Abstract
Little research has examined how attachment styles in childhood are related to current romantic relationship experiences. The aim of this study was to explore the association between perceptions of childhood experiences with parents, attachment styles in romantic relationships, and relationship satisfaction in a sample of young adults. The sample consisted of 227 participants, 153 of which were university students and the remaining 69 were members of the general population. Of these, 177 (78%) were female and 50 (22%) were male, with an age range of 18 - 39. Participants completed a battery of self-report measures assessing their attachment style in romantic relationships, satisfaction in their current romantic relationship, and an adjective checklist describing their parents and their parent’s relationship with each other. The majority of males had an avoidant-fearful style, while females tended to have an avoidant-fearful or secure style. Findings were that participants’ descriptions of their mother, father, and parental relationship were associated with their attachment style. In terms of a current romantic relationship, those with a secure attachment style were much more likely to be in a relationship whereas those with an avoidant-fearful style were not. Secure participants were more satisfied in their relationships than the insecure styles of attachment. Finally, chi-square tests revealed that there was no association between gender and attachment style. Results were discussed in terms of methodological limitations such as the use of self-report measures; theoretical weaknesses for example the variability in the approaches used in attachment research; and future research, which included the use of longitudinal studies which may offer insight into how early parenting behaviours act as predictors of later relationship functioning.
Highlights
The impact which early experience has upon the development and maintenance of adult relationships is an enduring issue in developmental psychology and one which is of theoretical and clinical interest
The aim of this study is to investigate the possible connection between adult attachment styles in the context of romantic relationships, perceptions of parents from childhood and relationship satisfaction in a sample of young adults (18 - 39 years)
Due to the disproportionate number of females compared to males, a random sample of females (N = 50) was compared to full sample of females (N = 177) and as there were no differences with respect to mean scores among key variables in this study, the full sample of females was used in the analysis for greater statistical power [39]
Summary
The impact which early experience has upon the development and maintenance of adult relationships is an enduring issue in developmental psychology and one which is of theoretical and clinical interest. According to attachment theory [1], the quality of early interactions between the child and their primary caregiver has a significant impact on the child’s subsequent psychological and interpersonal functioning throughout the lifespan. This theory is based on the premise that attachment security develops when the caregiver is perceived as being responsible and caring whereas attachment insecurity results when the caregiver is perceived as inconsistent in their responses and availability [2]. It is believed that as a result of these early interactions, the child develops mental representations or internal working models of attachment which act as a guide for perceptions and behaviours in subsequent relationships. While the focus of this early research was on the mother-child interaction, subsequent research has examined the link between the quality of infant and adult attachment relationships [2]
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