Attachment styles and mate-retention: Exploring the mediating role of relationship satisfaction.

Abstract

Attachment styles and mate-retention: Exploring the mediating role of relationship satisfaction Abstract. This study investigated whether relationship satisfaction mediates the association between attachment styles and mate-retention strategies. Four-hundred and twenty individuals in a heterosexual committed relationship participated in this study (79.7% women; Mage = 23.22; SDage = 8.07). Participants completed questionnaires assessing attachment styles, relationship satisfaction, and mate-retention strategies. The results replicated previous findings by showing that insecure attachment is positively associated with benefit-provisioning and cost-inflicting mate-retention strategies and extended previous research by showing that relationship satisfaction mediates these associations. The present findings confirm evolutionary predictions on romantic relationships that relationship satisfaction may serve as a monitor determining how individuals act to preserve their relationships. Keywords: mate retention, attachment styles, relationship satisfaction. Public Significance Statement. This study found that, although individuals who are insecurely attached tend to feel unhappy with their relationship, they still attempt to retain their partners. However, insecurely attached individuals do this by using negative strategies, while minimising the display of positive ones. These findings suggest that reducing attachment anxiety and avoidance could increase relationship satisfaction and as a result, prevent the use of negative strategies in the relationship. Introduction