Exploring Psychosocial Factors Influencing Maladaptive Behaviors Following The Break-Ups of Romantic Relationship

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This study aimed to develop a comprehensive scale for assessing maladaptive behaviors following romantic break-ups and examine the experiences of university students in this context regarding psychological and relational factors with particular emphasis on the theoretical framework of Attachment Theory. A total of 512 university students aged 18-25, who experienced a break-up within the past year, participated in the study. Measures included the Perceived Relationship Quality Components, Attachment-Based Mental Representation Scale (ABMRS), Distress Intolerance Index (DII), and Complicated Grief Inventory- Relation and Post Break-up Maladaptive Behaviors Scale (PBMBS) explicitly developed within this study. The collected data were analyzed using various statistical techniques, including explanatory factor analysis (EFA), regression analysis, and mediation analysis. Results from the EFA revealed that the final version of the PBMBS consisted of 21 items across four constructs: Aggression Over Others, Dating and Sexual Act, Boundary Violation and Harassment, and Inclination to Pleasure and Denial with a Cronbach's alpha coefficient of .83. Hierarchical regression analysis demonstrated that the increased elapsed time since the breakup, the higher scores of insecure attachment, and the Inventory of Complicated Grief, the lower scores of the Distress Intolerance Index, significantly predicted maladaptive behaviors following break-ups. Furthermore, the mediation analysis indicated a significant relationship between insecure attachment and post-break-up maladaptive behaviors, with distress tolerance mediating in this relationship. Overall, the study enhances understanding of post-break-up dynamics. The findings and implications were discussed concerning existing literature.