Insecure Attachment, Emotion Dysregulation, and Psychological Aggression in Couples

Testing the Associations Between Attachment Anxiety, Relational Aggression and Depressive Symptoms in Romantic Relationships: Actor-Partner Interdependence Model and Actor-Partner Interdependence Mediator Model

Emerging adulthood is a pivotal period for romantic relationships, yet the specific mechanisms through which attachment anxiety influences relationship dynamics and psychological outcomes in this phase are poorly understood. Particularly, in the context of romantic dyads, understanding how partners' behaviors and emotional patterns reciprocally influence each other remains underexplored. This study utilizes the Actor-Partner Interdependence Model and Actor-Partner Interdependence Mediator Model to explore the relationship between attachment anxiety,relational aggression (both perpetration and victimization), and depressive symptoms among emerging adults. A sample of 138 mixed-sex emerging adulthood couples from China, was recruited (Mage = 21.40, SD = 2.54; 50% female, 62.6% reporting that this relationship was ongoing for more than a year). Attachment anxiety significantly predicted relational aggression in both partners, with male attachment anxiety also significantly predicted female relational aggression. Significant indirect effects of both partners' relational aggression perpetration and victimization on their own and each other's relationship between attachment anxiety and depressive symptoms. These findings contribute to understanding the intricate dynamics of attachment anxiety and relational aggression in romantic relationships during emerging adulthood, emphasizing the need for targeted interventions to mitigate these risks.

Brain oscillations during emotion regulation and the two-dimensional model of adult attachment

Emotion Regulation (ER) refers to the processes by which individuals influence their own emotions. It is a crucial aspect of human behavior, affecting everything from interpersonal relationships to mental health. The relationship between ER and Attachment Theory (AT) is pivotal. AT suggests that early bonds with primary caregivers influence future relationship expectations and behaviors. These initial experiences shape internal models of self and others, affecting how individuals regulate their emotions. Understanding the interplay between ER and AT is essential for comprehending the human affective system. In this study, we explored the neural underpinnings of ER, focusing on two distinct strategies: cognitive reappraisal and expressive suppression. Using electroencephalography (EEG), we examined changes in neural oscillations from 52 adults during an ER task. Specifically, we observed increased frontal theta activity (3-6 Hz) during reappraisal compared to suppression strategies. This frontal theta activity suggests enhanced cognitive control engagement. Conversely, during suppression, we noted a decrease in beta frequency (15-30 Hz) activity from central electrodes, indicative of differing neural processes. Further integrating psychological theories, we explored the relationship between these neural markers and dimensions of human attachment. Employing the Experiences in Close Relationships-12 scale (ECR-12), we identified a negative correlation between attachment anxiety and frontal theta activity. Lower levels of attachment anxiety were associated with increased theta activity, reflecting potentially more effective emotion regulation. Additionally, we found that higher theta activity corresponded with fewer difficulties in emotional control measured by the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS). Regarding central beta activity, our findings revealed an interesting correlation with Emotional Inattention, a concept tied to Attachment Avoidance. This suggests that central beta activity may serve as a neural marker for specific attachment-related ER processing. These results highlight the distinct neural pathways involved in different ER strategies and their relationship with the AT and neural responses during emotional processing.

A Serial Mediation Model of Insecure Attachment and Psychological Distress: The Role of Dispositional Shame and Shame-Coping Styles

Shame is an intense, difficult to regulate, self-conscious emotion that predicts aspects of poor psychological functioning and is also strongly related to early relationships. Attachment insecurities, which constitute non-specific risk factors for psychological maladjustment, have been associated with an individual's tendency to experience shame. In this study, we sought to examine the serial mediating roles of dispositional shame and shame-coping styles (i.e., attack other, attack self, withdrawal and avoidance) in the association between anxious and avoidant attachment, and psychological distress. Using a cross-sectional design, self-reported data were collected. The study sample included 978 respondents (57% female) with a mean age of 32.17 ± 13.48 years. The results of the path analysis indicated that both attachment dimensions were sequentially associated with dispositional shame and then with the attack self shame-coping style, which was, in turn, positively related to psychological distress. Further, attachment insecurities were sequentially associated with dispositional shame and then with the avoidance shame-coping style, which was, in turn, negatively related to psychological distress. The model was gender invariant, suggesting that the serial mediation worked in a similar way for men and women. The practical implications of these findings are discussed.

Alexithymia and Insecure Attachment among Male Intimate Partner Violence Aggressors in the Dominican Republic

The complexity of intimate partner violence and the impossibility of understanding it from single factors have been studied from different biological, psychological, and socio-cultural factors. A cross-sectional study was conducted on 187 men involved in legal proceedings for problems of violence in their intimate partner relationships in the Dominican Republic in order to explore whether insecure attachment represents a risk factor for alexithymia in men with violent behaviors. The attachment style was determinate by the Casullo and Fernández-Liporace Attachment Styles Scale, and alexithymia was assayed using the Latin American Consensual Toronto Alexithymia Scale (LAC TAS-20), a modification of the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20). Chi-square test and multiple binary logistic regression analysis were performed to explore the phenomena of alexithymia and attachment styles in the context of a confinement center for male intimate partner offenders in the Dominican Republic. The results showed that insecure attachment represents a risk factor for alexithymia, being highest for avoidant attachment in the population studied. The results also highlight the influence of other factors such as education and maternal–familial relationships as a factor risk for alexithymia.