Romantic Attachment Style Research Articles

Romantic attachment styles, harsh parenting behavior, and children’s emotional reactivity: A process model

Romantic attachment styles, harsh parenting behavior, and children’s emotional reactivity: A process model

Conceptualizing Couples Through Romantic Attachment and Love Language

Attachment theory posits that relationships developed in childhood between children and their parents or caregivers, impact the manner in which later relationships are developed in adulthood. John Bowlby described various attachment styles within the child-caregiver relationship. Some of these attachment styles are viewed today through the lens of romantic attachment styles that include secure (content and healthy relationships), avoidant (dismissive and unengaged in relationships), and anxious (insecurities and fear in relationships). Couples romantic attachment could be better understood in conjunction with love languages. Love languages, developed by Gary Chapman, include words of affirmation, quality time, gift giving, physical touch, receiving gifts, and acts of service. Applying love language techniques to mending insecure attachments, can lead to couples understanding of one another's needs, and improve relationship satisfaction. Thus, this article advocates for clinicians’ assessing romantic attachment and love languages in couples therapy, to promote stronger, affectionate, empathic, and satisifying relationships. Lay summary Understanding your partner's needs can improve relationship satisfaction in relationships. Insecure romantic attachments may be strengthened by speaking your partner's love language. This article advocates for clinicians to assess for romantic attachment and love languages in couples therapy.

The Influence of Different Gender Roles on the Formation of Attachment Types--An Analysis from an Evolutionary Psychology Perspective

The formation of attachment style is closely related to the development of children and the formation of intimate relationship, which is an important subject in the field of psychology. Some previous studies have found significant gender differences in insecure attachment and romantic attachment styles in adulthood. Women crave secure attachment more than men do. When it comes to romantic attachment, men are more avoidant, while women show more anxiety. This paper searches and collates relevant theories and studies, integrating the physiological and psychosocial factors that lead to this difference. In the course of biological evolution, survival, reproduction, and sexual division of labor provide reliable explanations for the differences in the physical, psychological, and social experiences of men and women. Despite the limitations of the current study and the controversy surrounding the findings, a study of cognition in gay and straight groups provides an important clue that an individual's overall cognitive pattern shows a higher correlation with cognitive gender than with biological sex. In future studies, the determination of "gender" from the previous biological sex to cognitive sex selection may help to obtain more accurate experimental results.

Dispositional Empathy Among Psychotherapists: A Latent Profile Analysis

ABSTRACTObjectiveThis study examined therapists' dispositional empathy profiles and how they differ based on professional and personal characteristics.MethodA total of 376 clinicians was recruited for this study. Dispositional empathy was assessed with the Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI). Profiles were generated using latent profile analysis. Predictors of profiles were assessed with multiple self‐report questionnaires measuring demographic and professional characteristics, romantic attachment styles, five‐factor personality traits and vulnerable narcissism.ResultsA four‐profile solution was retained with the following proportions: rational empathic (20%), disengaged/detached (10%), empathic immersion (35%) and insecure/self‐absorbed (35%). Overall, few relationships were found regarding demographic and professional characteristics. In contrast, significant relationships were found between profile membership and personal characteristics, including avoidant and anxious attachment, agreeableness, conscientiousness, neuroticism, intellect/imagination and vulnerable narcissism.ConclusionThe findings show that differences in therapists' empathic dispositions are linked to personality dimensions. Implications for psychotherapy research, practice and training are discussed.

Childhood maltreatment and the quality of marital relationships: Examining mediating pathways and gender differences

Background: Childhood maltreatment (CM) is considered a traumatic experience with long-term adverse effects on the quality of adult intimate relationships. Research on the mechanisms underlying this phenomenon among Arab societies is scarce. Objective: This study investigated the impact of childhood physical abuse (PA) and emotional abuse (EA) on the quality of marital relationships. Additionally, it examined the mediating roles of two dimensions of insecure adult attachment (i.e., avoidant and anxious) to a romantic partner and psychological distress within gender-specific models. Method: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among a representative sample of 604 married Arab adults ( M age = 33.5, SD = 6.52; 50.1% women) in Israel using a self-administered questionnaire. Results: Childhood PA was significantly related to low levels of relationship quality among men and women. For men, childhood PA was positively related to psychological distress and both patterns of romantic attachment styles, which in turn were negatively associated with relationship quality. For women, childhood PA was positively associated with psychological distress and avoidant attachment, correlating with low levels of relationship quality. Conclusion: A retrospective assessment of childhood PA is associated with decreased levels of marital relationship quality for men and women. This association is mediated by psychological distress and romantic attachment styles. Implications: Implementing interventions focused on improving mental health and promoting a secure romantic attachment style can enhance the quality of marital relationships for adults with CM experiences.

Mediating Role of Self-esteem and Trust in the Relationship Between Childhood Trauma and Romantic Attachment in Indian Adults

Background: Childhood trauma encompasses neglect, abuse, abandonment, witnessing abuse, and having mentally ill and/or parent(s) engaged in substance abuse. Survivors of trauma are more likely to report insecure attachment styles. Thus, the current study aimed to investigate the indirect pathways underlying the relationship between childhood trauma and romantic attachment among adults in India. Methods: This study used a correlational research design and a cross-sectional, survey method for data collection. The data were collected through an online survey in Tier 1 cities in India. A total of 397 responses were collected using purposive sampling, from which 104 respondents were selected after data cleaning. The research tools included the childhood trauma questionnaire–short-form, the experience in close relationship scale, Rosenberg’s self-esteem scale, and trust in close relationships scale. Descriptive and inferential analysis was done using SPSS software, version 25. Pearson correlation coefficient, regression analysis, and mediation analysis were done to analyze data. Results: The results indicated a high level of trauma in the participants, and consequently, insecure romantic attachment styles, and also low levels of trust at a 0.05 significance level. Self-esteem had a significant negative correlation with romantic attachment (r=-0.225, p=0.001), but did not mediate the relationship between childhood trauma and romantic attachment. Trust also had a significant negative correlation with romantic attachment (r=-0.312, p=0.001) and also mediated the relationship between childhood trauma and romantic attachment (β=0.102, p=0.041). Conclusion: This study provides evidence that childhood trauma affects romantic attachment, self-esteem, and trust. In light of these findings, therapists should adopt an integrated approach that addresses these interconnected variables through trauma-focused, attachment-focused, and evidence-based therapies to help trauma survivors. Since trust was identified as a mediating factor in the relationship between childhood trauma and romantic attachment, it provides a novel insight for therapists to prioritize interventions that focus on building trust.

Marital Communication during Conflict: A Study on Attachment Dimensions and Interaction Patterns

Conflict is increasingly present and could be severe in many adult romantic relationships including marriage, yet understudied in the context of adult attachment style. This study set out to investigate the underlying relationship between adult attachment styles and patterns of interaction in a Malaysian setting. By means of survey method, data was collected using self-reporting questionnaire involving 400 married individuals in the state of Penang, Malaysia for the duration of six months, with Partial Least Squares (PLS) employed for data analysis. The application of Attachment Theory in this study was established via two dimensions of anxiety and avoidance. Result from the analysis yielded all the constructs have composite reliability value of more than 0.6 and convergent and discriminant validity with an average variance extracted (AVE) value greater than 0.50. The findings indicated that, married individuals who are high in anxiety will exhibit destructive and avoidance patterns during conflict. Similarly, married individuals who are high in avoidance will exhibit destructive, avoidance and low level of constructive pattern during conflict. The study concludes that conflict pattern of interaction among married individuals is a function of adult romantic attachment styles. This study also addressed the gap in research literature by providing a non-western context by basing research within a Malaysian setting. Keywords: Anxiety, avoidance, conflict, marital communication, married individuals.

The Impact of Romantic Attachment Styles on Jealousy in Young Adults.

Romantic attachment is reflected in various aspects of dyadic interaction in a couple, since it is a self-reinforcing system of cognitive, emotional and behavioral patterns. Romantic jealousy was shown to be associated with dimensions of attachment insecurity in various studies worldwide. To identify differences in expressions of romantic jealousy based on romantic attachment style. To determine the influence of attachment-related anxiety and attachment-related avoidance on cognitive, emotional, and behavioral jealousy. The sample comprised 171 heterosexual individuals. The "Experiences in Close Relationships - Revised" questionnaire (ECR-R; Fraley, Waller, & Brennan, 2000; adapted for Russian by Chursina, 2022) and "Multidimensional Jealousy Scale" (MJS; Pfeiffer, & Wong, 1989) were used. A number of significant differences were identified between insecure and secure attachment styles. Avoidant attachment is characterized by cognitive jealousy, ambivalent attachment is characterized by cognitive and behavioral jealousy, while dismissing attachment showed no significant differences in the manifestations of jealousy in comparison with secure attachment style. Emotional jealousy is equally characteristic of all types. The primacy of romantic attachment in relation to cognitive and behavioral jealousy was also proved. The experience of jealousy differs among romantic attachment styles. Attachment-related anxiety is a predictor of intrusive thoughts and behavioral manifestations of jealousy, while attachment-related avoidance is less, the greater the manifestation of jealousy behaviors.

“Love lies”: A content analysis of romantic attachment style in popular music

During adolescence, music consumption drastically increases and many adolescents become romantically involved. Popular songs often depict romance, and teens may incorporate tenets of these lyrics into their own romantic experiences. Romantic attachment style is a primary indicator of relationship functioning, and individuals’ attachment style may shift according to romantic experiences they observe in media. This study comprises a content analysis of the romantic attachment style portrayed in popular song lyrics. Findings revealed that more than 86% of songs illustrated an insecure attachment and various song/artist characteristics were associated with specific attachment styles. We assert that parents, teens, and educators should be mindful of the lyrics adolescents listen to, working together to ensure adolescents navigate music’s messages about romance in a positive way.

Romantic attachment styles, mate retention behaviors and romantic jealousy in an iranian sample

Romantic attachment styles, mate retention behaviors and romantic jealousy in an iranian sample

The Impact of Parent-Child Closeness and Romantic Attachment on Dating Violence Perpetration in Adolescence.

Past research has demonstrated that romantic attachment insecurity is a risk factor for dating violence in adolescence. However, few studies to date have longitudinally examined whether earlier relational experience, such as perceived closeness with parents, may serve as an antecedent of this relationship. To examine longitudinal associations among youths' perceived closeness with parents, romantic attachment insecurity, and perpetration of dating violence in adolescence. Adolescents (N = 1016) were recruited from seven public high schools in south Texas and reported on their perceived closeness with parents, romantic attachment styles, and perpetration of physical and psychological dating violence at three assessments between 2010 and 2014. Data were analyzed using structural equation modeling. Adolescents' romantic attachment anxiety, but not attachment avoidance, significantly mediated the relationship between low perceived closeness with parents and the perpetration of physical and psychological dating violence in late adolescence. Multi-group analyses showed the mediation model only held for females but not males, and for Hispanic youth but not for Non-Hispanic White, African American, and youth of other races and ethnicities. Through its link to romantic attachment anxiety, perceived closeness with parents could play an important role in the perpetration of dating violence in adolescence, especially for girls and Hispanic youth. Findings suggest that dating violence interventions may benefit from targeting aspects of parent-child relationships.

Cross-Lagged Associations of Insecure Attachment Style, Alcohol Use, and Sexual Behavior During Emerging Adulthood.

Insecure romantic attachment style has been associated with greater substance use and higher risk sexual behavior, but the temporal nature of these associations is not well-understood. This study examined whether having a more insecure attachment style was associated with greater engagement in higher-risk sexual behavior over time and, if so, whether this was mediated by more frequent alcohol use. We used three annual waves of survey data from a diverse California cohort (N = 2371) who were assessed from ages 19 to 21-22 years. Separate cross-lagged models examined temporal associations of insecure romantic attachment style (anxious and avoidant), past month alcohol use frequency, and sexual behavior (number of sex partners, condomless sex with casual and steady partners). Attachment anxiety was not directly associated with sexual behavior. Rather, a consistent pattern across waves showed that greater attachment anxiety was associated with more frequent alcohol use at the next wave, which, in turn, was associated with having more sex partners and condomless sex with casual and steady partners one year later. In contrast, greater attachment avoidance was directly associated with having fewer sex partners, and its associations with condomless sex differed across partner type and assessment waves. Attachment avoidance was unrelated to alcohol use frequency. Results indicated that both anxious and avoidant attachment styles were associated with higher-risk sexual behavior, but in different ways and through different mechanisms. Future research may want to examine whether the effectiveness of sexual risk reduction programs for young people is enhanced by discussing attachment style and tailoring the curriculum accordingly.

INFLUENCE OF ATTACHMENT STYLES AND EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE INTERACTION ON MARITAL SATISFACTION AMONG MARRIED COUPLES

Emotion, both positive and negative, is one of the markers of intimate relationships. Attachment theory is one of the primary conceptual frameworks for understanding emotion regulation. There is a well-established link in the literature between secure romantic attachment style and emotional intelligence (EI) in scientic studies. The underlying processes of this link among couples are notably less explored in the Indian context. As an attempt to bridge the gap, the present study analyzed the inuence of attachment styles and EI interplay on marital satisfaction among Indian couples. The study considered 304 respondents (152 females, 152 males, ranged from -25 to 65+ years old) with a marriage duration greater than three years. To assess participants attachment styles, EI, and marital satisfaction, Revised Adult Attachment Scale (RAAS; Collins, 1996), Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire (TEIQue; Petrides, 2009) and ENRICH Marital Satisfaction Scale (EMS; Fowers & Olson, 1993) were used respectively. Two-way ANOVA was used to analyse the data. The result revealed that there is a signicant interaction between attachment styles and global EI on marital satisfaction. Psychotherapists and counsellors in general, and couple therapists in particular, will benet from the current research. Considering the limitation of the study, further investigation is recommended.

Romantic Attachment and Difficulties in Emotion Regulation on Dyadic Adjustment: A Comprehensive Literature Review.

In romantic relationships, individual differences are determinant factors for relational quality. Specifically, romantic attachment (RA) and difficulties in emotional regulation influence each other and may have predictive potential for the perceived dyadic adjustment (DA) level. This paper aims to identify the developmental parallel between behavioral patterns built since childhood and the construction of the emotional regulation skills that characterize them. Our analysis was based on the attachment theory and the concepts of romantic relationship and DA. In this way, we sought to further the understanding of relationship dynamics, beyond the usual focus on a single element and on associative relationships, and by exploring other effects among the different dimensions of relational functioning. In particular, we explored the predictive ability of emotional regulation patterns (more flexible individual characteristics) in discriminating between RA styles (more perennial influences), and their impact on the quality of romantic relationships, in the anticipation of dyadic adjustment variations.

Communication Patterns Questionnaire: Expanding Reliability and Validity Evidence

Several studies highlight the role of communication in couple’s functioning, specifically showing the need to examine communication during conflicts. The Communication Patterns Questionnaire (CPQ; Christensen & Sullaway, Communication patterns questionnaire. University of California, 1984; Christensen, Understanding major mental disorder: The contribution of family interaction research (pp. 250–265). Family Process Press, 1987; Christensen, Perspectives on marital interaction (pp. 31–52). Multilingual Matters, 1988) is a widely used self-report instrument to measure couple communication behavior. Despite the widespread use of the questionnaire in clinical and research contexts, questions remain about its psychometric properties. The current study examined the reliability and validity of an Italian version of the CPQ. The original English language CPQ was translated into Italian and then back translated for accuracy. The final Italian version of the CPQ was then administered to a sample of 456 married subjects (50% men and 50% women) together with other scales measuring styles of dealing with interpersonal conflict, dyadic adjustment and romantic attachment style. Exploratory factor analyses suggested a three-dimensional structure which were named Demand/Withdraw, Constructive Communication, and Aggressive Communication. Internal consistencies were adequate and the hypothesized relationships with external concurrent criteria were overall substantiated. Implications for research and clinical practice are addressed.

Emergency medical care utilization, romantic attachment, and psychological distress in pregnant adolescent and young adult couples.

Purpose: The present study investigated the association of one's own and one'spartner's emergency medical care utilization during pregnancy with psychological distress in adolescent and young adult couples. Effect modification by sex and romantic attachment style was also explored. Method: Participants were pregnant adolescent and young adult couples recruited from 4 university-affiliated hospitals in Connecticut. Participants self-reported demographics, emergency medical care utilization (emergency room or overnight hospitalization), romantic attachment style, and psychological distress at baseline during the second or third trimester. Multilevel models were estimated to account for interdependence within couples. Results: One's own and one's partner's emergency medical care was associated with higher levels of psychological distress only at low levels of avoidant attachment (-1 SD), B = 2.20, p < .001, and, B = 1.15, p = .097, respectively (associations were not significant at high levels of attachment avoidance, ps > .12). No significant interactions emerged for medical care utilization with sex or attachment anxiety. Conclusions: Emergency medical care utilization during pregnancy was associated with higher psychological distress only for individuals reporting lower avoidant attachment. These individuals may have more resources to deal with distress (e.g., coping, social support), and may therefore also be more capable of experiencing it. Tailoring interventions to bolster healthy romantic attachment and relational wellbeing could improve mental health outcomes in at-risk pregnant adolescent and young adult couples. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

Individual Differences in Romantic Attachment

Abstract. In the 1980s, psychologists extended attachment theory into the domain of adult romantic bonds by proposing that romantic love can be conceptualized as a process of becoming attached ( Hazan &amp; Shaver, 1987 ). From this perspective, individuals differ in two primary attachment dimensions: anxiety, the extent to which they worry about abandonment in their romantic relationships, and avoidance, the extent to which they are uncomfortable with interdependence and closeness. Research suggests that people perceive the rearing environment as a primary cause of people’s romantic attachment styles ( Tillman et al., 2008 ). If it is, family members should be similar in attachment-related anxiety and avoidance. To test this idea, we collected romantic attachment data on 965 US college students and the family members they nominated (205 siblings, 245 mothers, and 182 fathers). The students and family members in our sample showed negligible-to-weak resemblance in attachment-related anxiety and avoidance. Because previous studies have shown substantial similarity between identical twins and weak similarity between fraternal twins in romantic attachment styles, our data reinforce the possibility that nonshared environmental influences (such as individuals’ specific relationship histories) and genetic influences are the primary sources of individual differences in attachment-related anxiety and avoidance.

Romantic partner presence and physiological responses in daily life: Attachment style as a moderator

The present study investigated whether the presence of a romantic partner in daily life is associated with attenuated sympathetic nervous system responses. Additionally, romantic attachment style was tested as a moderator. For one day, 106 heterosexual young adult dating couples wore ambulatory sensors that monitored electrodermal activity (EDA) – an index of sympathetic arousal. Couples reported whether they were together or apart for every hour of the data collection day. Men and women exhibited lower EDA during hours in which their partner was present compared to hours in which they were absent. Additionally, romantic attachment style moderated this association; those who had low anxious attachment showed a stronger attenuating effect of partner presence compared to those with higher anxious attachment. Similarly, those who had low avoidant attachment showed heightened effects of partner presence compared to those with higher avoidant attachment. Romantic partner presence may facilitate everyday health-promoting physiological processes.

Parent-child interaction, parental attachment styles and parental alexithymia levels of children with ASD

AimGiven the recent findings regarding the increased evidence for the presence of the alexithymia in parents of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), the construct of alexithymia in parents of children with ASD and its effect on adult romantic attachment style of parents, family functioning and parent-child relationship were investigated. MethodsThe sample included children diagnosed as having ASD, developmental delay (DD), and 27 typically developing children aged 1–5 years and their parents. The Crowell procedure, an observational and structured assessment was performed, and the quality of the parent-child relationship was assessed using the Parent-Infant Relationship-Global Assessment Scale (PIR-GAS) based on DC: 0–5. The Toronto Alexithymia Scale-20, Experiences in Close Relationships Revised, and the Family Assessment Device were administered to the parents. ResultsPIR-GAS scores were lower in the ASD group compared with the scores of the other groups. Family functioning rated by fathers of children with DD was lower than in the other groups. However, there was no significant difference between the groups in terms of alexithymia levels, and parent’s own attachment styles in romantic relationships. ConclusionsASD was found to be an independent predictor for disordered relationship between children and their parents. Appropriate family interventions focusing on enhancing social interaction and emotional development may be beneficial in the treatment of ASD.

Perinatal depression as a risk factor for child developmental disorders: a cross-sectional study.

The first aim of this study, has been to observe the differences in developmental profiles of children of depressed mothers in comparison with children of undepressed mothers in a period from 3 to 12 months after childbirth through a cross-sectional study. The second aim of the study has been to describe the differences of romantic attachment style, mother-child bond and parenting stress of depressed mothers in comparison with a control sample. The clinical sample examined consisted of 46 depressed mothers of the Perinatal Psychopathology of an hospital in Rome and their children aged between 3 and 12 months compared with a control sample of 28 mothers without PD and their children matched to cases by age. The children were evaluated by using Bayley Scales of Infant development III. Mothers assessment included Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale, Maternal Postpartum Attachment Scale, The Experience in Close Relationships-Revised and The short-form Parenting Stress Index. Depressed mothers showed a lower score at the assessment of mother-child bond and an increased parental stress in comparison with the control sample. Children of depressed mothers had lower scores in all Bayley Scales, with statistically significant differences between two groups for all scales. Results leads to the importance of including maternal mental health into primary health care to treat depressed mothers and prevent consequences for child development.