Association Between Adult Romantic Attachment Styles and Family-of-Origin Expressive Atmosphere

Abstract

This study examined the associations between attachment quality and perceived family-of-origin expressive atmosphere (FOEA) in a convenience sample of 279 participants. Multivariate analysis of variance (MAN-OVA) was used to examine the associations between attachment style and FOEA, and hierarchical regression was used to analyze FOEA as a predictor for attachment anxiety and attachment avoidance. Categorically, secure and dismissing individuals reported higher levels of FOEA than preoccupied and fearful ones. Dimensionally, FOEA predicted significant anxiety and avoidance. Findings in this study support the proposition of the family as a secure base for attachment formation.