Spouses' attachment pairings predict neuroendocrine, behavioral, and psychological responses to marital conflict

Gender, attachment, and demand/withdraw patterns in the context of moderate couple conflict in cisgender, heterosexual relationships

A common pattern in couple relationships is demand/withdraw. Within this pattern, one partner seeks connection, change, and resolution of the issue, whereas the other seeks to end the discussion and limit closeness. We sought to further understand and update the literature by examining the relationship of gender and attachment (both self-report and narrative discourse) with demand/withdraw behaviors during moderate couple conflict. Using data from 63 cisgender, heterosexual couples, we used the actor-partner interdependence model within multilevel modeling, to explore the research questions. Findings revealed that during the woman's issue, men were more likely to withdraw. During the man's issue, preoccupied attachment in either partner was associated with more demand and women higher in attachment anxiety were more likely to demand. Demand behaviors in one partner were also associated with withdraw behaviors in the other (and vice versa). In this article, we discuss the research and clinical implications of these findings.

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.

Mechanisms Linking Attachment Orientation to Sleep Quality in Married Couples

There is emerging evidence for links between relationship factors and sleep quality. Existing research linking attachment orientation to sleep quality has yielded inconsistent effects, has focused on younger samples, and has not considered underlying mechanisms of action. This research addressed these gaps in two studies that investigated the links between attachment orientation and sleep quality in both younger/middle-aged (Study 1) and older (Study 2) adult couples using Actor-Partner Interdependence Models. We also tested mediating effects of relationship-specific security and negative affect. In both studies, participants completed surveys assessing their attachment orientation, sleep quality, and the proposed mediators. Both studies revealed that relationship-specific security and negative affect mediated the negative association between insecure attachment and one's own sleep quality. This research enhances our understanding of how attachment orientation affects sleep quality, provides a foundation for future research on relationship influences on sleep, and suggests avenues for improving sleep quality.

Genetic Contributions to Attachment Stability Over Time: the Roles of CRHR1 Polymorphisms

Corticotropin-releasing hormone receptor 1 (CRHR1), a hormone receptor essential to the activation of HPA axis and the subsequent release of cortisol, plays critical roles in emotional and behavioral responses relevant to attachment. However, the specific roles of CRHR1 polymorphisms in attachment remain unclear. To further clarify these genetic effects, this research conducted a three-wave study to investigate whether the CRHR1 polymorphisms (i.e., rs110402 and rs242924) are associated with the stability and variability of attachment by using a sample of freshmen (N = 604; Mage = 18.57 years, SD = 1.90; 68.8% girls). The results showed that rs110402 and rs242924 were associated with the stability of closeness-dependence. The G alleles of the both polymorphisms were found not to be related to lower attachment stability. However, these polymorphisms were not associated with the variability of attachment. Overall, these findings provide evidence for the contribution of CRHR1 to attachment stability.

When Staying Home Is Not Safe: An Investigation of the Role of Attachment Style on Stress and Intimate Partner Violence in the Time of COVID-19

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a major public health concern, with increasing rates of IPV being seen around the world during the COVID-19 pandemic. Previous research has linked the perpetration of IPV and other forms of sexual violence to aspects of romantic attachment psychology, with insecure anxious/preoccupied attachment most often linked to higher rates of IPV. Stressful events typically activate the attachment system and may either aggravate or disrupt its regulatory functioning. In the present study, we investigated whether COVID-related PTSD and depressive symptoms were associated with increased IPV perpetration and whether this relationship was moderated by levels of attachment security. Our findings indicated that higher COVID-related PTSD was significantly associated with increased IPV perpetration in securely attached individuals, whereas depressive symptoms was significantly associated with decreased IPV perpetration in securely attached individuals. IPV perpetration by insecure individuals was consistently high regardless of COVID-related PTSD or depressive symptoms. These findings suggest that COVID-related PTSD may erode adaptive attachment functioning, particularly among the previously secure, which can have important consequences for secure individuals and their intimate partners. The present findings may explain some of the recent increase in IPV cases worldwide and serve to raise awareness and motivate clinical interventions to more efficiently help both victims and perpetrators of IPV stay safe while staying home.

Workplace infection control measures and romantic activities of workers during COVID-19 pandemic: A prospective cohort study in Japan

Objective

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, non-married people are at high risk of loneliness. With social interactions restricted, it is important for non-married people to acquire a new romantic partner for their mental health and quality of life. We hypothesized that infection control efforts in the workplace influence people's social interactions, including romantic activities.

Methods

We conducted an internet-based prospective cohort study from December 2020 (baseline) to December 2021, using self-administered questionnaires. Briefly, 27,036 workers completed the questionnaires at baseline, and when followed up after 1 year, 18,560 (68.7%) participated. A total of 6,486 non-married individuals with no romantic relationship at baseline were included in the analysis. At baseline they were asked about the implementation of infection control measures in the workplace, and at follow-up they were asked about activities they performed with a view to romantic relationships during the period from baseline to follow-up.

Results

Compared to workers in workplaces with no infection control measures, the odds ratio (OR) associated with romance-related activities for those in workplaces with seven or more infection control measures was 1.90 (95% CI: 1.45-2.48, p < 0.001), and the OR associated with having a new romantic partner was 1.79 (95% CI: 1.20-2.66, p = 0.004).

Discussion

Under the COVID-19 pandemic, the implementation of infection control measures in the workplace and the expressed satisfaction with those measures promoted romantic relationships among non-married, single individuals.

A Prospective Cohort Study of Presenteeism and Increased Risk of Divorce Among Japanese Workers

OBJECTIVE

We examined the association between the presenteeism and the risk of divorce among Japanese workers during the COVID-19 pandemic.

METHODS

A prospective study of 27,036 individuals was conducted starting in December 2020, with 18,560 (68.7%) participating in the follow-up in December 2021. The Work Functioning Impairment Scale (WFun) was used to measure the degree of work function impairment.

RESULTS

Compared with the group with the lowest WFun score, the odds ratio for the group with moderate WFun was 1.16 (95% confidence interval, 0.74 to 1.82; P = 0.525), and the odds ratio for the group with the highest WFun was 1.76 (95% confidence interval, 1.18 to 2.62; P = 0.006).

CONCLUSIONS

This study suggests that supporting workers with presenteeism has important implications not only from the perspective of labor productivity in management but also for the individual's quality of life in terms of family 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.

Depressive Symptoms, External Stress, and Marital Adjustment: The Buffering Effect of Partner's Responsive Behavior

Guided by theory emphasizing that partner responsiveness underlies well-functioning romantic relationships, we examined whether partners' responsive behavior buffered the degree to which a personal vulnerability (depressive symptoms) and external stress predicted declines in relationship adjustment. Using an existing dataset, we tested whether individuals' depressive symptoms and stress interacted with observer-coded partner responsive behavior during marital conflict discussions to predict change in marital adjustment at the next time point (N = 195 couples Time 1 to Time 2, 158 couples Time 2 to Time 3). Individuals experiencing greater (a) depressive symptoms or (b) stress showed sharper declines in marital adjustment. However, as predicted, the negative effects of both depressive symptoms and stress were attenuated when partners displayed high behavioral responsiveness. These findings underscore the importance of adopting a dyadic perspective to understand how partners' responsive behavior can overcome the harmful effects of personal and situational vulnerabilities on relationship outcomes.

When Collaborating in Constructive Task With Spouse: Attachment Orientation Predicts Exploratory Behavior Among Older Couples

In order to examine the function of the attachment system in later life, this study investigated the relationships between attachment orientation and exploratory behavior in a collaborative constructive activity with one’s spouse among older adults. In total, 49 older couples completed a collaborative constructive task, and their behaviors were videotaped. Each participant’s exploratory behavior (i.e., engagement, enjoyment, and distress) was coded by independent raters. The results revealed older adults highly engaged in the collaborative activity. In addition, based on the actor-partner interdependence model, the results indicated that attachment avoidance positively predicted the individuals’ enjoyment as well as their partners’ distress during the collaborative activity. The current findings extend the literature regarding the effects of attachment on exploration from early adulthood to later life, from the workplace to family life, and from individual’s own behavior to collaborative situation.

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).

Relative importance of conflict topics for within-couple tests: The case of demand/withdraw interaction

Researchers commonly employ observational methods, in which partners discuss topics of concern to them, to test gender differences and other within-couple differences in couple conflict behavior. We describe a previously unidentified assumption upon which statistical tests in these observational studies are frequently reliant: whether each partner is more concerned or dissatisfied with the topic selected for them than the partner is. We term this the relative importance assumption and show that common procedures for selecting conflict discussion topics can lead to widespread violations of the assumption in empirical studies. Study 1 conducts a systematic review of the literature and finds that few existing studies ensure relative importance is met. Study 2 uses two empirical samples to estimate how often relative importance is violated when not ensured, finding it is violated in one third of interaction tasks. Study 3 examines the potential consequences of violating the relative importance assumption when testing within-couple differences in observed behavior, focusing on gender differences in the demand/withdraw pattern. Results show that these tests were profoundly impacted by violations of relative importance. In light of these violations, we conduct a more rigorous test of demand/withdraw theories and clarify previously inconsistent results in the literature. We recommend explicit consideration of relative importance for studies testing within-couple effects, provide methodological recommendations for selecting topics in future studies, and discuss implications for clinical practice. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

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.

An Attachment Perspective on Partner Responses to Genito-pelvic Pain and Their Associations with Relationship and Sexual Outcomes

Although facilitative and negative partner responses are known to impact couples' adaptation to provoked vestibulodynia (PVD), a chronic genito-pelvic pain condition, it is still unknown what leads individuals to adopt or perceive such adaptative or detrimental behaviors. Attachment influences sexual and relationship adjustment, emotional reactivity and perceived support in romantic relationships, and as such could be associated with partner responses. This study aimed at examining the mediating role of facilitative and negative partner responses in the associations between attachment and relationship and sexual adjustment in 125 couples coping with PVD. Couples completed self-report questionnaires on attachment, partner responses, sexual satisfaction and distress, and relationship satisfaction. Results indicated that partners' attachment avoidance was negatively associated with facilitative partner-reported responses, which in turn was associated with partners' sexual and relationship satisfaction. Attachment anxiety in women and partners was associated with greater women-perceived negative partner responses, which in turn was associated with women's and partners' greater sexual distress and lower sexual satisfaction, and women's lower relationship satisfaction. Partners' greater attachment anxiety was also associated with greater partner-reported facilitative responses, which was associated with partners' lower and women's greater relationship satisfaction. Assessing attachment orientations may help clinicians better understand couples' dyadic coping.

Is Low Power Associated with Submission During Marital Conflict? Moderating Roles of Gender and Traditional Gender Role Beliefs

Lower power during marital interactions predicts greater aggression by men, but no research has identified women's response to lower power. We tested whether women who experienced lower situational power during conflict exhibited greater submission, especially if they held traditional gender role beliefs and thus accepted structural gender differences in power. Newlywed couples (Time 1 N = 204 couples) completed questionnaires and discussed an area of conflict 3 times over 3 years. Individuals who perceived lower power during couples' discussions evidenced greater submission, but this effect was more pronounced for wives, especially wives who held traditional gender role beliefs. Among those with traditional gender role beliefs, greater submission together with lower power predicted lower marital adjustment over time. These results highlight that the low power-submission link, and associated implications for marital adjustment, need to be evaluated in the context of power-relevant situations, gender, and broader power-related beliefs about gender roles.

Construction and validation of the Lebanese fear of relationship commitment scale among a representative sample of the Lebanese population

PURPOSE

To describe the generation and validation of the Lebanese fear of relationship commitment scale (LFRC) and factors associated with FRC in a representative sample of the Lebanese population.

DESIGN AND METHODS

This cross-sectional study, conducted between January and May 2018, enrolled 568 single community dwelling participants.

RESULTS

The scale items converged over a solution of four factors, explaining 50.46% of the variance (Cronbach's α = 0.789). Higher social phobia (β = 0.073) and higher general trust score (β = 0.393) were associated with higher FRC, whereas higher self-esteem (β = -0.275) was associated with lower FRC.

PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS

The LFRC-17 is a valid and reliable measure of fear of relationship commitment and a highly efficient tool both for research and clinical practice. It gathers social, physical, and psychological aspects related to gamophobia.

Self-Reported Adult Attachment and Observed Parenting Behavior of New Mothers and Fathers

This study examined associations between parents’ self-reported adult attachment and observed parenting behavior using a dyadic and family systemic approach. 182 primiparous expectant couples (182 mothers and 182 fathers) reported on their attachment avoidance and anxiety during the third trimester of pregnancy and were observed interacting with their infants at 3 and 9 months postpartum to assess positive and negative parenting behavior. Path analyses revealed that fathers had the lowest observed negative parenting behavior at 3 months postpartum when they were low in anxiety and mothers were also low in anxiety or avoidance. At 9 months postpartum, greater attachment avoidance was associated with lower observed positive parenting behavior and higher observed negative parenting behavior regardless of parent gender. Moreover, when mothers were more anxious and fathers more avoidant, mothers exhibited greater negative parenting behavior; when mothers were more avoidant and fathers more anxious, mothers exhibited less positive parenting behavior.

Genes and environment in attachment

In the last two decades, there has been increasing research interest in disentangling the contribution of genetic and environmental factors to individual differences in attachment, and in identifying the genes involved in shaping attachment. Twin studies suggest that as attachment changes during the course of development, genetic factors may play a progressively more important role, while shared environmental effects might decrease. However, most of this literature is limited by low power, measurement issues, and cross-sectional design. The findings of molecular genetic studies are, overall, inconclusive. The literature on main genetic effects and gene-by-environment interactions on attachment is filled with inconsistent and unreplicated findings. Also, most studies are underpowered. Challenges for future research are to identify the unshared environmental mechanisms involved in shaping attachment, and to better elucidate the genes involved and their interaction with the environment. Some pioneer studies suggested that the incorporation of epigenetic processes into G × E interaction models might represent a promising future way for investigating the complex, dynamic interplay between genes, environment, and attachment.

Under, Over, or Optimal Commitment? Attachment Insecurities and Commitment Issues in Relationally Distressed Couples

Using a new multidimensional model of relationship commitment, this study examined the association among attachment insecurities (avoidance and anxiety) and commitment (optimal, over, and under) in 159 relationally distressed, monogamous and mainly heterosexual couples. Dyadic analyses revealed that avoidant individuals reported less optimal and less over-commitment, as well as more under-commitment. Their partners also reported less over-commitment. Moreover, whereas anxious individuals reported more over-commitment, their partners reported less optimal commitment and more under-commitment. Moderation analyses showed that anxious individuals reported more optimal commitment when their partners reported very high levels of avoidance. The findings suggest nuanced implications for couple therapy.

Child Sex Composition, Parental Sex Preferences, and Marital Outcomes: Evidence From a Matrilineal Context

Objective

The authors study matrilineal settings in rural Malawi, a southeast African country, to assess if women experience better marital outcomes in the presence of daughters and if so whether daughter preference plays a role.

Background

A provocative finding in family sociology is that couples with sons experience better marital outcomes relative to those with daughters. Sociologists contend that these marital benefits are attributable to the gender system fostering greater closeness between fathers and sons, a preference for sons, or economic, cultural, and social incentives for fathers to invest more in unions that have produced sons. Extrapolating these arguments beyond son-inspired marital benefits in patriarchal settings suggests that the reverse process-daughter-inspired marital benefits-could prevail in matrilineal contexts.

Method

The authors analyze three rounds of the nationally representative Malawi Demographic and Health Survey. They estimate three series of parity-specific, multivariable logistic regression models to assess the associations between child sex composition and marital outcomes (two forms of relationship abuse and polygyny) and model each outcome among the full sample of women with one to four children and control for number of children, thus conveying the average effect of sex composition across parities.

Results

Women with daughters-particularly women with only daughters-in predominately matrilineal, rural communities in the central and southern regions of Malawi are more likely to be in monogamous versus polygynous unions and are less likely to have experienced emotionally abusive and controlling behaviors. We find little evidence that women and men explicitly prefer or pursue daughters.

Conclusion

The study shows that a matrilineal gender system can influence marital dynamics in the presence of daughters even without fostering an overwhelming preference for them.

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.

Attachment style moderates effects of FKBP5 polymorphisms and childhood abuse on post-traumatic stress symptoms: Results from the National Health and Resilience in Veterans Study

Objectives: To determine the main and interactive effects of four FKBP5 polymorphisms (rs9296158, rs3800373, rs1360780 and rs9470080), childhood abuse and attachment style in predicting severity of PTSD symptoms in two independent, nationally representative samples of US military veterans. Methods: Data were analysed from two independent samples of European-American US military veterans who participated in the National Health and Resilience in Veterans Study (N = 1,585 and 577 respectively). Results: Results revealed that carriage of two FKBP5 minor alleles, childhood abuse and insecure attachment style were associated with greater severity of PTSD symptoms. Gene × environment interactions were also observed, with the interaction of FKBP5 homozygous minor allele carriage and history of childhood abuse associated with greater severity of PTSD symptoms; however, these effects were fully counteracted by secure attachment style. Conclusions: Results of this study build on prior work demonstrating a gene × environment interaction between FKBP5 polymorphisms and childhood abuse in predicting risk for PTSD by suggesting that attachment style may moderate this effect. This study has implications for prevention and treatment efforts designed to promote a secure attachment style in veterans with high-risk FKBP5 genotypes and childhood abuse histories.

An attachment theoretical perspective for the neural representation of close others

Recent investigations in neuroscience elucidate the neural basis of close other cognitive representations, which serve functions central to our health and happiness. Yet, there are persistent barriers to this research, including disparate research methods and the absence of a common theoretical background. The present review connects neuroimaging and attachment theory within a novel social, cognitive and affective framework. We apply attachment theory to understand why we would expect cognitive representations of close others to be different from other social neural representations. Developing reliable markers of attachment is a critical step in mapping close other neural representations. We then examine existing neuroimaging literature on close other representations, highlighting the recruitment of neural systems supporting reward, motivation and distress alleviation, in addition to the mirror neuron system, default network and salience network. We then review the methodologies of past studies, revealing a diverse array of self-report measures assessing `closeness' and social cognitive tasks that, taken together, preclude meaningful synthesis of findings. Lastly, we discuss specific behavioral measures of attachment and closeness with recommendations for the field. This attachment framework integrates brain and behavioral sciences and unites theoretical principles with empirical methods to further our understanding of how the brain represents close others.

Attachment styles, social behavior, and personality functioning in romantic relationships

Personality disorders (PDs) are commonly associated with romantic relationship disturbance. However, research has seldom evaluated who people with high PD severity partner with, and what explains the link between PD severity and romantic relationship disturbance. First, we examined the degree to which people match with partners with similar levels of personality and interpersonal problems. Second, we evaluated whether the relationship between PD severity and romantic relationship satisfaction would be explained by attachment styles and demand/withdraw behavior. Couples selected for high PD severity (n = 130; 260 participants) engaged in a conflict task, were assessed for PDs and attachment using semi-structured interviews, and self-reported their relationship satisfaction. Dyad members were not similar in terms of PD severity but evidenced a small degree of similarity on specific attachment styles and were moderately similar on attachment insecurity and interpersonal problems. PD severity also moderated the degree to which one person's attachment anxiety was associated with their partner's attachment avoidance. In addition, using a dyadic analytic approach, we found attachment anxiety and actor and partner withdrawal explained some of the relationship between PD severity and relationship satisfaction. Our results indicate people often have romantic partners with similar levels of attachment disturbance and interpersonal problems and that attachment styles and related behavior explains some of the association between PD severity and relationship satisfaction. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).

Strained Bedfellows: An Actor-Partner Analysis of Spousal Attachment Insecurity and Sleep Quality

Background

The quality of interpersonal ties-especially closer relationships-appears to be associated with physical health outcomes. Sleep is one pathway through which relationships and health appear to be linked, but this has been inadequately investigated in the context of dyadic attachment.

Purpose

The present study examined links between relationship-specific attachment anxiety (which can involve preoccupation with one's partner, negative relationship cognitions, and fear of abandonment) and avoidance (e.g., low emotional investment or intimacy) and sleep quality.

Methods

Attachment, assessed using the Experience in Close Relationship (ECR), was used to predict Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Inventory (PSQI)-assessed sleep quality in 92 married heterosexual couples via actor-partner interdependence models. Depression was examined as a potential mediator of this association.

Results

Consistent with hypotheses, actors' anxious attachment predicted diminished quality of their own sleep, whereas actors' avoidant attachment was unrelated to their own sleep quality. Results further suggested that couples in which both spouses were higher in attachment anxiety experience better sleep quality (b = -0.74, SE = 0.28, p = .0082, 95% CI [-1.287, -0.196]). Conversely, couples in which both spouses were higher in attachment avoidance showed poorer sleep quality (b = 0.56, SE = 0.23, p = .0188, 95% CI [0.095, 1.016]). These effects were found to be independent of marital satisfaction and depression. Some evidence was also consistent with mediation of links between attachment and sleep quality via depression.

Conclusions

Results suggest adult romantic attachment and sleep are associated in complex ways, highlighting the importance of dyadic approaches to the study of relationships, sleep, and health.

Maternal attachment avoidance is linked to youth diurnal cortisol slopes in children with asthma

Prior evidence suggests that an individual's attachment orientation is linked to the health and health-related biology of his/her romantic relationship partners. The current study examined whether this effect extends to parent-child relationships. Specifically, we investigated the association between maternal attachment anxiety and avoidance and diurnal cortisol of offspring. In a sample of 138 youth with asthma and their primary caregivers, caregivers reported their attachment orientations, and their children (aged 10-17) supplied four saliva samples per day over four days to assess diurnal cortisol patterns. Growth curve analyses revealed no links to caregiver attachment anxiety, but caregiver attachment avoidance was significantly associated with children's diurnal cortisol slopes, such that greater attachment avoidance predicted flatter diurnal cortisol slopes. Maternal warmth did not mediate this link. These results support the possibility that an individual's adult attachment orientation may "get under the skin" of family members to influence their health-related biology. Future research should seek to determine the causal direction of this association and mechanisms of this effect.

Childhood family adversity and adult cortisol response: The role of observed marital conflict behavior

Childhood family adversity predicts adult interpersonal behavior and physiological responses to interpersonal stress. Additionally, negative marital behaviors (e.g., hostility and distress maintaining attributions) predict maladaptive stress responses and mental health problems, whereas positive marital behaviors (e.g., acceptance and relationship enhancing attributions) predict adaptive physiological and psychological outcomes. The present study examined potential marital behavior mediators and moderators of the link between childhood adversity and cortisol responses to conflict. In a sample of 218 different-sex newlywed couples, we examined (a) actors' marital conflict behaviors as candidate mediators of the link between childhood adversity and cortisol responses to marital conflict discussions, and (b) partners' marital conflict behaviors as candidate moderators of the relation between childhood adversity and cortisol responses to marital discussions. Path analysis using actor-partner interdependence modeling did not confirm mediation. Instead, wives' childhood family adversity directly predicted husbands' attenuated cortisol responses, and wives' negative behavior predicted wives' attenuated cortisol responses. As hypothesized, wives' negative behaviors moderated the association between husbands' childhood family adversity and husbands' cortisol in response to conflict; husbands showed higher cortisol if they had experienced greater family adversity and if their wives displayed more negative behavior. Results suggest that childhood family adversity may carry forward to shape adult cortisol responses to conflict and highlights the importance of wives' negative behavior for both husbands and wives. These findings add to the family psychology literature by further clarifying how the interaction of stressful childhood experiences and conflict behaviors in marriage are associated with adult physiological responses to conflict. (PsycINFO Database Record

Attachment, conflict and relationship quality: laboratory-based and clinical insights

Severe or persistent conflict is disturbing for romantic partners and can jeopardize the couple relationship, hence activating the attachment system. In this paper we integrate recent laboratory-based and clinical research into attachment processes and couple conflict. Three main tenets are addressed. First, attachment security and insecurity have pervasive effects in conflict situations, shaping perceptual, physiological and behavioral responses to conflict. Second, attachment insecurity and associated conflict behaviors tend to erode relationship quality. Third, attachment-related interventions are effective not only in reducing the maladaptive responses that lead to conflict escalation, but also in promoting security and emotional connection within the couple bond. These findings attest to the key role of attachment processes in conflict interactions, while offering a clear, theory-based framework for intervention.

Interpersonal mechanisms linking close relationships to health

Close relationships play a vital role in human health, but much remains to be learned about specific mechanisms of action and potential avenues for intervention. This article provides an evaluation of research on close relationships processes relevant to health, drawing on themes from major relationship science theories to present a broad conceptual framework for understanding the interpersonal processes and intrapersonal pathways linking relationships to health and disease outcomes. The analysis reveals that both social connection and social disconnection broadly shape biological responses and behaviors that are consequential for health. Furthermore, emerging work offers insights into the types of social dynamics that are most consequential for health, and the potential pathways through which they operate. Following from this analysis, the authors suggest several research priorities to facilitate the translation of discoveries from relationship science into relationship-based interventions and public health initiatives. These priorities include developing finer grained theoretical models to guide research, the systematic investigation of potential mediating pathways such as dyadic influences on health behavior and physiological coregulation, and taking into account individual differences and contextual factors such as attachment style, gender, socioeconomic status, and culture. In addition, a pressing need exists for laboratory and field research to determine which types of interventions are both practical and effective. (PsycINFO Database Record

Adult attachment and physical health

This article examines how individual differences in adult attachment shape regulatory strategies and relationship behaviors, which in turn influence health-related responses, behaviors, and outcomes. We review links between attachment and physiological responses to stress (e.g., hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis responses, cardiovascular responses, immune responses), health behavior (e.g., substance use, diet), and downstream health and disease outcomes. Recent evidence suggests that attachment insecurity (attachment anxiety and/or attachment avoidance) is associated with dysregulated physiological responses to stress, risky health behaviors, susceptibility to physical illness, and poorer disease outcomes. These associations depend, in part, on the relationship context, including the other partner's attachment style and behavior. We suggest that a dyadic approach considering both partners' attachment styles and behaviors will enhance interventions to promote health.

The Systemic Interaction of Attachment on Psychophysiological Arousal in Couple Conflict

Attachment in adult romantic relationships has long been linked to conflict styles. Psychophysiological measures have provided additional insight into this association by accessing less conscious and controlled responses to conflict. The aim of this study was to explore the relationship between attachment anxiety, attachment avoidance, and the interaction between attachment styles on skin conductance responses during conflict and recovery from conflict. Using dyadic analysis of 50 heterosexual couples, we found evidence of a systemic effect of attachment, where psychophysiological arousal increased when one partner had higher levels of attachment anxiety and the other partner had higher levels of attachment avoidance. Attachment avoidance was also negatively associated with increased levels of arousal. Relationship and clinical implications of these findings are discussed.

Structure and Measurement Invariance of Adult Romantic Attachment

Romantic attachment is a popular theory for explaining affect, cognition, and behavior in romantic contexts. This popularity has led to a surge of self-report measures assessing dimensions of attachment. In this study, we considered the ability of 2 common attachment measures, the Adult Attachment Questionnaire (AAQ) and the Experience in Close Relationships-Revised (ECR-R), to replicate the avoidant and anxious attachment factors. We also determined the degree of measurement invariance across, and mean differences between, genders and single and nonsingle individuals. Both the AAQ (N = 650) and the ECR-R (N = 1,271) successfully distinguished avoidant and attachment factors. The AAQ showed evidence for partial strong measurement invariance, whereas the ECR-R showed strict factorial invariance for both gender and relationship status. Gender differences were detected on both measures in a direction consistent with previous research, with males exhibiting higher levels of avoidant attachment (relative to females) and females exhibiting higher levels of anxious attachment (relative to males). Furthermore, when compared to individuals who were currently single, those in romantic relationships exhibited lower levels of avoidant tendencies. This research aligns with the notion that the AAQ and ECR-R reliably assess similar constructs, across genders and single and nonsingle individuals.

Communal Coping and Adjustment to Chronic Illness: Theory Update and Evidence

We present a theory of communal coping that describes an optimal pathway to patient adjustment among couples in which one person faces a chronic illness. Communal coping consists of a shared illness appraisal (i.e., person perceives illness as a joint rather than individual problem) and collaboration with a partner to manage the illness. We present a model of the communal coping process that links patient and partner shared illness appraisals to collaboration and a set of supportive interactions that might be reframed as collaboration in the presence of shared illness appraisals. We then outline a model that identifies potential antecedents of communal coping and mechanisms that link communal coping to patient illness adjustment (i.e., enhanced psychological well-being, improved health behaviors, better physical health) and partner psychological well-being. We review the empirical evidence for this model and conclude by identifying several moderator variables, noting potential limitations, and outlining future research directions.

What's interpersonal in interpersonal perception? The role of target's attachment in the accuracy of perception

OBJECTIVE

We examined the influence of attachment orientation on the accuracy of perception of negative affect in close relationships. We hypothesized that tracking accuracy of perceiving negative affect (a) would be lower among perceivers and targets with higher attachment avoidance and (b) would be lowest when both the target and perceiver were high on attachment avoidance. Tracking accuracy would be (c) higher among perceivers and targets with higher attachment anxiety and (d) highest when both the target and perceiver were high on attachment anxiety.

METHOD

We collected data from 92 couples who reported their negative affect and perception of their partner's negative affect in interactions with each other on 20 days.

RESULTS

Results supported the hypotheses for attachment avoidance and tracking accuracy. Tracking accuracy of perceived negative affect was low when the target was high on attachment avoidance; accuracy was lowest when both the target and the perceiver were high on attachment avoidance.

CONCLUSIONS

Lower "readability" of high avoidantly attached targets' emotions may inhibit intimacy and sensitive responding, which thereby may contribute to poor relationship outcomes.

Attachment predicts cortisol response and closeness in dyadic social interaction

The present study examined how the interplay of partners' attachment styles influences cortisol response, actual closeness, and desired closeness during friendship initiation. Participants provided salivary cortisol samples at four timepoints throughout either a high or low closeness task that facilitated high or low levels of self-disclosure with a potential friend (i.e., another same-sex participant). Levels of actual closeness and desired closeness following the task were measured via inclusion of other in the self. Results from multi-level modeling indicated that the interaction of both participants' attachment avoidance predicted cortisol response patterns, with participants showing the highest cortisol response when there was a mismatch between their own and their partners' attachment avoidance. Further, the interaction between both participants' attachment anxiety predicted actual closeness and desired closeness, with participants both feeling and wanting the most closeness with partners when both they and their partners were low in attachment anxiety.

The roles of testosterone and cortisol in friendship formation

Although research has investigated the neuroendocrine correlates of romantic relationships, the neuroendocrine correlates of friendship formation are largely unexplored. In two conditions, participants' salivary testosterone and cortisol were measured before and after a high versus low closeness activity with another same-sex participant. In the high closeness task, participants took turns answering questions that fostered increases in self-disclosure. The low closeness task fostered low levels of self-disclosure. Dyadic multilevel models indicated that lower basal testosterone and decreases in testosterone were associated with increased closeness between recently acquainted strangers. Our results suggest that people high in testosterone felt less close to others and desired less closeness. Further, lower basal cortisol and dynamic cortisol decreases were associated with greater closeness and desired closeness in the high closeness condition. Finally, we found that the partners of those who had lower cortisol desired more closeness. These findings suggest that lower testosterone and cortisol are linked to the facilitation of initial social bonds and that these social bonds may, in turn, be associated with changes in these hormones.

Early Pubertal Timing and Childhood Family Adversity Interact to Predict Newlywed Women's Anxiety Symptoms

The contextual amplification hypothesis posits that girls' early pubertal timing will predict anxiety and depression symptoms most strongly when early puberty occurs under adverse conditions. Research supporting this hypothesis has consistently linked early pubertal timing occurring in adverse contexts to symptoms during adolescence, but little is known about the link to adult symptoms. The present study examined the extent to which women's reports of early pubertal timing and childhood family adversity interact to predict symptoms of anxiety and depression during the first two years of marriage. Married women (N = 226) completed questionnaires within 7 months into their first marriage (Time 1) and approximately 19 months later (Time 2). Analyses indicated that at both Time 1 and 2, women's reports of earlier pubertal timing predicted anxiety symptoms only when women reported a history of greater childhood family adversity. Additional analyses indicated that the interaction of earlier pubertal timing and greater childhood family adversity predicted symptoms of traumatic intrusions and panic, but not social anxiety, at Time 1, and panic symptoms at Times 1 and 2. These findings expand our understanding of the relation of early pubertal timing to adult emotional health and the family conditions that moderate this relation.

Concurrent and prospective associations between HPA axis activity and depression symptoms in newlywed women

We investigated the extent to which individual differences in activity of the hypothalamic pituitary adrenal axis (HPA) are associated with depressive symptoms among newlywed couples. Participants were 218 couples (M age 28.4 years; 94% White) who provided 5 saliva samples (later assayed for cortisol and DHEA-S) before and after participation in a discussion of a major area of disagreement in their relationship. Depressive symptoms were assessed initially, and approximately 19- and 37-months later. Results revealed an interactive effect suggesting that concordant levels of cortisol and DHEA-S (either both high or both low) were concurrently and prospectively associated with higher depression scores. Interestingly, this interactive effect was observed for wives only - not for husbands. These observations underscore contemporary theoretical assumptions that the expression of the association between HPA activity and depression is dependent on factors related to the interaction between characteristics of the person and features of the social environment, and moderated by co-occurring variation in endocrine milieu.

The Relationship Between Attachment Styles and Lifestyle With Marital Satisfaction

Background

Marital satisfaction is one of the deepest and the most basic human pleasures and should be established within the family environment; if not, couples might suffer emotionally. Several factors are involved, including attachment and lifestyle.

Objectives

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between styles of attachment and lifestyle with marital satisfaction.

Materials and Methods

The population in this study included all of the Bandar Abbas oil refining (BAOR) company employees, for a total of 292 people (146 couples). They were selected by multistage random sampling. The enrich marital satisfaction scale was used to measure marital satisfaction, the Collins and read’s revised adult attachment scale (RAAS) for adult attachment to determine attachment style, and the life style questionnaire (LSQ) for lifestyle. This research was a descriptive-correlative one, and for the data analysis, we used Pearson’s correlation factor and multivariable regression.

Results

The results indicate that attachment style and lifestyle factors can predict marital satisfaction. There was also a meaningful negative relationship between insecure attachment avoidant and insecure attachment anxious-ambivalent styles and marital satisfaction. However, there was no meaningful relationship between secure attachment style and marital satisfaction.

Conclusions

The results showed that the early relationship within the family environment supports a certain attachment style and the effects of the avoidant insecure and ambivalent insecure styles affect the interpersonal relations of the couples in adulthood. The effect of attachment styles on interpersonal relations is far greater than that of lifestyle.

Longitudinal changes in spouses' HPA responses: Convergence in cortisol patterns during the early years of marriage

OBJECTIVE

Drawing on theories of bidirectional influence between relationship partners (Butler, 2011; Diamond & Aspinwall, 2003), the authors applied dyadic analytic methods to test convergence in cortisol patterns over time in newlywed couples.

METHOD

Previous studies of bidirectional influence in couples' cortisol levels (Liu, Rovine, Klein, & Almeida, 2013; Papp, Pendry, Simon, & Adam, 2013; Saxbe & Repetti, 2010) found significant covariation in couples' daily cortisol levels over several days, but no studies have tested whether cortisol response similarity increases over time using a longitudinal design. In the present study, 183 opposite sex couples (366 participants) engaged in a conflict discussion in a laboratory visit about 6 months after their marriage, and again about 2 years into the marriage. At each visit, spouses provided saliva samples that indexed cortisol levels before, during, and after the discussion. This multimeasure procedure enabled modeling of spouses' cortisol trajectories around the conflict discussion.

RESULTS

Findings showed significant convergence in couples' cortisol trajectories across the early years of marriage; couples showed significantly greater similarity in cortisol trajectories around the conflict discussion as their relationship matured. Cohabitation length predicted stronger convergence in cortisol slopes prior to the conflict discussion. Couples' relationship dissatisfaction was associated with a greater degree of convergence in spouses' acute cortisol levels during the conflict discussion.

CONCLUSIONS

Findings suggest that spouses increasingly shape each other's cortisol responses as their relationship matures. Findings also indicated that increased similarity in acute cortisol levels during conflict may be associated with poorer relationship functioning.

Attachment and Health-Related Physiological Stress Processes

People who are more securely attached to close partners show health benefits, but the mechanisms underlying this link are not well specified. We focus on physiological pathways that are potential mediators of the connection between attachment in childhood and adulthood and health and disease outcomes. Growing evidence indicates that attachment insecurity (vs. security) is associated with distinctive physiological responses to stress, including responses involving the HPA, SAM and immune systems, but these responses vary with type of stressor (e.g., social/nonsocial) and contextual factors (e.g., partner's attachment style). Taking this more nuanced perspective will be important for understanding the conditions under which attachment shapes health-related physiological processes as well as downstream health and disease consequences.

Do daughters really cause divorce? Stress, pregnancy, and family composition

Provocative studies have reported that in the United States, marriages producing firstborn daughters are more likely to divorce than those producing firstborn sons. The findings have been interpreted as contemporary evidence of fathers' son preference. Our study explores the potential role of another set of dynamics that may drive these patterns: namely, selection into live birth. Epidemiological evidence indicates that the characteristic female survival advantage may begin before birth. If stress accompanying unstable marriages has biological effects on fecundity, a female survival advantage could generate an association between stability and the sex composition of offspring. Combining regression and simulation techniques to analyze real-world data, we ask, How much of the observed association between sex of the firstborn child and risk of divorce could plausibly be accounted for by the joint effects of female survival advantage and reduced fecundity associated with unstable marriage? Using data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth (NLSY79), we find that relationship conflict predicts the sex of children born after conflict was measured; conflict also predicts subsequent divorce. Conservative specification of parameters linking pregnancy characteristics, selection into live birth, and divorce are sufficient to generate a selection-driven association between offspring sex and divorce, which is consequential in magnitude. Our findings illustrate the value of demographic accounting of processes which occur before birth-a period when many outcomes of central interest in the population sciences begin to take shape.

Congruence between spouses' perceptions and observers' ratings of responsiveness: the role of attachment avoidance

Although close relationships require partners to depend on one another for mutual responsiveness, avoidantly attached individuals are especially averse to risking such dependency. The authors propose that both avoidant and non-avoidant individuals perceive signs of their own and their partners' responsiveness in ways that reflect motivated perceptions of dependency. The present research examined how the interplay between spouses' attachment avoidance and observed responsive behaviors during marital conflict shaped perceptions of their own and their partners' responsiveness. Newlywed couples attempted to resolve a relationship conflict and then reported perceptions of their own and their partners' responsiveness during the conflict. Observers also coded both partners' responsive behaviors during the conflict. Avoidant spouses perceived themselves as less responsive, especially when observers rated them as more responsive; avoidant spouses also perceived their partners as less responsive. The discussion highlights the role of attachment in understanding links between responsiveness-related perceptions and behaviors.

Does Attachment Get Under the Skin? Adult Romantic Attachment and Cortisol Responses to Stress

Although many studies indicate that people in low quality relationships are less healthy, precisely how relationships influence health remains unclear. We focus on one physiological pathway that may provide clues to understanding the link between relationships and health: the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. Evidence indicates that attachment processes in adult romantic relationships are associated with HPA responses to stress (assessed via cortisol levels). Specifically, attachment insecurity predicts different cortisol patterns than does attachment security, especially when the stressor potentially threatens the relationship. Thus, attachment may get under the skin through biological responses to attachment-relevant stressors, but further work is needed to pinpoint the complete physiological and behavioral pathways through which attachment may influence health and disease outcomes.