Influence of Attachment Styles and Emotional Intelligence Interaction on Marital Satisfaction Among Married Couples

Abstract

Emotion, both positive and negative, is one of the markers of intimate relationships. Attachment theory is one of the primary conceptual frameworks for understanding emotion regulation. There is a well-established link in the literature between secure romantic attachment style and emotional intelligence (EI) in scientic studies. The underlying processes of this link among couples are notably less explored in the Indian context. As an attempt to bridge the gap, the present study analyzed the inuence of attachment styles and EI interplay on marital satisfaction among Indian couples. The study considered 304 respondents (152 females, 152 males, ranged from -25 to 65+ years old) with a marriage duration greater than three years. To assess participants attachment styles, EI, and marital satisfaction, Revised Adult Attachment Scale (RAAS; Collins, 1996), Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire (TEIQue; Petrides, 2009) and ENRICH Marital Satisfaction Scale (EMS; Fowers & Olson, 1993) were used respectively. Two-way ANOVA was used to analyse the data. The result revealed that there is a signicant interaction between attachment styles and global EI on marital satisfaction. Psychotherapists and counsellors in general, and couple therapists in particular, will benet from the current research. Considering the limitation of the study, further investigation is recommended.