The Moderating Role of Attachment Styles on the Relationship of Alexithymia and Fear of Intimacy with Marital Satisfaction

Abstract

Attachment styles, alexithymia, and fear of intimacy are considered to be detrimental to degree of satisfactionwithin the couples relationships. The present study aimed to investigate the moderating role of attachment styleson the relationship of alexithymia and fear of intimacy with marital satisfaction in a sample of Iranian students.Participants (313 males, 375 females) filled the Adult Attachment Inventory (AAI), the Farsi version of theToronto Alexithymia Scale-20 (FTAS-20), Fear of Intimacy Scale (FIS), and the Golombok Rust Inventory ofMarital State Questionnaire (GRIMS). Secure attachment style showed a significant positive association withmarital satisfaction, while insecure attachment styles as well as fear of intimacy and alexithymia showedsignificant negative associations with marital satisfaction. The relationship between fear of intimacy and maritalsatisfaction was moderated by secure and avoidant attachment styles. The results revealed that only avoidantattachment style could moderate the relationship between alexithymia and marital satisfaction. Results of thepresent study suggest that the relationship of alexithymia and fear of intimacy with marital satisfaction is not asimple linear one. This is moderated in part by attachment styles. Hence, secure and insecure attachmentcharacteristics may have significant influence in marital relationship in opposite directions.