Submission Title
Submission Type
Poster
Start Date
April 2020
Abstract
Researchers studying adult attachment have linked insecure attachment styles to various relationship challenges across relationship contexts, including friendships and romantic relationships. We examined the mediating role of emotion dysregulation and negative affect in the relationship between insecure attachment and various relationship outcomes. Participants completed a survey assessing attachment style, emotional dysregulation, experiences with anger & jealousy, interpersonal problems, friendship intimacy and satisfaction, and romantic relationship maintenance behaviors. Correlations revealed that greater avoidant and anxious attachment were associated with increases in all emotional dysregulation issues, more anger, greater interpersonal problems, and lower friendship satisfaction. Only avoidance predicted fewer relationship maintenance behaviors and lower friendship intimacy; only anxiety predicted greater jealousy. Results indicated that the low emotional clarity and limited access to emotions partially explained the relationship between both attachment styles and interpersonal problems. Regarding friendships, we found that low emotional awareness and difficulty with impulse control partially explained the relationship between anxious attachment and friendship satisfaction. For avoidant attachment, difficulty with impulse control and low friendship intimacy partially explained why avoidants had less friendship satisfaction. None of the emotion dysregulation issues explained why avoidant attachment was associated with lower romantic relationship maintenance.
Recommended Citation
Chen, XiaoJun; Colón, Xiara; and Barrow, Chalyne, "129— Attachment and Emotion Dysregulation as Predictors of Interpersonal Problems, Friendship Satisfaction, and Romantic Relationship Maintenance" (2020). GREAT Day Posters. 70.
https://knightscholar.geneseo.edu/great-day-symposium/great-day-2020/posters-2020/70
Included in
129— Attachment and Emotion Dysregulation as Predictors of Interpersonal Problems, Friendship Satisfaction, and Romantic Relationship Maintenance
Researchers studying adult attachment have linked insecure attachment styles to various relationship challenges across relationship contexts, including friendships and romantic relationships. We examined the mediating role of emotion dysregulation and negative affect in the relationship between insecure attachment and various relationship outcomes. Participants completed a survey assessing attachment style, emotional dysregulation, experiences with anger & jealousy, interpersonal problems, friendship intimacy and satisfaction, and romantic relationship maintenance behaviors. Correlations revealed that greater avoidant and anxious attachment were associated with increases in all emotional dysregulation issues, more anger, greater interpersonal problems, and lower friendship satisfaction. Only avoidance predicted fewer relationship maintenance behaviors and lower friendship intimacy; only anxiety predicted greater jealousy. Results indicated that the low emotional clarity and limited access to emotions partially explained the relationship between both attachment styles and interpersonal problems. Regarding friendships, we found that low emotional awareness and difficulty with impulse control partially explained the relationship between anxious attachment and friendship satisfaction. For avoidant attachment, difficulty with impulse control and low friendship intimacy partially explained why avoidants had less friendship satisfaction. None of the emotion dysregulation issues explained why avoidant attachment was associated with lower romantic relationship maintenance.
Comments
Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Monica Schneider, Professor of Psychology
Poster was scheduled to be presented at the 32nd Association of Psychological Science Annual Convention