Mate-retention behaviors mediate the association between spouses' attachment insecurity and subsequent partner satisfaction

Abstract

Partner defection for attractive alternatives is a notable threat to relationships. Intimates' attachment insecurity likely influences the behaviors they engage in to combat this threat. Whereas attachment anxiety is likely positively associated with mate-retention frequency, attachment avoidance is likely negatively associated with mate-retention frequency. Moreover, given the partner-directed nature of mate-retention behaviors, such behaviors may subsequently impact intimates' partners. We examined these possibilities in one cross-sectional study of young adults and one dyadic, 3-year longitudinal study of newlywed couples. We also explored potential sex differences in each of these associations. Across both studies, men's and women's attachment anxiety was positively associated with their cost-inflicting mate retention whereas their attachment avoidance was negatively associated with their benefit-provisioning mate retention. Study 2 further demonstrated that the partners of more (versus less) anxiously attached people experienced declines in marital satisfaction over time that was due, in part, to being the target of more frequent cost-inflicting behaviors (though these effects only trended toward significance among wives), and the partners of more (versus less) avoidantly attached people experienced increases in marital satisfaction over time that was due, in part, to being the target of fewer cost-inflicting behaviors. Implications and future directions of research are discussed.