Affective responses, cognitive appraisals, and conflict tactics in late adolescent romantic relationships: Associations with attachment orientations.

Abstract

Although research has linked late adolescent attachment difficulties with broad problems in romantic relationships, less work has focused on how these difficulties relate to precise problems in these relationships. In the current study, the authors examined associations between attachment orientations and coping with conflict in romantic relationships in a sample of college students (N = 357) by developing a path analytic model. Adolescents with more-insecure attachment orientations were predicted to report more negative affect during disagreements, less confidence in coping during arguments, and less optimal conflict tactics (e.g., more conflict escalation) than youth with more-secure representations. The predictions imbedded within the model were generally supported. Although more-avoidant and more-ambivalent adolescents reported less optimal conflict tactics than did more-secure adolescents, individual differences in the attachment process predicted differential affective-cognitive responses during these disputes. This study has implications for attachment research and interventions with adolescents.

Associations between working models of attachment and conflict management behavior in romantic couples.

“…Although this data presentation makes practical sense, there is available research suggesting that men and women may differ on the study variables. For example, several researchers have documented that women report more attachment-related anxiety in relationships (Creasey & Hesson-McInnis, 2001), whereas men are more likely to be dismissing (Hesse & van IJzendoorn, 1999). However, specific hypotheses regarding gender are withheld because of mixed findings yielded by previous research.…”

“…Researchers have documented that married couples who engage in corrosive management behaviors tinged with negative affect (e.g., contempt, belligerence) are more likely to divorce than couples who use more positive conflict management behavior (e.g., humor; Gottman, 1993Gottman, , 1994. Because conflict management behaviors exhibited in early dating relationships may predict the development of similar behavior in later romantic relationships (Creasey & Hesson-McInnis, 2001;Martin, 1990), intervening with individuals earlier in the romantic relationship process represents an exciting direction for prevention specialists.…”

“…Due to a high regard for themselves and others, and their ability to regulate negative emotions with attachment figures (Creasey & Hesson-McInnis, 2001;Kobak & Sceery, 1988), secure individuals would less likely display the types of negative behaviors (e.g., contempt, belligerence) that are routinely uncovered in distressed romantic relationships. Thus, dismissing and preoccupied individuals should display less optimal behavior during conflict negotiation than secure individuals.…”

Razlike U Percepciji Bračnog Kvaliteta Među Parovima Različitih Kombinacija Obrazaca Partnerske Afektivne Vezanosti

“…Istraživanja povezanosti različitih obrazaca partnerske afektivne vezanosti sa različitim emocionalnim, kognitivnim i bihevioralnim indikatorima bračnog kvaliteta dosledno identifikuju negativnu korelaciju nesigurnih obrazaca vezanosti i navedenih indikatora (Creasey & Hesson-McInnis, 2001;Tran & Simpson, 2009). Nalazi ukazuju da su nesigurni obrasci povezani sa disfunkcionalnim emocionalnim reakcijama (Marganska, Gallagher, & Miranda, 2013;Mikulincer & Shaver, 2010); maladaptivnim emocionalnim, kognitivnim i bihevioralnim strategijama za razrešavanje konflikata Saavedra, Chapman, & Rogge, 2010); niskim nivoima stabilnosti veze i zadovoljstva partnerskim odnosom (Feeney, 2008;Mikulincer & Shaver, 2006); niskim zadovoljstvom seksualnim odnosima (Davis, Shaver, & Vernon, 2004;Mikulincer, Shaver, & Pereg, 2003), niskim bračnim zadovoljstvom i padom bračnog kvaliteta tokom vremena (Kohn et al, 2012).…”

“…Creasey & Hesson-McInnis, 2001;Tran & Simpson, 2009), te pozitivnih emocija tokom seksualnih aktivnosti, pozitivnih seksualnih iskustava, zadovoljstva svojim seksualnim odnosima (Shaver & Mikulincer, 2007;Shaver, Hazan, & Bradshaw, 1988) i učestalosti obostrano iniciranog seksualnog odnosa (Brennan & Shaver, 1995;Feeney, Noller, & Patty, 1993); a negativne korelacije nesigurnih obrazaca afektivne vezanosti sa ovim indikatorima; pretpostavlja se da će osobe sa sigurnim obrascem partnerske afektivne vezanosti imati više skorove na dimenzijama Zadovoljstvo, Afektivno-seksualna usaglašenost i Kohezivnost, u odnosu na nesigurno vezane. U odnosu na prethodna istraživanja u kojima su nesigurni obrasci afektivne vezanosti dovođeni u vezu sa neslaganjem u donošenju odluka o važnim pitanjima i negativnom interpretacijom partnerovog ponašanja (Collins, Ford, Guichard, & Allard, 2006;Pereg & Mikulincer, 2004), u jednoj meta-studiji (Li & Chan, 2012) se izvodi zaključak da ova tendencija može postojati i kod sigurno i kod nesigurno vezanih partnera, te očekujemo izostanak razlika na dimenziji Konsenzus između sigurno i nesigurno vezanih osoba.…”