How attachment and excessive self-sacrificing depressive dynamics are related to couple relationship satisfaction over time.

Abstract

In this longitudinal study, we examined within a dyadic perspective how romantic attachment and depressive-masochistic personality (DMP) predicted initial and long-term relationship satisfaction 1 year and 3 years after initial testing through direct and interaction effects. A sample of 299 couples completed romantic attachment, personality organization, and relationship satisfaction questionnaires. For both women and men, initial satisfaction was directly predicted by self-reported attachment representations (anxiety and avoidance) and DMP traits. In addition to these actor effects, three direct partner effects were observed: women's couple satisfaction was associated with men's avoidance whereas in men, couple satisfaction was predicted by women's avoidance and DMP traits. On the other hand, only women's DMP was directly related to men's long-term satisfaction. Several interaction effects were found in predicting long-term satisfaction mainly as a function of women's DMP. When women presented elevated DMP traits, the negative relation between attachment avoidance and long-term satisfaction was eliminated and attachment anxiety became positively related to women's long-term satisfaction. Attachment representations appear to have a different and more complex relation with long-term couple satisfaction when considering its interactions with pathological personality traits.

Mentalization, specific attachment, and relational satisfaction from the intrapsychic and interpersonal perspectives

“…In the case of both women and men, higher levels of attachment anxiety and avoidance turned out to be predictors of a lower level of satisfaction in relationship. The obtained results remain in accord with the results of previous research (e.g., Naud, Lussier, Sabourin, Normandin, Clarkin, & Kernberg, 2013;Saavedra et al, 2010) and fit into the whole collection of studies confirming the importance of internal representations to present interpersonal relations.…”

Reflective Functioning and Personality Organization: Associations With Negative Maternal Behaviors

“…Personality organization (PO; Clarkin, Lenzenweger, Yeomans, Levy, & Kernberg, 2007) involving mental processes, including identity, defensive processes, and reality testing, also has been shown to have implications for interpersonal behavior (Naud et al, 2013;Verreault, Sabourin, Lussier, Normandin, & Clarkin, 2013). However, PO remains underresearched in the field of mother-infant interaction.…”

The facets of identity: Personality pathology assessment through the Inventory of Personality Organization.

“…Yun, Stern, Lenzenweger, and Tiersky (2013) used the IPO as external validity measure for a PD taxonomy based on paranoid, aggressive, and antisocial features. Other IPO applications include the evaluation of couple dynamics (Verreault et al, 2013; Naud et al, 2013), intimate partner violence (Maneta, Cohen, Schulz, & Waldinger, 2013), and associations between mothers’ personality structure and children’s attachment and externalizing behaviors (Goodman, Bartlett, & Stroh, 2013).…”