Adult Attachment Orientations, Stress, and Romantic Relationships

A Comprehensive Scoping Review of Empirical Studies on Earned Secure Attachment

Earned-Secure Attachment (ESA) can be defined as the process by which individuals with insecure childhood attachment rise above malevolent childhood experiences to develop secure relationships pattern in adulthood. To our knowledge, no previous review has summarized findings from empirical literature about this topic. To fill this gap, we conduct a preregistered scoping review (research published until 2023) following the PRISMA Extension for Scoping Reviews, to find how ESA has been defined, assessed, and studied in the empirical literature. Four databases were searched (Scopus, PsycInfo, PubMed and Web of Science), 24 studies were included in the review and were assessed using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool. Findings from our review reveal a more formal than substantial agreement on the conceptualization of ESA and the conclusions that can be made, considering the heterogeneity of our results, are only preliminary. Developmental factors, the association between ESA and depressive symptoms and the role of fathers remain poorly defined, although the importance of secondary attachment figures and reflective functioning as factors that may contribute to earned-security in attachment is clear. Recommendations and future steps for researchers and practitioners are highlighted.

Natural clues to danger: attachment behavior in threatening situations

A fundamental principle of attachment theory is that threatening situations give rise to individual differences in the extent to which people seek proximity to close others. The current research examines the way in which attachment styles predict individual differences in attachment-relevant behavior during threatening events. We tested alternative theoretical perspectives concerning the association between adult attachment (specifically, attachment avoidance) and attachment behavior in the presence of natural clues to danger by observing couples (N = 204) when they were watching horror vs. control film excerpts. Results suggest that highly avoidant people engaged in less attachment behavior across both threatening and non-threatening situations. These findings have implications for the understanding of attachment-related processes and how working models of the self and others facilitate (or inhibit) the expression of attachment behavior.

Anxiety and depressive symptoms in first-time parents: A dyadic longitudinal study based on attachment theory

BACKGROUND

The aim of this study was to examine the temporal and dyadic associations between anxiety and depressive symptoms during the transition to parenthood (TTP), while exploring the antecedence of attachment insecurities in these associations.

METHOD

Couples of first-time parents (N = 211) completed the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale, the Experiences in Close Relationships scale, and a sociodemographic questionnaire during the second trimester of pregnancy and at four and twelve months postpartum.

RESULTS

Both prenatal anxiety and depressive symptoms predicted postnatal depressive and anxiety symptoms. Prenatal attachment-related anxiety predicted higher postnatal anxiety and depressive symptoms whereas prenatal attachment-related avoidance predicted higher postnatal depressive symptoms only. Parents whose partners had a higher level of prenatal attachment-related anxiety experienced higher postnatal anxious and depressive symptoms via their own's prenatal depressive symptoms. Parents whose partners had a higher level of prenatal attachment-related avoidance experienced higher postnatal depressive symptoms via their own's prenatal anxious symptoms. No gender differences were found for these associations.

LIMITATIONS

The sample was predominantly composed of educated heterosexual French-Canadian Caucasian couples and all measures were self-reported.

CONCLUSIONS

Our original findings suggest that professionals should routinely screen for anxiety and depressive symptoms in both partners from pregnancy up to one year postpartum. Also, our findings suggest addressing attachment insecurities with both partners to prevent the development of future symptoms during pregnancy or after childbirth. Finally, our study supports the relevance of considering these symptoms at subclinical levels during the TTP.

Power dynamics in couple relationships: A review and applications for systemic family therapists

Power dynamics, generally defined as the patterns of partners enacting or resisting influence, are inherent in all relationships. Power structures and processes play a role in people's perceptions of themselves and others, their feelings and emotions, and both their implicit and explicit behaviors. As such, understanding power dynamics is crucial for fully conceptualizing and intervening within relationships. Although power was not always given high priority in many of the early systemic family therapy models, that has changed over the years, with scholars working to address how power is manifested in relationships, how power imbalances affect relationships, and how power can be addressed more explicitly in treatment. Nonetheless, there is much additional work needed to ensure that systemic therapists have an appropriate depth of understanding regarding power dynamics to fully recognize their manifestations in relationships and then intervene appropriately. To help in these efforts, this paper aims to synthesize relational power research into a more complete description of what power is and how it is enacted in couple relationships. To do this, we introduce relevant perspectives of power not fully integrated with family therapy theories. Overall, we provide a brief history of power-oriented research in the fields of family therapy, outline couple research regarding the sources of power that can inform therapeutic case conceptualizations and interventions, describe how power is addressed in specific couple therapy models, and highlight some important clinical applications that can help systemic therapists more fully address power.

A Dyadic Study of Attachment, Coping, and Quality of Life in Couples Seeking Fertility Treatment

This study examined attachment insecurities, infertility-specific coping strategies, and quality of life (QoL) in 87 couples seeking fertility treatment. Partners completed self-report measures. Path analyses showed that women's and men's attachment anxiety were associated with their own lower QoL, whereas attachment avoidance was associated with their own and their partner's lower QoL. Adaptive coping in men and women were associated with women's higher QoL. Non-adaptive coping was associated with men and women's lower QoL. Coping strategies explained the associations between attachment and QoL. This highlights the importance of individual and dyadic factors for understanding QoL in couples seeking fertility treatment.

Mindfulness Between the Sheets: Does a Brief Mindfulness Intervention Improve Community-Dwelling Populations' Sexual Experiences and Motivations, and Are Effects Moderated by Attachment Insecurity?

Research is increasingly linking mindfulness with better relationship outcomes. Less clear is whether these benefits extend to the sexual domain or whether the benefits of mindfulness are moderated by individual characteristics. Accordingly, the current report tested whether a brief online mindfulness intervention improved the cognitive, affective, and behavioral aspects of sexual experiences and whether effects varied by attachment anxiety and avoidance. Participants (N = 90) first completed a measure of attachment before reporting their sexual experiences each day for 7-days. Participants then listened to a mindfulness recording every day for 4 weeks. Finally, sexual experiences were reported on every day for 7 days again. Consistent with previous studies, no benefits of the mindfulness intervention were detected for more avoidant persons. Less consistent with expectation, however, the mindfulness intervention did not improve sexual outcomes in general, nor did it buffer other-focused avoidance-based sexual motivations or bolster sexual communal strength among more anxiously attached persons. However, the intervention did increase reports of positive sexuality among more anxious persons. Results are discussed in terms of the differential utility and limits of short mindfulness interventions looking to enhance sexual functioning in different populations and the potential mechanisms behind the presence and absence of effects.

Attachment Orientations: Associations with Romantic Partners' Self-Regulation and Dyadic Coping

The ability to effectively cope with stress is impacted by early relationship experiences and, thus, is related to attachment security. We examined how different forms of attachment insecurity (namely, attachment anxiety and attachment avoidance) impact romantic partners' capacity for coping with stress individually (via self-regulation) and together (via dyadic coping) in a community sample of 261 heterosexual couples. We also explored links between these coping strategies and measures of well-being. Multiple regression analyses in this cross-sectional, self-report study indicated that attachment avoidance, but not anxiety, was linked to less effective dyadic coping. In men, this was also the case for partner's attachment avoidance. Attachment anxiety, but not avoidance, was related to self-regulation problems for women, while in men, both facets of attachment insecurity were negatively associated with self-regulation. Individual and dyadic coping strategies each uniquely contributed to individuals' well-being and satisfaction with life. Relationship interventions and counseling processes might benefit from sensitizing clients for biographical influences on their coping strategies.

Attachment and Breakup Distress: The Mediating Role of Coping Strategies

Breakups are common among emerging adults and are associated with elevated depressive and anxiety symptoms, especially in the presence of attachment insecurities. Previous authors have suggested that inadequate coping strategies might explain this association, yet this has not been examined longitudinally. This study examined the mediating role of five coping strategies (self-help, approach, accommodation, avoidance, self-punishment) in the longitudinal associations between attachment insecurities (anxiety, avoidance) and depressive and anxious symptoms in 196 emerging adults experiencing a romantic breakup. Measures of pre-breakup attachment, post-breakup coping strategies (one-month post-breakup), and depressive and anxiety symptoms (one- and three-month post-breakup) were administered. Results from a longitudinal autoregressive cross-lagged model showed that pre-breakup attachment insecurities were related to higher depressive and anxiety post-breakup symptoms through higher use of self-punishment and lower use of accommodation coping strategies. Findings highlight coping strategies as potential intervention targets to promote the recovery of emerging adults experiencing breakup distress.

The Link between the Nature of the Human-Companion Animal Relationship and Well-Being Outcomes in Companion Animal Owners

Research into the impact of companion animals on well-being has been both extensive and inconclusive, with studies finding both positive and negative relationships. The present research explored three previously unexamined relationship science concepts that may help clarify whether companion animals provide well-being benefits: self-expansion (the process of adding positive content to the self through incorporating new resources and perspectives into one's identity or engaging in novel, exciting activities), perceived pet responsiveness, and perceived pet insensitivity; as well as attachment. We focused on dog and cat owners' depression, anxiety, positive and negative affect, and loneliness through an online survey with a large sample population (N = 1359). We found that perceived pet insensitivity is a significant positive predictor of depression, anxiety, negative affect, and loneliness; that attachment is a significant positive predictor of depression, anxiety, and loneliness, and a significant negative predictor of positive affect; and that self-expansion is a significant positive predictor of positive affect, and a significant negative predictor of loneliness. Loneliness emerged as a mediator in the relationship between perceived pet insensitivity, attachment, self-expansion, and all mental well-being outcome variables. These findings indicate that perceived pet insensitivity, attachment, and self-expansion may play an important yet neglected role in well-being outcomes.

Attachment and Sexual Functioning in Couples Seeking Fertility Treatment: The Role of Infertility-Specific Coping Strategies

Couples facing infertility often experience sexual difficulties. Yet, little is known about the factors associated with these difficulties. We examined whether infertility-related coping strategies explain the associations between attachment insecurities (anxiety, avoidance) and sexual function and satisfaction in 97 couples seeking fertility treatment. Anxiety was associated with one's lower sexual satisfaction and function via self-neglect coping strategies. Anxiety was also associated with the partner's lower sexual satisfaction via self-blame coping. Avoidance was associated with lower partner support-seeking and sexual satisfaction. These findings support the roles of attachment and coping in the experience of sexual difficulties among couples seeking fertility treatment.

The Role of Attachment, Insecurity, and Stress in Partner Maltreatment: A Meta-Analysis

Negative, destructive, and abusive behaviors in romantic relationships can vary from explicit kinds of abuse and aggression to more subtle and seemingly innocuous slights against or ways of treating a partner. However, regardless of the severity or explicit nature, these behaviors all, to one extent or another, reflect acts of invalidation, disrespect, aggression, or neglect toward a partner, and could be considered maltreatment of a partner. The current paper proposes the term partner maltreatment as a broad overarching concept, which was used to facilitate a meta-analytic synthesis of the literature to examine the associations between attachment insecurity (i.e., attachment anxiety, attachment avoidance) and perpetration of partner maltreatment. Additionally, this paper situated partner maltreatment within an attachment-based diathesis-stress perspective to explore the moderating role of stress. Five databases were systematically searched for published and unpublished studies that examined the direct association between perpetrator's adult attachment orientation and perpetration of partner maltreatment behaviors. We synthesized effect sizes from 139 studies (N = 38,472) and found the effect between attachment insecurity and acts of partner maltreatment varied between r = .11 to .21. Our findings provide meta-analytic evidence to suggest that attachment insecurity is a significant individual vulnerability factor (diathesis) associated with partner maltreatment; and that when individuals with an insecure attachment orientation experience stress, the tendency to perpetrate partner maltreatment is typically heightened. The findings of this meta-analysis provide empirical evidence for the importance of considering and addressing contextual factors, especially stress, for those individuals and couples seeking therapy for partner maltreatment.

Romantic Attachment and Sexual Satisfaction Trajectories Among Couples Transitioning to Parenthood

The transition to parenthood (TTP) is an exciting yet destabilizing time for couples. First-time parents may experience changes in their sexual satisfaction during the TTP, but little is known about the factors associated with these changes. Romantic attachment might help understand why some new parents experience a decrease in sexual satisfaction while others do not. This prospective and dyadic study aimed to examine new parents' sexual satisfaction trajectories through the moderator role of prenatal attachment anxiety and avoidance in these trajectories. A total of 221 primiparous Canadian couples completed four online questionnaires from the second trimester of pregnancy to 12 months postpartum. Dyadic latent growth curve analyses revealed that although pregnant people present lower prenatal sexual satisfaction than their partners, both parents show an increase in their sexual satisfaction from pregnancy to 12 months postpartum. For both parents, partners' attachment anxiety was related to one's own steeper increase in sexual satisfaction from pregnancy to 12 months postpartum. Finally, both parents' attachment avoidance was related to their own lower sexual satisfaction during pregnancy. These findings will help educate and support expectant parents about anticipated fluctuations in sexual satisfaction.

We only know that we don't know: attachment patterns and psychological coping during the COVID-19 pandemic - the mediation role of intolerance of uncertainty

The global outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic created sudden changes in many areas of daily life and increased uncertainty about the future. Two studies examined the association between attachment patterns and mental well-being during the pandemic, the mediating role of intolerance of uncertainty (IOU), and factors related to social relationships and self-perceptions. The results of the first study, conducted at the outbreak of the pandemic, indicated that individuals with high levels of attachment anxiety experienced more negative emotions and fewer positive emotions at that time, and that IOU and perceived social support mediated these associations. The results of the second study, conducted several months into the pandemic, indicated an association between attachment anxiety and avoidance, and perceived stress during the time of the pandemic. Results of Study 2 also indicated that IOU mediated the association between attachment anxiety and stress, and that sense of coherence (SOC) mediated the association between attachment anxiety and avoidance, and stress. These findings underscore the adverse psychological effects of uncertain situations, especially for individuals with a fragile foundation of interpersonal support, thus emphasizing the need for action to reduce uncertainty, especially in times of emergency.

Attachment style and attention bias to emotional information: The moderating effect of stress, stimulus characteristics, and attention stage

OBJECTIVE

We examined whether insecurely attached individuals exhibit an attention bias to emotional information, and further tested the potential moderating role of stress, information valence, information attachment relevance, and attention stage.

BACKGROUND

Attachment style can predict people's attention to emotional information. However, the empirical findings are inconsistent, making it difficult to determine the associations between attachment style and attention bias to emotional information.

METHOD

We included 68 studies (N = 5417) across 46 published and unpublished articles (the initial pool was 627 articles) in the meta-analysis.

RESULTS

People high on attachment avoidance exhibited decreased attention toward emotional stimuli (d = -0.129, p = 0.020), which was not affected by stress, information valence, information attachment relevance, or attention stage. Conversely, people high on attachment anxiety exhibited increased attention toward emotional stimuli, especially under stress, if the information was attachment-related, and during late-stage attentional processing. They exhibited an early bias away from and a late bias toward emotional information, which was intensified under stress.

CONCLUSION

Our findings support the proposition that people high on attachment avoidance use deactivating strategies in attentional processing; whereas people high on attachment anxiety use hyperactivating strategies, especially when resources are limited (under stress). When resources are available, and it is relatively early in the process, people high on attachment anxiety respond similarly to those high on attachment avoidance.

Unforgiveness in the Light of Sexual Infidelity: Anxious Attachment to the Partner and Personal Distress as Correlates

It has been widely documented that infidelity is established as one of the main causes of relationship breakdowns. Likewise, the empirical literature has also revealed the association between anxious attachment and personal distress with unforgiveness motivations. However, there is no known research that has examined the role of anxious attachment to the partner, personal distress, and unforgiveness motivations in infidelity and even less, taking into account the perspective of the offended person. Through a correlational study (N = 304 Spanish participants from the general population [M = 26.25, SD = 9.62]), we examined the relationship between unforgiveness motivations (revenge and avoidance motivations for unforgiveness), anxious attachment to the partner, and personal distress experienced after a hypothetical sexual infidelity from the perspective of the offended person. The results showed that anxious attachment was positively associated with revenge motivation for unforgiveness and personal distress. Moreover, high levels of anxious attachment to the partner were only associated with higher avoidance motivation for unforgiveness through increased levels of personal distress. Last but not least, we discuss these findings and their possible repercussions for intimate relationships.

Risk factors for traumatic bonding and associations with PTSD symptoms: A moderated mediation

BACKGROUND

Traumatic bonding, defined as attachment to a perpetrator of intimate partner violence (IPV), offers one explanation as to why many people with abusive romantic partners do not break off these relationships. But what individual-level risk factors make some victims of IPV more likely than others to develop traumatic bonding toward their partners? What is the nature of the potential association between traumatic bonding and PTSD symptoms?

PARTICIPANTS

A path model tested the potential roles of childhood maltreatment and attachment insecurity as risk factors for traumatic bonding, as well as the potential association between traumatic bonding and PTSD symptoms, in a high-risk sample of 354 participants in current abusive relationships.

RESULTS

As hypothesized, childhood maltreatment and attachment insecurity significantly predicted traumatic bonding over and above the effects of age, gender, and romantic love. In addition, attachment insecurity moderated the association between childhood maltreatment and traumatic bonding, such that at higher levels of attachment insecurity, the association between childhood maltreatment and traumatic bonding was stronger than at mean or lower levels of attachment insecurity. Traumatic bonding was positively associated with PTSD symptoms.

CONCLUSIONS

Overall, the results support the role of childhood maltreatment as a risk factor for both traumatic bonding and PTSD symptoms and highlight the importance of attachment insecurity in these associations. This was the first study to examine a complex model of risk factors for traumatic bonding. Theoretical and clinical implications are discussed.

The perception of affective touch in women affected by obesity

Introduction

Pleasant and comforting bodily contacts characterized intimate and affective interactions. Affective touch informs us about others' emotions and intentions, sustains intimacy and closeness, protecting from loneliness and psychological distress. Previous evidence points to an altered experience of affective touch in clinical populations reporting interpersonal difficulties. However, there is no investigation of affective touch in obesity, which is often associated with negative affective-relational experiences since childhood.

Methods

This study aimed to provide the first evidence about the experience of affective touch in obesity by comparing 14 women with obesity with 14 women with healthy weight. Participants rated the pleasantness of both imagined and actual tactile stimuli, which consisted of (i) soft-brush strokes, (ii) touches of the experimenter's hand, and (iii) of a plastic stick (as control, non-affective, stimulation). Participants should report the pleasantness of each kind of touch. Moreover, we explored lifespan experiences of affective touch and interpersonal pleasure in social contexts through self-report questionnaires.

Results

No differences emerged for the pleasantness of affective touch (in both the real and imagery task) between the two groups. However, participants with obesity reported less frequent and less satisfying early experiences of affective touch when compared with the controls.

Discussion

Our results spoke in favor of a preserved experience of affective touch when experimentally probed in obesity, despite a limited early exposure to bodily affective contacts. We interpreted our results in the light of the social reconnection hypothesis. Nevertheless, we provided crucial methodological considerations for future research, considering that both the experimenter's and the brush touch may not resemble adequately real-life experiences, in which affective touch involves intimate people.

Attachment, Sexual Motives, and Sexual Satisfaction among Couples Expecting their First Child

This study examined direct and indirect links among attachment insecurities (anxiety, avoidance) and sexual satisfaction through sexual motives in couples expecting their first child. A sample of 204 first-time pregnant couples completed online questionnaires. Dyadic path analyses revealed that attachment and sexual satisfaction were not directly associated, but rather indirectly associated through three sexual motives: partner approval, self-affirmation, and intimacy. For non-pregnant partners, attachment anxiety was related to higher sexual satisfaction through higher intimacy, whereas attachment avoidance was related to lower sexual satisfaction through lower intimacy. Results are discussed in light of clinical implications for expecting couples.

Pandemic-Related Stress and Other Emotional Difficulties in a Sample of Men and Women Living in Romantic Relationships during the COVID-19 Pandemic

This study examined the extent to which relationship quality affects variability in perceived stress and other emotional difficulties associated with the pandemic. The study was conducted 2-17 March 2022 using a self-administered online survey. The sample size consisted of 1405 individuals who were in a romantic relationship. The scales used in the study included the PSS-4, ECR-RS, SLS-12 and the standardized Pandemic-ED scale (RMSEA = 0.032). Increased stress levels (U = -5.741), pandemic-related emotional difficulties (U = -8.720), worse romantic relationship quality (U = -2.564) and more frequent anxiety-related attachment (U = -3.371) were characteristic of women. A hierarchical regression model for stress showed that age (b = -0.143), financial situation (b = 0.024), the ECR-RS scores (b = 0.219) and pandemic-related emotional difficulties (b = 0.358) proved to be statistically significant predictors of stress. The hierarchical regression model for pandemic-related emotional difficulties indicated five predictors: gender (b = 0.166), education (b = 0.071), financial situation (b = 0.203), scores on the ECR-RS scale (b = 0.048) and stress (b = 0.367). The SEM model used has satisfactory fit indices (RMSEA = 0.051), romantic relationship quality scores and attachment styles interact with the variability of perceived pandemic-related stress and burdens. The determined model offers conclusions relevant to clinicians working with individuals and couples during periods of intense stress.

Holding on & letting go: romantic attachment and fading affect bias

The current research examined the phenomenon of fading affect bias - the tendency for affect associated with negative events to fade more than affect associated with positive events - within the context of romantic relationships. Participants recalled and evaluated positive and negative relationship-specific and non-relationship autobiographical events. Participants also completed measures of attachment avoidance and anxiety. Multi-level modeling demonstrated fading affect bias for relationship and non-relationship events, but that affect fade was shaped by attachment orientations. Specifically, higher attachment anxiety, and lower attachment avoidance predicted greater importance of relationship events which predicted lower fading of affective intensity of memories. Thus, attachment anxiety sustained, while attachment avoidance suppressed the affect of relational memories. We discuss implications of these findings for relationship maintenance.

Attachment insecurities and under-commitment in distressed couples: The role of positive and negative partner behaviors

Research has rarely considered intermediate variables in the association between attachment insecurities and relationship commitment. Based on attachment theory and Rusbult's Investment Model, we tested whether positive and negative partner behaviors explain this association in 91 distressed couples undergoing therapy. Path analyses based on the Actor-Partner Interdependence Model revealed that individuals with attachment avoidance reported perceiving fewer positive behaviors from their partner, which was associated with their own higher under-commitment. Partners of individuals with avoidance also reported perceiving fewer positive partner behaviors, which was in turn associated with their own higher under-commitment. Partners of individuals with attachment anxiety perceived more positive behaviors from their partner, which was associated to their own lower under-commitment. Perceived negative partner behaviors were only directly associated with higher under-commitment. These findings imply that perceived positive partner behaviors may be a key aspect to target in relationship therapy in couples who present with high attachment insecurities.

When Rose-Colored Glasses Turn Cloudy: Stressful Life Circumstances and Perceptions of Partner Behavior in Newlywed Marriage

Stressful life circumstances can destabilize the couples’ relationships by increasing tensions and hindering positive exchanges between partners. Yet, stress may be linked not only to what individuals do in their relationship but also to what they see, as stress can shift individuals’ attentional focus toward negative stimuli. To test this possibility, the current study examined whether individuals confronting more stressful life events and/or daily hassles are more likely to attentively monitor their partner’s negative relationship behaviors. A daily diary study of 79 newlywed couples revealed that individuals who recently experienced more stressful life events were especially attuned to day-to-day fluctuations in their partner’s negative behaviors, but not their partner’s positive behaviors. Moreover, these individuals generally perceived their partner as enacting more negativity across the diary period compared with individuals who faced fewer stressful events. These findings held when adjusting for several individual difference factors known to predict perceptual biases within relationships.

Relationship satisfaction during COVID-19: The role of partners' perceived support and attachment

Objective

The main goal of this study was to examine the interplay between individuals' attachment insecurity and their perceptions of their partners' COVID-related behaviors (supportive and negative behaviors) in predicting their relationship satisfaction.

Background

Stress is a well-documented risk factor for relationship satisfaction. COVID-19 related stressors thus pose a challenge to maintaining relationship satisfaction. Although partners' supportive behaviors can play a central role in mitigating these stressors, enduring individual vulnerabilities, such as attachment insecurity, are likely to moderate the effectiveness of supportive (or negative) behaviors.

Method

In this two-wave study, conducted at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in Israel, 239 participants in cohabiting Israeli couples reported their current relationship satisfaction and perceived partners' supportive and negative behaviors in response to COVID-related stress. Participants' pre-COVID reports of relationship satisfaction and attachment orientations were used to assess the extent to which partners' supportive/negative behaviors interacted with attachment orientations to predict relationship satisfaction maintenance during the first lockdown in Israel.

Results

Higher levels of support and lower levels of negative behaviors were associated with greater relationship satisfaction maintenance. Anxiously attached individuals showed greater sensitivity to their partners' support, whereas avoidantly attached individuals manifested lower reactivity to their partners' negative behaviors.

Conclusions

Perceived partners' supportive and negative behaviors can predict relationship satisfaction during stressful times. However, high attachment anxiety and low attachment avoidance may render individuals more sensitive to such behaviors.

Implications

The results suggest that during times of stress, it is essential to target partners with attachment insecurity to strengthen their supportive skills.

Changes in Attachment and Commitment in Couples Transitioning to Parenthood

This study examined whether attachment predicts changes in commitment and whether commitment predicts changes in attachment in both partners during the transition to parenthood. Both partners of 93 couples completed online questionnaires individually at the second trimester of pregnancy and at 4 months postpartum. Autoregressive cross-lagged path analyses based on the Actor-Partner Interdependence Model tested the bidirectional associations between attachment dimensions (anxiety and avoidance) and three modes of commitment (optimal, over-commitment, and under-commitment). Results revealed that for both partners, prenatal attachment avoidance was associated with a decrease in optimal commitment and an increase in under-commitment from pre- to postpartum. Fathers' attachment anxiety was associated with a decrease in mothers' under-commitment. Furthermore, prenatal optimal commitment was associated with a decrease in attachment avoidance, whereas under-commitment was associated with an increase in attachment avoidance. Fathers' prenatal over-commitment was associated with an increase in their own attachment anxiety and avoidance. These results highlight how attachment insecurities and relationship commitment interrelate during this major transition.

Relationship-specific Satisfaction and Adjustment in Emerging Adulthood: The Moderating Role of Adult Attachment Orientation

Highly satisfying social relationships make us happy and healthy-they fill us with joy and a sense of meaning and purpose. But do all the relationships in our lives contribute equally to our well-being and do some people benefit more from certain relationships? The current study examined associations between the satisfaction of specific relationships within a family (i.e., with parents, siblings) and adjustment (i.e., life satisfaction and depressive symptoms) among 572 emerging adults aged 18-25 (M _age = 19.95, SD = 1.42; 77.4% female). Overall, relationship satisfaction with mothers and fathers was associated with better adjustment. Attachment anxiety and avoidance moderated associations between relationship-specific satisfaction and adjustment. We discuss the findings in the context of the shifting of attachment functions during emerging adulthood and the dynamic nature of close relationships across the lifespan.

Intimate Relationships in Times of COVID-19: A Descriptive Study of Belgian Partners and their Perceived Well-Being

How did couples in Belgium cope during the early phases of the COVID-19 pandemic? In this study, grounded in relationship science, we investigated in a descriptive manner several factors that could affect how couples perceived individual and relational wellbeing during this time. Specifically, we examined the associations between gender, sexual orientation, parental status, and relationship duration on participants’ self-reported individual and relational well-being after the first lockdown (more generally and more specific in response to COVID-19). Additionally, we investigated if relational well-being predicted perceived change in individual well-being from pre- to post-COVID-19 regulations. To test these hypotheses, self-report data was collected during the Summer of 2020 in both the Dutch and French speaking part of Belgium. Data from 679 participants suggested that individual and relational well-being only differed based on parental status (and not by gender nor sexual orientation). Importantly, parents reported lower relational well-being than participants without children, while participants without children reported higher perceived increases in depression. People that had been in a relationship for longer also reported lower relational well-being, but this relationship was explained by other confounding factors. Relational well-being buffered increases in individual distress that people perceived to have occurred pre-COVID-19 regulations to after COVID-19 regulations went into effect. These findings might inform practice and policy for individuals in a romantic relationship during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Late Adolescents' Attachment to Parents and Peers and Psychological Distress Resulting from COVID-19. A Study on the Mediation Role of Alexithymia

The scientific literature has shown the key role played by attachment to parents and peers and difficulties in recognizing, processing, and regulating emotions (i.e., alexithymia) in the (mal-)adaptive psychological response to the COVID-19 pandemic during late adolescence. No study has yet explored the complex interplay between these variables. We recruited a sample of 454 late adolescents (Mage = 22.79, SD = 2.27) and assessed attachment to parents and peers, alexithymia, and peritraumatic distress due to COVID-19 through self-report instruments. Attachment to fathers and peers, but not to mothers, and alexithymia significantly predicted levels of peritraumatic distress. Alexithymia fully and partially mediated the effect of, respectively, attachment to mothers and attachment to peers on peritraumatic distress due to COVID-19. These findings suggested that intervention programs focused on the promotion of peer social relationships, supportive parent-adolescent relationships, and the ability to recognize and discriminate one's own and others' emotions are needed in helping late adolescents to face the current health emergency and preventing short- and long-term psychopathological consequences related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

How Do Partner Support, Psychological Aggression, and Attachment Anxiety Contribute to Distressed Couples' Relationship Outcomes?

Few studies have simultaneously looked at the relative contribution of positive and negative behaviors to understand relationship outcomes. This study examined the relative roles of perceived partner support and psychological aggression in two relationship outcomes-relationship satisfaction and the willingness to invest in the relationship-as well as the contribution of attachment anxiety as a moderator in 307 couples seeking relationship therapy. Path analyses revealed that perceived partner support was associated with individuals' own higher relationship satisfaction and willingness to invest in the relationship. Attachment anxiety moderated these associations. Perceived partner psychological aggression was not associated with relationship outcomes.

Depressive symptoms, parental stress, and attachment style in mothers and fathers two and a half years after childbirth: Are fathers as affected as mothers?

The study aimed to determine the prevalence of depressive symptoms and whether parental stress and attachment style affected depression in mothers and fathers two and a half years after the birth of a child. The parents completed several questionnaires including the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale, the Swedish Parenthood Stress Questionnaire and the Relationship Questionnaire. The prevalence rate of depressive symptoms in mothers was 14.9%, while for fathers it was 11.5%. Differences between the parents identified as depressed and those without depressive symptoms were also analysed. There were no significant differences between depressed and non-depressed parents on the secure, avoidant and fearful attachment styles. However, there was a significant difference between groups on the preoccupied subscale. The final aim was to calculate if attachment style contributed to the level of depression while accounting for the impact of parental stress. Parental stress (incompetence, social isolation and spouse relationship problems) was the best predictor for mothers' depressive symptoms, while parental stress (social isolation and health) and the preoccupied attachment style were the best predictors for such symptoms in fathers. The findings indicated that parental stress and depressive symptoms are closely related and can explain the difficulties parents face.

Developmental gains and losses during parenthood

The onset of parenthood irrevocably changes the landscape of adults' functioning, amplifying the potential for parents' experiences of both developmental losses and gains/growth, in context of increased responsibilities and more limited access to environmental resources/supports. In this article, we draw on dual theoretical lenses to integrate the frameworks of Baltes' lifespan development theory of gains and loss and Bronfenbrenner's bioecological model. We summarize empirical evidence in relation to a normative transition, exemplified by the transition to parenthood, and a non-normative event, the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, and show that parents' experiences of developmental loss and gains/growth are inextricably linked. Our findings illustrate how parents' losses/gains are influenced by a broad range of individual and environmental factors, with implications for parent prevention/intervention programs.

Intervention Model for Orphan’s Emotional and Behavioral Problems: A Scoping Review

BACKGROUND: As many as, 45% of orphaned children and adolescents living in orphanages experience behavioral and emotional problems. Several literature reviews on the intervention of emotional and behavioral problems in orphan children and adolescents have been widely conducted. However, there is paucity in the reviews of emotional and behavioral problem interventions in the orphan group based on the type of group approach used in published articles. AIM: This study aimed to synthesize the results on the interventions of emotional and behavioral problems in orphan children and adolescents aged 7–20 years who live in institutions or orphanages. METHODS: This research was a scoping review. This review used three databases comprising PubMed, Science Direct, and Wiley Library Online. The inclusion criteria were experimental research designs and cohort studies, published in the 2009–2019, discussed emotional and behavioral problem’s intervention in orphan, and written in English. The exclusion criteria were that the research subjects had severe mental and psychosocial disorders such as autism, mental retardation, and mental disorders. The authors used three categories of keywords; the first keyword and its synonym were “intervention, treatment.” The second keyword focused on behavioral problems, which was “behavioral difficulties,” and the third keyword focuses on population and place, “orphan, institutions orphans, orphanages.” The article selection stage is described in detail in the flow diagram of Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis. The critical appraisal stage used the checklist from Joanna Briggs Institute. RESULTS: Ten articles were found and selected for review. The main emotional and behavioral problems experienced by orphan children and adolescents include depression, anxiety, and low self-esteem, feelings of anger, and trauma. Other problems related, functional disorders, life satisfaction, the probability of suicide, and early (prodromal) symptoms of psychosis, also arise. There were six types of interventions given to overcome emotional and behavioral problems in orphan children and adolescents, but the interventions that are most often given are cognitive therapy, educational support, complementary, and alternative medicine. The approaches in groups that are often used in this review are the support group and the teaching-learning group. The combination of two or more approaches in one intervention can increase the success or effectiveness in overcoming emotional and behavioral problems. CONCLUSIONS: Depression, anxiety, low self-esteem, feeling anger, and trauma are main problems for orphans. To address these emotional and behavior problems, it is necessary to combine several interventions and a combination of group-based approaches.

Parental phubbing linking to adolescent life satisfaction: The mediating role of relationship satisfaction and the moderating role of attachment styles

BACKGROUND

Parental phubbing and its effects on adolescents have recently begun to attract concern. Previous studies have shown that parental phubbing was associated with emotional and behavioral problems among adolescents. However, much less is known about the association between parental phubbing and youth life satisfaction, let alone the mediating and moderating mechanisms.

METHODS

Self-reports of parental phubbing, satisfaction with the parent-adolescent relationship, life satisfaction, and attachment style were assessed in a sample of 303 Chinese teenagers (155 girls and 148 boys, M_age = 14.00, SD_age = 0.86). Multiple regressions were applied to investigate the association between parental phubbing and adolescents' life satisfaction, the mediating role of adolescents' relationship satisfaction, and the moderating role of adolescents' attachment styles.

RESULTS

Parental phubbing had a negative effect on adolescents' life satisfaction, yet this association was completely mediated by adolescents' relationship satisfaction. Besides, the association between parental phubbing and adolescents' relationship satisfaction was moderated by adolescents' attachment styles. Overall, the conditional effect of parental phubbing on adolescents' life satisfaction was significant among the preoccupied teens and the fearful teens but not significant among the secure teens and the dismissing teens.

CONCLUSION

Although parental phubbing has the potential to undermine youth well-being, the actual consequences for adolescents are variable, depending on their attachment orientations.

Partners’ Attachment Insecurity and Stress Predict Poorer Relationship Functioning During COVID-19 Quarantines

The COVID-19 pandemic presents acute, ongoing relationship challenges. The current research tested how (1) preexisting vulnerabilities assessed prior to the pandemic (attachment insecurity) and (2) stress as couples endured a mandated quarantine predicted residual changes in relationship functioning. Controlling for prequarantine problems, relationship quality, and family environment, greater partners’ attachment anxiety predicted greater relationship problems, lower relationship quality, and a less stable and cohesive family environment when people were experiencing more stress. Greater partners’ attachment avoidance predicted lower problem-solving efficacy and family cohesion. The effects of partners’ preexisting vulnerabilities and pandemic-related stress demonstrate the utility of key models in relationship science in identifying who is at most risk of relationship problems in the unprecedented context of a mandated quarantine. The results emphasize that the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on relationship functioning will be shaped by the characteristics of partners with whom people are confined with during the pandemic.

The Relationship Between Adult Attachment and Suicidal Thoughts and Behaviors: A Systematic Review

We aimed to (1) determine the extent of the relationship between attachment and suicidal thoughts and behaviors (STB), (2) investigate whether any gender differences exist, and (3) conduct a theoretical synthesis of the included studies. A systematic search of the databases Web of Science; EBSCO Host Medical and Psychology-related resources, which includes CINAHL, Health Source: Nursing/Academic Edition, Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection, and PsycINFO; and EMBASE was conducted, with 52 studies meeting the inclusion criteria. While secure attachment acts as protective factor, insecure attachment orientations appear to be vulnerability factors compromising an individual's capacity to cope with relationship issues, increasing suicide risk. There is insufficient evidence about gender differences. The theoretical synthesis suggests that attachment, interacting with other psychological traits in response to negative life events, acts as a vulnerability or protective factor for STB. Implications for treatment are also discussed.

Can Expressing Positivity Elicit Support for Negative Events? A Process Model and Review

Garnering support for distressing experiences is highly important, yet notoriously challenging. We examine whether expressing positive thoughts and feelings when seeking support for negative events can help people elicit support, and we present a theoretical process model that explains why it might do so. The model includes three support-eliciting pathways through which expressing positivity could increase support: by strengthening providers' prorelational motives, increasing providers' positive mood, and enhancing providers' expected support effectiveness. It also includes a support-suppressing pathway through which expressing positivity could decrease support: by undermining providers' appraisals of support seekers' needs. After presenting the model and providing evidence for each indirect pathway, we review research regarding the direct pathway. We then consider various types of positivity, discuss possible moderators, and identify directions for future research. Our model highlights support seekers' underemphasized role in shaping support receipt and provides a novel perspective on positive expressivity's potential value in distress-related contexts.

Being in the Moment So You Can Keep Moving Forward: Mindfulness and Rumination Mediate the Relationship between Attachment Orientations and Negative Conflict Styles

Attachment insecurity has been associated with negative behaviors during conflict and decreased relationship satisfaction. We theorize that individuals high in attachment anxiety and/or avoidance are less mindful during conflict with their romantic partners, and thus more likely to ruminate. Decreased mindfulness and higher levels of rumination may be important mechanisms in the relationship between attachment insecurity and conflict behavior, as it may be more difficult to engage in constructive problem-solving skills when one is distracted from the present moment. We conducted an online survey assessing 360 participants' attachment orientations, levels of mindfulness and rumination, behavior during conflict, and experience with mindfulness activities. Using a serial mediation model, we found that mindfulness and rumination mediated the relationship between attachment insecurity and negative conflict behaviors. We further discovered that individuals high in attachment insecurity were more likely to report negative experiences with mindfulness activities (i.e., meditation and yoga), and that this relationship was mediated by higher levels of experiential avoidance, or a fear of engaging with one's own thoughts and feelings. We discuss the importance of increasing mindfulness and decreasing both rumination and experiential avoidance to assist individuals high in attachment insecurity in navigating relationship conflict using more constructive and relationship-promoting strategies.

A Dyadic Analysis of Attachment Insecurities and Romantic Disengagement among Couples Seeking Relationship Therapy

This study sought to assess the role of attachment insecurities on romantic disengagement among couples seeking relationship therapy. Dyadic associations were examined between attachment insecurities and romantic disengagement, accounting for depression, relationship satisfaction, and commitment, using a sample of 171 couples. Partners completed the Experiences in Close Relationships Scale and the Romantic Disengagement Scale. Path analysis revealed that attachment-related avoidance, but not anxiety, was associated with romantic disengagement. Men's attachment-related anxiety was related to greater disengagement in their partner. The combination of men's attachment-related avoidance and women's attachment-related anxiety was also significantly associated with women's romantic disengagement. Although attachment insecurities were associated with romantic disengagement, contextual and intrapersonal factors also contributed to our understanding of disengagement. Findings are discussed in light of clinical interventions for couple therapy.

Daily Responsiveness, Expectations, and Self–disclosure: How the Average Levels and Within–person Variability of Three Relationship Components Mediate Personality–Relationship Transactions in Romantic Couples

The associations between couple members’ personality and their relationship satisfaction can be conceptualized as reciprocal transactions. To better understand these transactions, we focused on both partners’ interpersonal vulnerabilities (i.e. neuroticism, low self–esteem, and insecure attachment); daily emotional, cognitive, and behavioural relationship components (i.e. perceived responsiveness, positive expectations, and self–disclosure); and relationship satisfaction. Specifically, we examined whether the average levels and within–person variability of the relationship components mediated the transactions between interpersonal vulnerabilities and relationship satisfaction. Data came from 689 female–male couples aged 18 to 81 years who participated in three measurement occasions across 12 months, including a 14–day diary phase. We used mediated dyadic bivariate latent change score models to test the level–change and change–change transactions and mediations. The findings partly supported our hypotheses: Couple members with interpersonal vulnerabilities had lower average levels (but not higher within–person variability) of the relationship components, and less satisfied couple members had lower average levels and higher within–person variability of these components. The lower average levels but not the variability mediated between a lower level of relationship satisfaction and an increase in avoidant attachment. No other mediations were observed. We discuss the importance of studying daily relationship components for better understanding reciprocal transactions in couples. © 2020 European Association of Personality Psychology

Maternal and Paternal Attachment Style and Chaos as Risk Factors for Parenting Behavior

Household chaos and insecure parental attachment styles are associated with lower quality parenting behaviors. However, there is a paucity of evidence regarding fathers' parenting behaviors, and no studies examine if chaotic home environments moderate the attachment style-parenting behavior relationship. Using data from both mothers and fathers of 742 children (40.5% African American) living in rural, low-resource communities, the current study examined the individual and joint effects of self-reported adult attachment style and two domains of household chaos on observed maternal and paternal parenting behaviors during structured play with their 58-month old child (49.6% female). Multivariate models revealed that, even after controlling for confounders, attachment insecurity predicted lower quality parenting behavior for mothers and fathers. Further, for both mothers and fathers, the disorganized domain of household chaos, representing environments high in noise, clutter and disorder, predicted less sensitive and more intrusive parenting behavior. Finally, for mothers with dismissive attachment styles, high levels of disorganization appeared to exacerbate caregiving difficulties; this moderating relationship was not evident for fathers. These findings suggest that the stress of a chronically disorganized family environment may impact the expression of mothers' insecure tendencies in the context of parenting, thereby intensifying less sensitive and more intrusive parenting behaviors.

Perceptions of Past Parenting and Adult Attachment as Vulnerability Factors for Suicidal Ideation in the Context of the Integrated Motivational-Volitional Model of Suicidal Behavior

OBJECTIVE

We aimed to investigate whether perceptions of past parenting and current attachment orientations are associated with key components of the Integrated Motivational-Volitional (IMV) Model of Suicidal Behavior. We investigated the relationship between perceptions of past parenting, attachment, suicide ideation, defeat, entrapment, coping, and resilience.

METHOD

A total of 730 adult participants responded to an online questionnaire comprised of psychological measures. An initial regression analysis indicated that memories of past parenting and attachment were associated with suicide ideation. Four mediation models were tested based on the IMV model, all controlling for depressive symptoms.

RESULTS

In the first model, attachment orientations mediated the relationships between perceptions of past parenting dimensions and defeat. In the second, defeat mediated the relationships between attachment orientations and entrapment. In the third, entrapment mediated the relationship between defeat and suicidal ideation, but coping did not moderate the defeat-entrapment relationship. In the final model, entrapment mediated the relationship between defeat and suicide ideation, with resilience moderating this relationship.

CONCLUSIONS

The findings are novel and congruent with the core principles of the IMV model. Clinical implications suggest the protective effect of resilience and strengthening of self-compassion attitudes to reduce the effect of insecure attachment strategies.

Family Matters: Rethinking the Psychology of Human Social Motivation

What motives do people prioritize in their social lives? Historically, social psychologists, especially those adopting an evolutionary perspective, have devoted a great deal of research attention to sexual attraction and romantic-partner choice (mate seeking). Research on long-term familial bonds (mate retention and kin care) has been less thoroughly connected to relevant comparative and evolutionary work on other species, and in the case of kin care, these bonds have been less well researched. Examining varied sources of data from 27 societies around the world, we found that people generally view familial motives as primary in importance and mate-seeking motives as relatively low in importance. Compared with other groups, college students, single people, and men place relatively higher emphasis on mate seeking, but even those samples rated kin-care motives as more important. Furthermore, motives linked to long-term familial bonds are positively associated with psychological well-being, but mate-seeking motives are associated with anxiety and depression. We address theoretical and empirical reasons why there has been extensive research on mate seeking and why people prioritize goals related to long-term familial bonds over mating goals. Reallocating relatively greater research effort toward long-term familial relationships would likely yield many interesting new findings relevant to everyday people’s highest social priorities.

Adult attachment insecurity and associations with diabetes distress, daily stressful events and self-management in type 1 diabetes

Anxious and avoidant attachment may be detrimental for diabetes distress and management. Additionally, individuals' perceptions of their partner's involvement may affect these associations. The study explored cross-sectionally and at the daily level whether anxious and avoidant attachment associated with diabetes distress or stressors and diabetes management, and whether higher perceived collaboration and support (C&S) moderated associations between attachment and diabetes management. Individuals with type 1 diabetes (N = 199; M age = 46.82; 52.3% women) completed measures of diabetes distress, diabetes-related C&S, self-care, average blood glucose (hemoglobin A1c), and attachment insecurity, and daily diary measures of diabetes-related C&S, diabetes stressors, mean blood glucose, and self-care. Higher anxious and avoidant attachment associated with higher diabetes distress. Higher anxious attachment associated with more daily stressors. Anxious attachment associated with lower self-care. C&S did not moderate any associations. Findings highlight the need to consider attachment when designing interventions to reduce diabetes-related distress.

Adult attachment and testosterone reactivity: Fathers' avoidance predicts changes in testosterone during the strange situation procedure

We assessed parents' testosterone reactivity to the Strange Situation Procedure (SSP), a moderately stressful parent-infant interaction task that pulls for parental nurturance and caregiving behavior. Parents (146 mothers, 154 fathers) interacted with their 1-year-old infants, and saliva samples were obtained pre- and post-task to assess changes in testosterone. We examined whether testosterone reactivity differed between mothers and fathers, the extent to which parents' characteristic approaches to closeness (i.e., adult attachment orientation) contributed to testosterone changes, and whether any influences of adult attachment orientation were independent of more general personality characteristics (i.e., the Big Five personality dimensions). Results revealed that mothers and fathers showed comparable declines in testosterone during the SSP, and that these declines were attenuated among fathers with a more avoidant attachment orientation (i.e., those less comfortable with closeness). Associations between fathers' avoidance and testosterone reactivity were statistically independent of broader personality traits. Our findings provide some of the first evidence for short-term changes in both mothers' and fathers' testosterone in contexts that pull for nurturance. Moreover, these findings demonstrate that individual differences in adult attachment may play an important role in understanding such changes. We discuss possible explanations for gender differences in associations between adult attachment and parents' testosterone reactivity, and the extent to which testosterone reactivity might be sensitive to changes in context for mothers versus fathers.