Adult attachment and trust in romantic relationships

Abstract

Two theoretical perspectives guide much of the research on adult romantic relationships: attachment theory and interdependence theory. Each of these theoretical perspectives acknowledges the importance of trust, or perceptions of partners' dependability and faith in the future of the relationship. Whereas attachment theory conceptualizes trust as a component of individual differences in attachment representations, interdependence theoretical approaches conceptualize trust as a unique construct that develops within new relationships. In this article we discuss the importance of considering this difference in conceptualizations of trust for future research, highlighting the need for longitudinal research to properly assess the development of trust as an individual difference as well as uniquely within the dyadic context.