Feeling supported and feeling secure: How one partner's attachment style predicts the other partner's perceived support, felt security, and relationship satisfaction

2007 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lisa Jaremka ◽  
Heidi Kane ◽  
Nancy Collins
Author(s):  
Ina Grau ◽  
Jörg Doll

Abstract. Employing one correlational and two experimental studies, this paper examines the influence of attachment styles (secure, anxious, avoidant) on a person’s experience of equity in intimate relationships. While one experimental study employed a priming technique to stimulate the different attachment styles, the other involved vignettes describing fictitious characters with typical attachment styles. As the specific hypotheses about the single equity components have been developed on the basis of the attachment theory, the equity ratio itself and the four equity components (own outcome, own input, partner’s outcome, partner’s input) are analyzed as dependent variables. While partners with a secure attachment style tend to describe their relationship as equitable (i.e., they give and take extensively), partners who feel anxious about their relationship generally see themselves as being in an inequitable, disadvantaged position (i.e., they receive little from their partner). The hypothesis that avoidant partners would feel advantaged as they were less committed was only supported by the correlational study. Against expectations, the results of both experiments indicate that avoidant partners generally see themselves (or see avoidant vignettes) as being treated equitably, but that there is less emotional exchange than is the case with secure partners. Avoidant partners give and take less than secure ones.


2015 ◽  
Vol 29 (4) ◽  
pp. 161-170 ◽  
Author(s):  
Catarina Silva ◽  
Ana Cláudia Ferreira ◽  
Isabel Soares ◽  
Francisco Esteves

Abstract. The present study examined physiological reactivity to emotional stimuli as a function of attachment style. Skin conductance responses (SCRs) and heart rate (HR) changes were simultaneously recorded while participants engaged in a visual attentional task. The task included positive, neutral, and negative emotional pictures, and required the identification of a target (neutral picture rotated 90° to the left or right), among a stream of pictures in which an emotional distracter (positive or negative) was presented. Participants additionally rated each of the emotional distracters for valence and arousal. Behavioral results on the attentional task showed that positive pictures facilitated overall target detection for all participants, compared to negative and neutral pictures, and that anxiously attached participants had significantly lower accuracy scores, relative to the other groups. Affective ratings indicated that positive pictures were rated as being more pleasant than negative ones, although no differences were found in HR changes to picture valence. In contrast, negative pictures were evaluated as being highly arousing. Consistent with this, negative pictures elicited larger SCRs in both insecure anxious and avoidant groups, especially for the anxious while the secure group showed SCRs unaffected by stimuli’s arousal. Present results show that individuals with different attachment styles reveal distinct patterns of attentional bias, appraisal, and physiological reactivity toward emotionally arousing stimuli. These findings further highlight the regulatory function of the attachment system.


Author(s):  
Wina Lova Riza

 This study aims to investigate the association between perceptions of childhood experiences with parents, attachment styles (avoidant, anxious/ambivalent, and security) in romantic relationships, and relationship satisfaction (satisfaction in relationships) with a sample of lecturers and employees of UBP in Karawang who have married or having a romantic relationship. The method used in this study is a regression method with the aim to find out the extent of the influence of one independent variable with the dependent variable. In other words, researchers intend to see the effect of variable attachment styles with relationship satisfaction. The research instrument used was to use two questionnaires with a Likert scale, namely the Experiences in Close Relationships-Revised (ECR-R) questionnaire and the relationship assessment scale. From the results of the study using multivariate correlation analysis with the SPSS 24 program, a significant value of 0.009 was obtained with a probability (p) of 0,000; because p <0.05, it indicates a significant relationship with a positive direction between attachment styles and relationship satisfaction. In addition, the following are the results of grouping the results of respondents' attachment style. From a total of 88 respondents, 50 of them (57%) have a fearful attachment style, 17 people (19%) have a dismissing attachment style, 11 people (13%) have a preocupied attachment style, and 10 (11%) have type of secure attachment style.   Keywords: Attachment Styles, Relationship Satisfication, Romantic Relationship  Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk menyelidiki asosiasi antara persepsi pengalaman masa kanak-kanak dengan orang tua, attachment styles (avoidant, anxious/ambivalent, dan security) dalam hubungan romantis, dan relationship satisfacation (kepuasaan dalam hubungan) dengan sampel dosen dan karyawan UBP Karawang yang telah menikah atau sedang menjalani hubungan romantis. Metode yang digunakan dalam penelitian ini adalah metode regresi dengan tujuan untuk mengetahui sejauh mana pengaruh satu variabel indenpenden dengan variabel dependen. Dengan kata lain, peneliti bermaksud untuk melihat pengaruh variabel attachment styles dengan relationship satisfaction. Instrumen penelitian yang digunakan adalah dengan menggunakan dua kuesioner dengan skala likert, yaitu kuesioner Experiences in Close Relationships-Revised (ECR-R) dan relationship assessment scale. Dari hasil penelitian dengan menggunakan analsis korelasi multivariat dengan program SPSS 24 diperoleh nilai signifikan sebesar 0,009 dengan probabilitas (p) 0,000; karena p < 0,05, maka menunjukkan adanya hubungan yang signifikan dengan arah positif antara attachment styles dengan relationship satisfaction. Sebagai tambahan, berikut dipaparkan hasil pengelompokkan hasil attachment style responden. Dari total 88 preponden, 50 orang diantaranya (57%) memiliki tipe fearful attachment style, 17 orang (19%) memiliki tipe dismissing attachment style, 11 orang (13%) memiliki tipe preocupied attachment style, dan 10 orang (11%) memiliki tipe secure attachment style.   Kata Kunci: Attachment Styles, Relationship Satisfication, Romantic Relationship


Author(s):  
Ελένη Κυργερίδου ◽  
Παναγιώτα Βόρρια ◽  
Γρηγόρης Κιοσέογλου

The current study examined the association between attachment style and adjustment in romantic relationships as well as the association between perceptions of adult attachment and adjustment in romantic relationships. 65 cohabitating couples aged from 21 to 32 years were recruited for the study. Couples completed the following self-report questionnaires: 1) Perceptions of Adult Attachment Questionnaire, PAAQ, Lichtenstein & Cassidy, 1991, 2) Experiences in Close Relationships Inventory, ECR, Brennan, Clark & Shaver, 1998 and 3) Dyadic Adjustment Scale, DAS, Spanier, 1976. Results showed that secure couples (both partners described themselves as securely attached) as well as mixed couples (one partner chose the secure description and the other defined himself or herself as insecure) reported higher relationship quality compared to both insecure couples (both partners described themselves as insecurely attached). Analyses aimed to test the links between early attachment experiences and marital relationship quality illustrated that both partners’ rejection from their mother in early childhood had a detrimental effect on women’s marital adjustment.


1998 ◽  
Vol 32 (6) ◽  
pp. 848-859 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stacy R. Ridge ◽  
Judith A. Feeney

Objective: The objective of the present study was to assess the applicability of attachment theory to the relationships of gay males and lesbians, with particular emphasis on parental relationships, relationship satisfaction, sexual attitudes and ‘coming out’ as being homosexual. Methods: Gay males (n = 77) and lesbians (n = 100) completed questionnaires assessing attachment style, working models of attachment, early relationships with parents and relationship history, status and functioning. A comparison sample of heterosexual participants completed measures of attachment style and relationship history. Results: Relative frequencies of attachment styles were similar for homosexual and heterosexual samples. Contrary to previous research using largely heterosexual respondents, no link between early parenting and attachment style was found. However, homosexual males reported more positive early relationships with mothers than did females. Associations of attachment style with working models, relationship variables and sexual attitudes largely supported those based on heterosexual samples. Gender and attachment style differences were found in reported effects of ‘coming out’ on relationships with parents. Conclusions: Overall, the results suggest that insecure attachment may not be over-represented in gay and lesbian samples, but that insecurity is associated with less relationship satisfaction and with problems related to the disclosure of sexual orientation. The implications of these findings for research and clinical practice are addressed.


2012 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 34 ◽  
Author(s):  
LO Ying Tuan ◽  
Huam Hon Tat ◽  
Ahmad Sharifuddin Shamsuddin ◽  
Amran Md Rasli ◽  
Ahmad Jusoh

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effect of consumer’s attachment styles as a moderator in the impact of brand personality on its brand attachment. This research investigated the preferred brand personality of anxious and avoidant attachment consumer, their likelihood to be attached to that brand and how they respond to any changes in brand personality. A total of 300 students were surveyed. Their attachment style and their response towards sincere and exciting personality and its brand attachment were assessed. Empirical study shows that anxious attachment style consumer preferred sincere brand personality, tends to be attached with it and did not respond to any changes in brand personality.  Avoidant attachment style people on the other hand have a stronger relationship with the exciting brand personality, are not likely to be attached to it and will respond to changes in brand personality. This study implies that marketers should get to know their targeted market’s attachment style prior coming out with the suitable brand personality.


2008 ◽  
Vol 22 (2) ◽  
pp. 131-146 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arnie Cann ◽  
M. Ashley Norman ◽  
Jennifer L. Welbourne ◽  
Lawrence G. Calhoun

Relationships among attachment styles, conflict styles and humour styles were examined in the context of romantic relationships. Each style was assumed to be based upon underlying assumptions about self and others, so relationships among the measures were predicted. A model assuming that the relationship of attachment styles to relationship satisfaction was partially mediated by the conflict styles and humour styles was tested. Overall, the predicted relationships among the three measures were supported. Conflict styles and humour styles reflecting attitudes about others were related to the avoidance attachment style, while those reflecting attitudes about the self were related to the anxiety attachment dimension. Conflict styles and humour styles were mediators of the association of attachment style with relationship satisfaction. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.


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