Perceived Closeness to Multiple Social Connections and Attachment Style

Abstract

Throughout life people form multiple close connections. These connections play an important role, such as providing social and instrumental support. Despite this, relatively little is known about how and why closeness to multiple others changes over time. To fill this gap, we examined changes in perceived closeness to multiple social connections and used a well-studied relational individual difference—attachment style—to shed light on those changes. Multilevel analysis and different indexes revealed that attachment avoidance was associated with lower mean perceived closeness and greater fluctuations in perceived closeness over time. These associations were moderated by attachment anxiety, such that low levels of avoidance and anxiety (i.e., security) were associated with greater stability of perceived closeness. Our results demonstrate that perceived closeness in one’s social connections tend to change, even over relatively short periods of time, and individual differences such as attachment style are important correlates of these changes.

Daily Responsiveness, Expectations, and Self–disclosure: How the Average Levels and Within–person Variability of Three Relationship Components Mediate Personality–Relationship Transactions in Romantic Couples

“…The lack of direct effects stands in contrast to previous research linking interpersonal vulnerabilities to variability of emotion, cognition, and behaviour (e.g. Geukes, Nestler, Hutteman, Küfner, & Back, 2017; Lee & Gillath, 2016; Neff & Karney, 2009; Wei et al, 2005). Our findings, however, align with previous research indicating that variability itself may have little unique power to predict outcomes beyond the impact of average levels (Gerstorf et al, 2009).…”

“…Little research has been dedicated to examining variability of relationship components among individuals with anxious attachment, with the following exceptions: Individuals with anxious attachment have been found to be more emotionally reactive (Wei, Vogel, Ku, & Zakalik, 2005), and to be more variable in their relationship perceptions in general (Campbell et al, 2005) and their perceptions of closeness in relationships in particular (Lee & Gillath, 2016). Less is known about the link between anxious attachment and variability of behaviour.…”

“…Although lower variability among individuals with avoidant attachment might be expected because of their tendency to employ an emotional cut‐off strategy and to show less emotional involvement (J. A. Feeney & Karantzas, 2017; Mikulincer, Shaver, & Pereg, 2003; Wei et al, 2005), the two studies that have examined avoidant attachment and variability found the opposite: People with avoidant attachment experienced, on a week‐to‐week basis, higher variability of their felt closeness to important people in their lives (Lee & Gillath, 2016) and higher variability of their partners' commitment (Arriaga et al, 2006).…”

Daily Responsiveness, Expectations, and Self-Disclosure: How the Average Levels and Within-Person Variability of Three Relationship Components Mediate Personality–Relationship Transactions in Romantic Couples

“…Table 7. Direct actor and partner effects for socialization effects between relationship satisfaction, variability of relationship components (perceived responsiveness, positive expectations, and self-disclosure), and change in interpersonal vulnerabilities (neuroticism, low selfesteem, anxious attachment, and avoidant attachment) Geukes, Nestler, Hutteman, Küfner, & Back, 2017;Lee & Gillath, 2016;Neff & Karney, 2009;Wei et al, 2005). Our findings, however, align with previous research indicating that variability itself may have little unique power to predict outcomes beyond the impact of average levels (Gerstorf et al, 2009).…”

“…Little research has been dedicated to examining variability of relationship components among individuals with anxious attachment, with the following exceptions: Individuals with anxious attachment have been found to be more emotionally reactive (Wei, Vogel, Ku, & Zakalik, 2005), and to be more variable in their relationship perceptions in general (Campbell et al, 2005) and their perceptions of closeness in relationships in particular (Lee & Gillath, 2016). Less is known about the link between anxious attachment and variability of behaviour.…”