Competing Attachment in Romantic Relationships

Abstract

Competing attachment is defined as a relational dynamic where one partner in a romantic relationship turns to someone or something outside of the relationship for comfort, soothing, or other attachment needs. We used path analysis to analyze whether competing attachment predicted relationship satisfaction and whether this relationship was mediated by relational attachment security in adult romantic relationships. We also demonstrated the reliability and validity of the Competing Attachment Scale, which was developed for this study. Participants (N = 151) completed the Competing Attachment Scale (CAS;), the State Adult Attachment Measure, and the Couples Satisfaction Index-16. Competing attachment was found to negatively correlate with relationship satisfaction and state specific attachment security. Additionally, state specific attachment security was found to mediate the relationship between competing attachments and relationship satisfaction. Implications for clinical practice and future research are discussed.