileceğini göstermektedir.
La soddisfazione nelle relazioni rappresenta un fattore protettivo che aiuta ad affrontare le sfide evolutive. Il focus dello studio è la modulazione della soddisfazione nelle coppie attraverso il confronto fra un campione do-ve è presente un livello di soddisfazione mediamente positivo (valori supe-riori alla media) con uno dove questo si mostra prevalentemente basso (va-lori inferiori alla media). A tal fine abbiamo confrontato i dati ottenuti dalla somministrazione del questionario on-line Prepare-Enrich a coppie con problematiche di relazione e con un contratto relazionale definito (CP) con quelli di coppie in preparazione al matrimonio (CPM). Il campione totale è costituito da 29 coppie (14 CPM e 15 CP), per un totale di 58 soggetti. Le dimensioni di maggiore soddisfazione nelle coppie in preparazione al matrimonio sono state: la capacità di affrontare le differenze, il vissuto di non dominanza dal partner, l'impegno, la coesione, la reciprocità dei ruoli, la comunicazione, la soddisfazione sessuale e la relazione con gli amici e le famiglie.
Objective
This study examined the associations between romantic attachment and relationship satisfaction as mediated by interp ersonal schemas (friendly × hostile) with Turkish couples.
Background
Previous studies showed that adult romantic attachment is strongly associated with couple relationship functioning, and many efforts have been made to identify the mechanisms underlying this link. However, no study has considered interpersonal schemas when investigating the connection between romantic attachment and marital adjustment in couples.
Method
In total, 230 Turkish married couples completed measures of interpersonal schemas, adult attachment, and marital adjustment.
Results
Attachment anxiety is indirectly related to marital adjustment in couples via interpersonal schemas. However, attachment avoidance is both directly and indirectly related to marital adjustment via interpersonal schemas. Whereas friendly schemas are related to attachment anxiety negatively, hostile schemas are related to both attachment anxiety and avoidance positively.
Conclusion
The current study extended previous research by providing evidence concerning the influence of each partner's attachment dimension on the interpersonal schemas and marital adjustment of both spouses.
Implications
In romantic relationships being aware of the impact of interpersonal cycles on dyadic adjustment in clinical settings can help therapists shape their strategies in therapy sessions.
Background: Childhood maltreatment (CM) is considered a traumatic experience with long-term adverse effects on the quality of adult intimate relationships. Research on the mechanisms underlying this phenomenon among Arab societies is scarce. Objective: This study investigated the impact of childhood physical abuse (PA) and emotional abuse (EA) on the quality of marital relationships. Additionally, it examined the mediating roles of two dimensions of insecure adult attachment (i.e., avoidant and anxious) to a romantic partner and psychological distress within gender-specific models. Method: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among a representative sample of 604 married Arab adults ( M age = 33.5, SD = 6.52; 50.1% women) in Israel using a self-administered questionnaire. Results: Childhood PA was significantly related to low levels of relationship quality among men and women. For men, childhood PA was positively related to psychological distress and both patterns of romantic attachment styles, which in turn were negatively associated with relationship quality. For women, childhood PA was positively associated with psychological distress and avoidant attachment, correlating with low levels of relationship quality. Conclusion: A retrospective assessment of childhood PA is associated with decreased levels of marital relationship quality for men and women. This association is mediated by psychological distress and romantic attachment styles. Implications: Implementing interventions focused on improving mental health and promoting a secure romantic attachment style can enhance the quality of marital relationships for adults with CM experiences.
Kittel, K., Alonso-Arbiol, I., y Bretaña, I. (2021). Apego adulto y variables asociadas a cambios en la satisfacción marital a lo largo del tiempo: Una revisión sistemática. En J. Rodríguez Góngora, J. C. Rodríguez Rodríguez, M. Martínez de San Vicente, J. A. Rodríguez Rodríguez, Burgos Videla, C. G., y C. I. Bojórquez Díaz (Eds.), Psicología Siglo XXI: Una mirada amplia e integradora (pp. 259-287). Dykinson.
Background
Breadcrumbing, defined as the act of sending out flirtatious, but non-committal text messages to lure a sexual/romantic partner without expending much effort, has gained attention in popular culture and the media due to its relevance to contemporary dating dynamics. However, there is lack of evidence of the association between attachment insecurity and breadcrumbing This study aims to uncover the potential relationship between breadcrumbing engagement and attachment insecurity among Indian and Spanish young adults.
Methods
Data were collected through an anonymous online survey answered by 334 adults in India and by 348 adults in Spain aged between 18 and 40 years old. A linear regression model in both countries was run to examine breadcrumbing engagement and its relationship with the set of sociodemographic variables included in the study (participants’ age and sex, sexual orientation, relationship status and educational level) and the two dimensions of attachment insecurity (anxious and avoidant).
Results
The results showed that insecure attachment, both anxious and avoidant, were associated with engaging in breadcrumbing in both the countries. However, there was a stronger association between anxious attachment and breadcrumbing in India compared to Spain, where the association was stronger between avoidant attachment and breadcrumbing.
Conclusions
Findings from this study offer insight into an under-studied practice in the context of interpersonal relationships (i.e., breadcrumbing behaviour) and show the importance of attachment theoretical framework to hypothesize and analyse expectations regarding strategies to negotiate intimate relationships and the breadcrumbing experience particularly.
The neuropeptide oxytocin (OT) serves as a critical modulator of social cognition and social behavior. Adult attachment is an affiliative process crucial for social interaction across adulthood. Insecure adult attachment comprises two broad dimensions, attachment anxiety and attachment avoidance. Both these dimensions of attachment are currently understudied regarding OT modulation, and especially in older adults. The present study determined the effects of chronic intranasal OT administration on adult attachment in generally healthy older women and men (aged 55-95 years). Embedded in a larger project, participants were randomly assigned to self-administer 24 international units of either OT or a placebo (P) intranasally twice daily for four weeks. The Experiences in Close Relationships Scale assessed adult attachment (anxiety and avoidance) pre- and post-treatment. There was no significant pre- to post-treatment change in attachment avoidance overall, but the treatment x timepoint x sex interaction was significant, in that women (but not men) in the OT (vs. P) group reported decreased attachment avoidance. No comparable effects were observed for attachment anxiety. Results suggest that older women may benefit from chronic intranasal OT treatment by experiencing less attachment avoidance in their adult relationships.
Why do people fall in love? Does passion fade with time? What makes for a happy, healthy relationship? This introduction to relationship science follows the lifecycle of a relationship – from attraction and initiation, to the hard work of relationship maintenance, to dissolution and ways to strengthen a relationship. Designed for advanced undergraduates studying psychology, communication or family studies, this textbook presents a fresh, diversity-infused approach to relationship science. It includes real-world examples and critical-thinking questions, callout boxes that challenge students to make connections, and researcher interviews that showcase the many career paths of relationship scientists. Article Spotlights reveal cutting-edge methods, while Diversity and Inclusion boxes celebrate the variety found in human love and connection. Throughout the book, students see the application of theory and come to recognize universal themes in relationships as well as the nuances of many findings. Instructors can access lecture slides, an instructor manual, and test banks.
This study tested the hypothesis that attachment styles moderate the relationship between marital adjustment and depressive symptoms among husbands and wives. In a sample of 91 married couples, ratings of the anxious-ambivalent attachment style moderated the relationship between marital adjustment and depressive symptoms for both husbands and wives. Additionally, ratings of the secure attachment style moderated the relationship between marital adjustment and depressive symptoms for wives, with a trend for husbands. These findings suggest a relationship between insecurity and a predisposition to depressive symptoms in marital relationships.
The association between marital dissatisfaction and 12-month prevalence rates of Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (3rd ed., rev., 1987) Axis I psychiatric disorders was examined in married respondents from the National Comorbidity Survey (N = 2,538). Results indicate that marital dissatisfaction was associated with the presence of any disorder, any mood disorder, any anxiety disorder, and any substance-use disorder; dissatisfaction was also associated with 7 of 12 specific disorders for women and 3 of 13 specific disorders for men. To evaluate the unique association between marital dissatisfaction and psychiatric disorders, analyses were conducted controlling for comorbid disorders. Covariance analyses generally attenuated the bivariate associations between marital dissatisfaction and specific disorders and groupings of disorders. Results indicate that marital dissatisfaction was uniquely related to major depression and posttraumatic stress disorder for women and dysthymia for men.
The authors first describe individual differences in the structure of the self. In the independent self-construal, representations of others are separate from the self. In the interdependent self-construal, others are considered part of the self (H. Markus & S. Kitayama, 1991). In general, men in the United States are thought to construct and maintain an independent self-construal, whereas women are thought to construct and maintain an interdependent self-construal. The authors review the psychological literature to demonstrate that many gender differences in cognition, motivation, emotion, and social behavior may be explained in terms of men’s and women’s different self-construals. Recognition of the interdependent self-construal as a possible alternative conception of the self may stimulate new investigations into the ways the self influences a person’s thinking, feeling, and behaving.
Two studies examined attachment style differences in social perception. In Study 1, participants wrote open-ended explanations for hypothetical relationship events and described how they would feel and behave in response to each event. Compared with secure participants, preoccupied participants explained events in more negative ways; they also reported more emotional distress and behaviors that were likely to lead to conflict. Avoidant participants also provided negative explanations, but did not report emotional distress. Path analysis indicated that attachment style differences in behavior were mediated by explanation patterns and emotional distress. Study 2 was designed to replicate Study 1 and test the relative importance of attachment style and relationship quality to predicting each outcome. Results indicated that both variables were significant predictors of explanations, but only attachment style predicted emotional responses. These findings are consistent with the idea that adults with different working models of attachment are predisposed to think, feel, and behave differently in their relationships.
A new 4-group model of attachment styles in adulthood is proposed. Four prototypic attachment patterns are defined using combinations of a person's self-image (positive or negative) and image of others (positive or negative). In Study 1, an interview was developed to yield continuous and categorical ratings of the 4 attachment styles. Intercorrelations of the attachment ratings were consistent with the proposed model. Attachment ratings were validated by self-report measures of self-concept and interpersonal functioning. Each style was associated with a distinct profile of interpersonal problems, according to both self- and friend-reports. In Study 2, attachment styles within the family of origin and with peers were assessed independently. Results of Study 1 were replicated. The proposed model was shown to be applicable to representations of family relations; Ss' attachment styles with peers were correlated with family attachment ratings.
Romantic couples (N = 194) participated in an investigation of caregiving processes in adulthood. In Phase 1, couple members completed questionnaires designed to identify attachment style differences in caregiving behavior and to explore the underlying (personal and relationship) mechanisms that lead people with different attachment styles to be effective or ineffective caregivers. Results revealed that social support knowledge, prosocial orientation, interdependence, trust, and egoistic motivation mediated the link between attachment style and caregiving. In Phase 2, responsive caregiving was assessed behaviorally by exposing one member of the couple to a stressful laboratory situation and experimentally manipulating his or her need for support. Results revealed that attachment style and mediating mechanisms identified in Phase 1 also predicted observable support behavior in a specific episode in which a partner had a clear need for support.
Why is it that women often report more problems in their romantic relationships than do men? One explanation apparent in the literature is that women may view different standards as important for relationships than do their male counterparts and, as a consequence, women may be less likely to have their standards met. A second explanation is that while women and men may not differ in terms of the importance they associate with various standards, the experiences they have in their romantic relationships may lead women to believe their standards are not fulfilled as often as do men. The current study offers a preliminary test of these two rival explanations and found greater support for the latter. Analyses of two composite measures and more detailed factor-based measures generally indicated that the standards held by women and men involved in heterosexual romantic relationships were rated similar in importance. Women, however, tended to note that their standards were met less fully than did men. Further, compared to men, women reported a greater discrepancy between the importance they associated with various standards and the extent to which the standards were fulfilled in the context of their relationship. The ability of two different theoretical models to predict and explain these findings is discussed, as are the implications of the results for future research.
This article explores the possibility that romantic love is an attachment process--a biosocial process by which affectional bonds are formed between adult lovers, just as affectional bonds are formed earlier in life between human infants and their parents. Key components of attachment theory, developed by Bowlby, Ainsworth, and others to explain the development of affectional bonds in infancy, were translated into terms appropriate to adult romantic love. The translation centered on the three major styles of attachment in infancy--secure, avoidant, and anxious/ambivalent--and on the notion that continuity of relationship style is due in part to mental models (Bowlby's "inner working models") of self and social life. These models, and hence a person's attachment style, are seen as determined in part by childhood relationships with parents. Two questionnaire studies indicated that relative prevalence of the three attachment styles is roughly the same in adulthood as in infancy, the three kinds of adults differ predictably in the way they experience romantic love, and attachment style is related in theoretically meaningful ways to mental models of self and social relationships and to relationship experiences with parents. Implications for theories of romantic love are discussed, as are measurement problems and other issues related to future tests of the attachment perspective.
Used a longitudinal study of heterosexual dating relationships to test investment model predictions regarding the process by which satisfaction and commitment develop (or deteriorate) over time. Initially, 17 male and 17 female undergraduates, each of whom was involved in a heterosexual relationship of 0-8 wks duration, participated. Four Ss dropped out, and 10 Ss' relationships ended. Questionnaires were completed by Ss every 17 days. Increases over time in rewards led to corresponding increases in satisfaction, whereas variations in costs did not significantly affect satisfaction. Commitment increased because of increases in satisfaction, declines in the quality of available alternatives, and increases in investment size. Greater rewards also promoted increases in commitment to maintain relationships, whereas changes in costs generally had no impact on commitment. For stayers, rewards increased, costs rose slightly, satisfaction grew, alternative quality declined, investment size increased, and commitment grew; for leavers the reverse occurred. Ss whose partners ended their relationships evidenced entrapment: They showed relatively low increases in satisfaction, but their alternatives declined in quality and they continued to invest heavily in their relationships. (39 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2006 APA, all rights reserved).
The relations between continuous ratings of four partnershipspecific adult attachment prototype descriptions (Bartholomew & Horowitz, 1991) and relationship satisfaction were investigated in 333 married couples. Using multiple regression analysis, marital satisfaction could be predicted by the individual’s own attachment, the partner’s attachment, and the interaction between them. In general, secure attachment was related to higher, and insecure attachment to lower marital satisfaction. In specific dyadic configurations, however, the positive effects of secure and the negative effects of insecure attachment styles were either amplified or attenuated depending on the attachment of the spouse.
This study examines the association between marital quality and personal well-being using meta-analytic techniques. Effects from 93 studies were analyzed. The average weighted effect size r was .37 for cross-sectional and .25 for longitudinal effects. Results indicate that several variables moderate the association between marital quality and personal well-being, including gender, participants’ marital duration, source of measurement, data collection year, and dependent variable. These results suggest that longitudinal effects are more likely to be uncovered when using standard measurement and that future research should use samples homogenous in marital length. The longitudinal finding that the strength of the association is stronger when personal well-being is treated as the dependent variable supports previous theorizing.
The current research focuses on the detrimental effects of attachment insecurities on sexuality and relationship quality. A community sample of 96 women completed self-report scales tapping attachment orientations; relationship satis-faction; sex-related affect and cognitions; and sexual function-ing. Findings indicate that although both attachment anxiety and avoidance were associated with aversive sexual affect and cognitions, attachment anxiety was more detrimental to sexual functioning. In addition, only attachment anxiety was significantly associated with relational and sexual dissatis-faction, however, sexual satisfaction mediates the association between attachment anxiety and relationship satisfaction. The possibility that attachment orientations are associated with different strategies and interaction goals in the operation of the sexual system within romantic relationships is discussed. KEY WORDS: attachment • relationship satisfaction • romantic relationships • sex • sexual functioning
Meta-analysis is arguably the most important methodological innovation in the social and behavioral sciences in the last 25 years. Developed to offer researchers an informative account of which methods are most useful in integrating research findings across studies, this book will enable the reader to apply, as well as understand, meta-analytic methods. Rather than taking an encyclopedic approach, the authors have focused on carefully developing those techniques that are most applicable to social science research, and have given a general conceptual description of more complex and rarely-used techniques. Fully revised and updated, Methods of Meta-Analysis, Second Edition is the most comprehensive text on meta-analysis available today. New to the Second Edition: * An evaluation of fixed versus random effects models for meta-analysis* New methods for correcting for indirect range restriction in meta-analysis* New developments in corrections for measurement error* A discussion of a new Windows-based program package for applying the meta-analysis methods presented in the book* A presentation of the theories of data underlying different approaches to meta-analysis
Marital quality is examined as a 2-dimensional construct comprising positive and negative evaluations. Assessments of marital quality, behavior, attributions, and general affect were completed by 123 couples. Confirmatory factor analysis supported the existence of positive and negative marital quality dimensions. These dimensions also explained unique variance in reported behavior and attributions beyond that explained by a conventional marital quality measure and by positive and negative affect. Ambivalent (high-positive and high-negative) and indifferent (low positive and low-negative) wives differed in reports of behaviors and attributions but did not differ in scores on the conventional marital quality test. The implications of a 2-dimensional analysis of marital quality for theory and research are outlined. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
The authors review the theory of romantic, or pair-bond, attachment as it was originally formulated by C. Hazan and P. R. Shaver in 1987 and describe how it has evolved over more than a decade. In addition, they discuss 5 issues related to the theory that need further clarification: (a) the nature of attachment relationships, (b) the evolution and function of attachment in adulthood, (c) models of individual differences in attachment, (d) continuity and change in attachment security, and (e) the integration of attachment, sex, and caregiving. In discussing these issues, they provide leads for future research and outline a more complete theory of romantic attachment.
Three studies assessed the construct validity of the self- and other-model dimensions underlying the 4-category model of adult attachment (Bartholomew, 1990). Five methods were used to assess the hypothesized dimensions: self-reports, friend-reports, romantic partner reports, trained judges' ratings of peer attachment, and trained judges' ratings of family attachment. In each study, the convergent and discriminant validity of the dimensions were assessed by multitrait-multimethod matrices and by confirmatory factor analysis. Study 2 related the latent attachment dimensions to theoretically relevant outcome latent variables. As predicted, individuals' self models converged with direct measures of the positivity of their self-concepts, and individuals' other models converged with direct measures of the positivity of their interpersonal orientations. Study 3 related the latent attachment dimensions to 3 alternate self-report measures of adult attachment and showed that the 2 dimensions serve as an organizing framework for the different measurement approaches.
Marital quality is examined as a 2-dimensional construct comprising positive and negative evaluations. Assessments of marital quality, behavior, attributions, and general affect were completed by 123 couples. Confirmatory factor analysis supported the existence of positive and negative marital quality dimensions. These dimensions also explained unique variance in reported behavior and attributions beyond that explained by a conventional marital quality measure and by positive and negative affect. Ambivalent (high-positive and high-negative) and indifferent (low-positive and low-negative) wives differed in reports of behaviors and attributions but did not differ in scores on the conventional marital quality test, The implications of a 2-dimensional analysis of marital quality for theory and research are outlined.
Part I Models of love and satisfaction in close relationships: marital satisfaction in evolutionary psychological perspective, Shackelford, Buss attachment and relationship satisfaction across the lifespan, Koski, Shaver love and satisfaction, Hendrick a hierachical model of love and its prediction of satisfaction in close relationships, Barnes, Sternberg philosophy as a model of relationship satisfaction, Hojjat. Part II Satisfaction over the course of close relationships: a temporal view of relationship satisfaction and stability, Berscheid, Lopes marital satisfaction and spousal interaction, Feeney, Noller, Ward "rethinking" satisfaction in personal relationships from a dialectical perspective. Erbert, Duck. Part III Conflict and satisfaction in close relationships: angry at your partner? Think again, Christensen, Walczynski marital quality - a new theoretical perspective, Fincham, Beach, Kemp-Fincham. Part IV Psychotherapy and satisfaction in close relationships: acceptance in couple therapy and its implications for the treatment of depression, Cordova, Jacobson the the erosion of satisfaction over time and how to prevent it, Cordova, Markman, Laurenceau a schema-focused perspective on satisfaction in close relationships, Young, Gluhoski.
This paper critically examines the operationalization of marital quality indices used as dependent variables. First, it looks at the functioning and construction of marital quality variables. In particular, Spanier's Dyadic Adjustment Scale is used to illustrate the arguments. Second, it presents both semantic and empirical criteria to judge the development of a marital quality index. Finally, it presents a Quality Marriage Index (QMI) based on the introduced criteria. This index was constructed using data from 430 people across four states. Several advantages of the QMI over more traditional measures are shown in terms of how covariates relate to the index.
Attachment security in adulthood is not profitably conceptualized as a single, monolithic construct. It is reflected both in adults' confidence in themselves and others in close relationships (as noted by social-personality psychologists) and in their ability to successfully construct a coherent life narrative about childhood experiences with primary attachment figures (as emphasized by developmental psychologists). Evidence suggests that measures tapping these forms of attachment-related variation represent the underlying structure of adult attachment similarly, in that both may be best captured by two continuously distributed, albeit correlated dimensions tapping anxiety and avoidance. Nonetheless, differing approaches to measuring adult security demonstrate weak empirical overlap, and emerging evidence suggests that each is associated with personal and interpersonal outcomes central to attachment theory in empirically distinct ways. Discussion focuses on how recent insights—in combination with needed experimental and longitudinal data—can help reconcile the developmental- and social-psychological literatures on adult attachment.
In this study, we assessed how attachment orientations and degree of relationship dependence influence individuals' own behavior and their partners' behavior in a stressful situation using the Actor-Partner Interdependence Model (APIM; Kashy & Kenny, 2000). Dating couples were videotaped while the female partner was waiting to engage in an anxiety-provoking task. Raters then evaluated the behavior of each partner on theoretically relevant dimensions. We found that more avoidantly attached individuals behaved more negatively toward their partners. Moreover, people behaved more negatively if their partners were more avoidant. Very few direct effects of dependence emerged. However, attachment orientations, particularly avoidant attachment and level of dependence, interacted to predict the behavior of both partners. In particular, less avoidant and highly dependent people behaved less negatively toward their partners, whereas more avoidant and less dependent people behaved more negatively. These results are discussed in terms of attachment theory, interdependence theory, and the APIM.
This article employs interdependence theory as a means of understanding how and why some relationships survive difficult times whereas other promising relationships end. Interdependence theory makes important distinctions between satisfaction and dependence. These distinctions are extended in the investment model, a theory of the process by which individuals become dependent on and committed to their relationships. The investment model suggests that dependence increases not only as a consequence of increasing satisfaction, but also because available alternatives are perceived to be poor and numerous important resources are invested in a relationship. Subjective commitment summarizes the nature of an individual's dependence on a partner, and represents broad, long-term orientation toward a relationship. Strong commitment not only makes individuals more likely to remain with their partners, but also promotes a variety of relationship maintenance behaviors such as adaptive social comparison and perceived relationship superiority, derogation of attractive and threatening alternatives, effective management of jealousy and extrarelationship involvements, willingness to sacrifice for the good of a relationship, and tendencies to accommodate rather than retaliate when a partner behaves poorly.
Gender differences in socialization and marital roles may lead wives to attend more closely to relationship interactions than their spouses do; wives may also assign greater importance to such interactions and deliberate more about them. As a result, wives would possess more vivid memories than their husbands have for events in their relationship. Spouses tape-recorded descriptions of their first date together, a shared vacation and an argument between the two of them. They subsequently assessed the clarity of their own recall of each event. Women reported more vivid memories than did their husbands. Women also attributed greater personal importance to the events, reported reminiscing about them more often and expressed more affect in their event descriptions than did their husbands. The best predictors of spouses' clarity ratings were frequency of reminiscing about the event and, for the argument, outcome of the dispute. After reading typed transcripts of spouses' descriptions of each event, observers completed the same clarity of recall questions as the couples. Observers judged the women's recall to be more vivid. The best predictor of observers' clarity judgments was the number of affective statements in a description. The results were discussed in terms of their implications for social memory and marital relations.
The present study examined the relationship between spouses' attachment styles, coping strategies, and marital satisfaction. The study included 263 couples who responded to an attachment questionnaire, the Coping Inventory for Stressful Situations, and the Dyadic Adjustment Scale. Secure attachment was positively related to task-focused coping whereas anxious/ambivalent attachment was related to emotion-focused coping. Avoidant attachment was related to avoidance coping strategies. Wives' anxious/ambivalent and secure attachments and task-oriented coping accounted for a significant portion of the variance associated with husbands' marital adjustment. Husbands' anxious/ambivalent attachment and emotion focused coping were significant predictors of their wives' marital adjustment. Finally, task-oriented coping weakened the negative relation between anxious/ambivalent or avoidant attachment and marital satisfaction whereas avoidance strategies strengthened the negative association between anxious/ambivalent attachment and marital adjustment.
This study examined the association between attachment style and marital functioning, focusing on cognition as a key explanatory link. Married spouses completed measures of anxious and avoidant attachment, negative attributions, and perceived marital support and conflict. Attachment style was related to marital adjustment and to attribution style, with anxious attachment being a stronger predictor than avoidant attachment. The interaction of husbands' and wives' attachment styles also predicted marital functioning. In some cases, the tendency to make negative attributions for spouse behavior mediated the effects of attachment style on marital adjustment. Couples also participated in a marital interaction task involving two social situation manipulations - an agency threat (i.e., evaluation) and a communion threat (i.e., disagreement with one's spouse). Following the task, participants completed a measure assessing their appraisals of their spouses' behavior. Attachment style interacted with the social situation manipulations to affect spouse appraisals. The results support the general hypothesis that adult attachment style predicts functioning in intimate relationships, and suggest that cognitive processes may form part of the path explaining this association.
This study examined the hypothesis that perceptions of interaction in intimate relationships would mediate the association between attachment organization and relationship satisfaction. A multi-ethnic group of 159 male and 226 female community college students completed questionnaires regarding attachment organization and aspects of their intimate relationships. Greater attachment security and less activation of the attachment system were associated with perceptions of more affiliative interaction (R = .45, p<.001) and less distress (R = .43, p<.001) in the relationship. Perceptions of more affiliative interaction were strongly associated with less relationship distress (R = .69, p<.001). When attachment factors and interaction factors were entered jointly in the regression for relationship distress, the association between attachment and relationship distress was substantially reduced. This analysis supported the hypothesis of a mediation effect. The mediation effect was less complete for women than for men. The association of attachment factors with relationship distress was more direct in relationships that were at relatively early stages of development. Over all comparisons, the inclusion of subjects with a conventionalized response set inflated Rs 2 by an average of 3 percent.
This study investigated associations between attachment style, partner perception accuracy, and relationship satisfaction in a sample of 61 undergraduate dating couples. Each partner completed questionnaires assessing own attachment style, own feelings about the relationship, and perceptions of the partner’s feelings about the relationship. Results indicated that more avoidantly attached men and more anxiously attached individuals of both sexes reported lower relationship satisfaction. However, only anxiously attached men showed consistently lower accuracy in perceiving their partner’s feelings about the relationship. The lower satisfaction among anxiously attached men could be partially explained by their lower accuracy in perceiving their partner’s feelings of love, and this lower accuracy was not due to the partner’s self-reported level of communication. Implications of the results in terms of understanding how attachment style influences interpersonal communication and relationship quality are discussed.
Recent research has suggested that adult attachment style, an orientation to relationships thought to be determined by child-hood relationships with parents and subsequent experiences with important attachment figures, affects the experience of romantic love. Several hypotheses were generated regarding attachment-style differences in affect-regulation strategies (nonintimate sexual behavior, alcohol use, and eating disorders) and attachment experiences and dynamics in couples (e.g., relationship satisfaction, partner-matching on attachment style). These hypotheses were tested using seven theoretically derived attachment scales, which reveal the specific attributes of a person's attachment style. Results indicate substantial associations between attachment dimensions and relationship satisfaction, nonintimate sexuality, eating disorders, and motives for drinking, and replicate previous research showing nonrandom but weak pairing of attachment styles in dating couples.
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This investigation examined the impact of secure, anxious, and avoidant attachment styles on romantic relationships in a longitudinal study involving 144 dating couples. For both men and women, the secure attachment style was associated with greater relationship interdependence, commitment, trust, and satisfaction than were the anxious or avoidant attachment styles. The anxious and avoidant styles were associated with less frequent positive emotions and more frequent negative emotions in the relationship, whereas the reverse was true of the secure style. Six-month follow-up interviews revealed that, among those individuals who disbanded, avoidant men experienced significantly less post-dissolution emotional distress than did other people.
A basic principle of attachment theory is that early attachment relationships with caregivers provide the prototype for later social relations. Working within an attachment framework, a new 4-group model of characteristic attachment styles in adulthood is proposed. In particular, two forms of adult avoidance of intimacy are differentiated: a fearful style that is characterized by a conscious desire for social contact which is inhibited by fears of its consequences, and a dismissing style that is characterized by a defensive denial of the need or desire for greater social contact. This distinction corresponds to two differing models of the self: people who fearfully avoid intimacy view themselves as undeserving of the love and support of others, and people who dismiss intimacy possess a positive model of the self that minimizes the subjective awareness of distress or social needs. The emotional and interpersonal ramifications of the two proposed styles of adult avoidance are discussed.
Ethological attachment theory is a landmark of 20th century social and behavioral sciences theory and research. This new paradigm for understanding primary relationships across the lifespan evolved from John Bowlby's critique of psychoanalytic drive theory and his own clinical observations, supplemented by his knowledge of fields as diverse as primate ethology, control systems theory, and cognitive psychology. By the time he had written the first volume of his classic Attachment and Loss trilogy, Mary D. Salter Ainsworth's naturalistic observations in Uganda and Baltimore, and her theoretical and descriptive insights about maternal care and the secure base phenomenon had become integral to attachment theory. Patterns of Attachment reports the methods and key results of Ainsworth's landmark Baltimore Longitudinal Study. Following upon her naturalistic home observations in Uganda, the Baltimore project yielded a wealth of enduring, benchmark results on the nature of the child's tie to its primary caregiver and the importance of early experience. It also addressed a wide range of conceptual and methodological issues common to many developmental and longitudinal projects, especially issues of age appropriate assessment, quantifying behavior, and comprehending individual differences. In addition, Ainsworth and her students broke new ground, clarifying and defining new concepts, demonstrating the value of the ethological methods and insights about behavior. Today, as we enter the fourth generation of attachment study, we have a rich and growing catalogue of behavioral and narrative approaches to measuring attachment from infancy to adulthood. Each of them has roots in the Strange Situation and the secure base concept presented in Patterns of Attachment. It inclusion in the Psychology Press Classic Editions series reflects Patterns of Attachment's continuing significance and insures its availability to new generations of students, researchers, and clinicians.
A review of the literature demonstrates that `relationship thinking' is a central factor influencing the behavior of personal relationship participants. The present investigation examined the psychometric properties of an instrument designed to assess individual levels of relational cognition complexity, a structural quality of relationship thinking. Scores obtained via the Relational Cognition Complexity Instrument (RCCI) were found to have moderate 1-week test-retest reliability and high internal consistency. They were also found to have discriminant validity relative to measures of person cognition complexity and verbal intelligence. Male relationship partners were also found to score significantly lower on the RCCI than were female relationship partners.
