Anxious attachment, perceptions of threat to romantic relationships, and behavior in potentially threatening situations

2003 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lorne Campbel
Keyword(s):  
Romantic Relationships ◽  
Anxious Attachment ◽  
And Behavior

Romantic relationships in adults with ADHD: The effect of partner attachment style on relationship quality

2020 ◽  
Vol 38 (1) ◽  
pp. 42-64
Author(s):  
Katherine Knies ◽  
Elizabeth A. Bodalski ◽  
Kate Flory
Keyword(s):  
Romantic Relationships ◽  
Relationship Quality ◽  
Attachment Style ◽  
Attachment Styles ◽  
Romantic Relationship ◽  
Insecure Attachment ◽  
Adhd Symptoms ◽  
Anxious Attachment ◽  
Avoidant Attachment ◽  
Romantic Relationship Quality

Prior literature indicates that insecure attachment styles (i.e., anxious or avoidant) and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) both have negative impacts on romantic relationships, but relatively little is known about how these factors interact among couples where one partner has ADHD and the other does not. One hundred and fifty-nine partners of adults with significant ADHD symptoms completed measures of their own attachment styles, their partner’s ADHD symptoms, and relationship quality. Anxious attachment was associated with lower romantic relationship quality, but avoidant attachment was associated with more positive relationship outcomes. Results also indicated that the negative effect of ADHD symptoms on romantic relationship quality may be exacerbated by a partner’s high level of anxious attachment. Though insecure attachment styles are generally thought to have a negative impact on romantic relationships, avoidant attachment was generally associated with more positive outcomes in this study. Several possible explanations based on theoretical support are included in the discussion along with clinical applications and future directions.

scholarly journals Touch reduces romantic jealousy in the anxiously attached

2017 ◽  
Vol 35 (7) ◽  
pp. 1019-1041 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kaylyn J. Kim ◽  
Brooke C. Feeney ◽  
Brittany K. Jakubiak
Keyword(s):  
Romantic Relationships ◽  
Relationship Dissolution ◽  
Negative Outcomes ◽  
Anxious Attachment ◽  
Romantic Jealousy ◽  
Potential Relationship ◽  
To Receive ◽  
Effective Buffer

Feelings of jealousy are usually detrimental to relationships, often resulting in negative outcomes ranging from conflict to violence and relationship dissolution. Anxiously attached individuals are especially prone to jealousy in their relationships and are therefore especially likely to experience negative outcomes of jealousy. In this research, we examined the effectiveness of both touch and a traditional security prime as a potential means of reducing feelings of jealousy for individuals who are high in anxious attachment. Individuals in romantic relationships were induced to feel jealous, during which time they were randomly assigned to receive affectionate touch from their partners, a traditional nontouch security prime, or no intervention (control). Results revealed that anxious attachment was associated with high levels of jealousy, and touch was an effective buffer against jealous feelings for individuals high in anxious attachment. The traditional security prime did not buffer jealous feelings. Implications of results for potential relationship interventions are discussed.

scholarly journals The Price of Distrust: Trust, Anxious Attachment, Jealousy, and Partner Abuse

Partner Abuse ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
pp. 298-319 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lindsey M. Rodriguez ◽  
Angelo M. DiBello ◽  
Camilla S. Øverup ◽  
Clayton Neighbors
Keyword(s):  
Attachment Styles ◽  
Partner Abuse ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Attachment Anxiety ◽  
Anxious Attachment ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Cascading Effects ◽  
Different Types ◽  
Partner Behaviors ◽  
And Behavior

Trust is essential to the development of healthy, secure, and satisfying relationships (Simpson, 2007a). Attachment styles provide a theoretical framework for understanding how individuals respond to partner behaviors that either confirm or violate trust (Hazan & Shaver, 1994). The current research aimed to identify how trust and attachment anxiety might interact to predict different types of jealousy and physical and psychological abuse. We expected that when experiencing lower levels of trust, anxiously attached individuals would report higher levels of both cognitive and behavioral jealousy as well as partner abuse perpetration. Participants in committed romantic relationships (N= 261) completed measures of trust, attachment anxiety and avoidance, jealousy, and physical and psychological partner abuse in a cross-sectional study. Moderation results largely supported the hypotheses: Attachment anxiety moderated the association between trust and jealousy, such that anxious individuals experienced much higher levels of cognitive and behavioral jealousy when reporting lower levels of trust. Moreover, attachment anxiety moderated the association between trust and nonphysical violence. These results suggest that upon experiencing distrust in one’s partner, anxiously attached individuals are more likely to become jealous, snoop through a partner’s belongings, and become psychologically abusive. The present research illustrates that particularly for anxiously attached individuals, distrust has cascading effects on relationship cognitions and behavior, and this should be a key area of discussion during therapy.

Interparental conflict and relational attitudes within romantic relationships: The mediating role of attachment orientations

2022 ◽  
pp. 026540752110616
Author(s):  
Rami Tolmacz ◽  
Rachel Bachner-Melman ◽  
Lilac Lev-Ari ◽  
Karen Almagor
Keyword(s):  
Romantic Relationships ◽  
Attachment Style ◽  
Attachment Styles ◽  
Interparental Conflict ◽  
Structural Equations ◽  
Insecure Attachment ◽  
Couple Relationships ◽  
Anxious Attachment ◽  
Attachment Orientations ◽  
Avoidant Attachment

Early experiences and childhood perceptions of interparental conflict (IPC) have consistently been shown to have detrimental consequences for future psychological adjustment, in particular for attachment and couple relationships during adolescence and adulthood. We hypothesized that 1. IPC would predict anxious and avoidant attachment styles, and three relational attitudes associated with couple relationships: sense of relational entitlement, pathological concern, and authenticity; and 2. Attachment style would mediate the associations between IPC and these three relational attitudes. Measures of perceived IPC, attachment orientations, relational entitlement, pathological concern, and authenticity in romantic relationships were completed online by 280 young adults aged 19–32. IPC was positively correlated with anxious and avoidant attachment styles, restricted and inflated sense of entitlement, and pathological concern and negatively with authenticity. A structural equations model showed that IPC predicted avoidant and anxious attachment styles, which positively predicted an inflated and restricted sense of relational entitlement and pathological concern and negatively predicted authenticity. Attachment styles fully mediated the relationships between IPC and the relational attitudes. IPC therefore seems to be related to imbalanced attitudes in romantic relationships, due in part to a propensity toward insecure attachment orientations. Children with insecure attachment who are exposed to significant levels of IPC may be at high risk for relationship problems later in life because of difficulties exposing their vulnerability, assessing need fulfillment realistically, and caring for themselves as well as others. They should therefore be helped to communicate their relational needs to significant others, in particular to their partners.

Gelotophobia in romantic life: Replicating associations with attachment styles and their mediating role for relationship status

2020 ◽  
Vol 37 (10-11) ◽  
pp. 2890-2897 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kay Brauer ◽  
René T. Proyer
Keyword(s):  
Romantic Relationships ◽  
Attachment Styles ◽  
Romantic Relationship ◽  
Romantic Attachment ◽  
Relationship Status ◽  
Anxious Attachment ◽  
Mediating Role ◽  
Lower Likelihood

The fear of being laughed at (gelotophobia) plays a detrimental role in courtship (e.g., predicting a lower likelihood of entering a relationship) and romantic relationships (e.g., low relationship satisfaction). Gelotophobia correlates positively with anxious and avoidant romantic attachment. This study aims to replicate (a) the associations between gelotophobia and romantic attachment and (b) the mediating role of attachment in the association between gelotophobia and relationship experience using a sample of N = 531 participants ( M = 32.1 years; 63.7% singles). Previous findings replicated well, as gelotophobia positively relates to avoidant and anxious attachment and lower likelihood of entering a romantic relationship. Contrary to earlier research, only anxiety mediated the association between gelotophobia and relationship status. We discuss the findings regarding the attachment framework of long-term singlehood.

scholarly journals Exploring How UK Adults' Attachment Style in Romantic Relationships Affects Engagement in Controlling Behaviours

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Molly C. Gilbert ◽  
Robert Blakey
Keyword(s):  
Romantic Relationships ◽  
Attachment Style ◽  
Adult Attachment ◽  
Attachment Styles ◽  
Clinical Sample ◽  
Interpersonal Relationship ◽  
Insecure Attachment ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Online Questionnaire ◽  
Anxious Attachment

Copious studies have identified a link between disorganised attachment and engagement in controlling caregiving or controlling punitive behaviours. Studies have suggested that consistently engaging in these behaviours can cause difficulties within relationships and contribute to the development of a personality disorder. Most of the literature thus far has focused on engagement in controlling behaviours by children with a disorganised attachment style, despite there being theoretical grounds to suggest they may also be used by adults and across all types of insecure attachment. This study aimed to address these gaps by looking at adult attachment style and engagement in controlling behaviours in romantic relationships, across all insecure attachment styles; avoidant, anxious and disorganised. The current study recruited a non-clinical sample; specifically, 149 English-speaking adults, living in the UK, between the ages of 18 and 77 years old (M = 34.28, SD = 14.90). The participants answered an anonymous online questionnaire containing four self-report measures which assessed the participants' attachment security and organisation, caregiving style and engagement in punitive behaviours. The results indicated that participants who scored higher in disorganised attachment were more likely to use controlling punitive behaviours in their romantic relationships. Moreover, participants who reported a more insecure-anxious attachment style were more likely to use compulsive caregiving behaviours in their romantic relationships. In contrast, participants who reported a higher insecure avoidant attachment style were less likely to use compulsive caregiving behaviours in their romantic relationships. These results have implications for adult attachment theory and aid the understanding of some of the behaviours that can be harmful within romantic relationships. The findings could be used to help at-risk individuals develop healthy interpersonal relationship going forward.

scholarly journals Determining Connections between Attachments in Romantic Relationships and Emotional Intelligence in Female University Students

2020 ◽  
pp. 27-33
Author(s):  
Doktorová Dominika ◽  
Mičková Zuzana ◽  
Masár Michal
Keyword(s):  
Emotional Intelligence ◽  
University Students ◽  
Romantic Relationships ◽  
Significant Relationship ◽  
Negative Relationship ◽  
Anxious Attachment ◽  
Avoidant Attachment ◽  
Strong Negative Relationship ◽  
The Relationship

The aim of the research is to determine whether there is a statistically significant relationship between attachment and emotional intelligence. We used a revised questionnaire (ECR-R) to determine the relationship and we used the TEIQue-SF questionnaire to determine emotional intelligence. The research sample consisted of 260 respondents from 22 to 25 years, where the average age was 23.45 years. Within the results, we found that there is a moderately strong negative relationship between avoidant attachment and emotional intelligence and a strong negative relationship between anxious attachment and emotional intelligence.

Prevalence of Romantic Experiences and Competencies Among 14 to 17 Year Olds: Implications for the Primary Care Setting

2019 ◽  
Vol 59 (2) ◽  
pp. 116-126 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jonathon J. Beckmeyer ◽  
Debby Herbenick ◽  
Tsung-Chieh (Jane) Fu ◽  
Brian Dodge ◽  
J. Dennis Fortenberry
Keyword(s):  
Romantic Relationships ◽  
Care Setting ◽  
Primary Care Setting ◽  
Mature Female ◽  
Female Adolescents ◽  
Demographic Correlates ◽  
Relationship Involvement ◽  
And Gender ◽  
Using Data ◽  
And Behavior

Using data from 600 adolescents (14-17 years old) from the 2015 National Survey of Sexual Health and Behavior, we examined the prevalence and demographic correlates of adolescents’ romantic activities (ie, group dating, dyadic dating, and relationship involvement) and their confidence in avoiding unwanted romantic experiences. Overall, 55.8% of adolescents had engaged in at least one romantic activity. More adolescents reported having gone on dyadic (42.1%) and group (37.3%) dates than had been involved in romantic relationships (32.9%). Age and gender were the most consistent correlates of each romantic activity. Each type of romantic activity becomes more common as adolescents mature. Female adolescents were less likely to report romantic activities. Approximately 25.7% of adolescents were not confident that they could turn down unwanted dates, and 34.3% were not confident that they could end a relationship they no longer wanted to be in. Clinicians can draw on our results when discussing romantic development with their adolescent patients.

scholarly journals Identifying with Asexuality and Belonging to the Ace Spectrum: More than Lacking Sexual Attraction

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ana Catarina Carvalho ◽  
David L. Rodrigues
Keyword(s):  
Romantic Relationships ◽  
Sexual Attraction ◽  
Romantic Partners ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Sectional Study ◽  
Anxious Attachment ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Romantic Attraction ◽  
Avoidant Attachment ◽  
Past Experiences

Asexuality is typically defined as a lack of sexual attraction, not representing the multitude of experiences in the ace community. To understand the complex ace identity, we explored the correlates cognitions, feelings, and desires of ace individuals. Results of a cross-sectional study (N = 447, 61.8% women; Mage = 24.62, SD = 6.98) showed that endorsing asexuality as a lack of sexual desire was associated with less experience with romantic partners, more experience with intimate affective relationships, more sex averse attitudes, and avoidant attachment. Sexual attraction was associated with more experience with romantic partners, less experience with intimate romantic and affective relationships, and more sex favorable attitudes. Romantic attraction was associated with more experience with romantic partners, less experience with intimate romantic relationships, and anxious attachment. Desire to establish intimate romantic relationships was associated with more experience with romantic partners, more sex favorable attitudes, and anxious attachment. Lastly, desire to establish intimate affective relationships was associated with more experience with affective relationships and anxious attachment. This study highlights the need to acknowledge diversity within the ace community by showing the importance of past experiences and individual differences in shaping the way ace individuals construe their identity and their relationships.

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