Relationship quality promotes the desire for closeness among distressed avoidantly attached individuals

Abstract

Individuals who experience attachment avoidance tend to desire less closeness in their romantic relationships than others, especially when experiencing distress. However, emerging research suggests that avoidant individuals value social closeness and are more comfortable with it when they perceive that seeking closeness is welcomed. Thus, this research examined the relationship characteristics that might predict avoidant individuals seeking more closeness than they would otherwise. We investigated whether perceiving their relationship to be high quality would predict avoidant individuals desiring more closeness when distressed. We hypothesized that avoidant individuals who perceived their relationship to be high quality would desire greater closeness with their partners when distressed—counteracting their tendency to eschew relational closeness. A study of dating couples supported this hypothesis.

Couple conflict: insights from an attachment perspective

“…Although both patterns are problematic, insecurity does not invariably preclude distance regulation. In a recent observational study of couple conflict [15], for example, the negative association between attachment avoidance and desired level of Severe or persistent couple conflict Activation of the attachment system Is the partner available and responsive?…”

Me After You

“…To this end, Study 3 examined an existing archival data set that followed dating college student couples for 6 months (see Slotter & Luchies, 2013, for additional use of this data set) with a focus on how these factors might influence individuals' self-concept clarity.…”

Attachment avoidance and amends-making: A case advocating the need for attempting to replicate one's own work

“…Unsurprisingly, then, higher attachment avoidance is often associated with negative relationship outcomes (e.g., Simpson, Rholes, & Neligan, 1992). Recent studies, however, have begun to uncover circumstances in which more avoidant persons desire intimacy and behave in a pro-relationship manner (e.g., Slotter & Luchies, 2014). Why might attachment avoidance be associated with deleterious relationship outcomes in some contexts, but more salutary outcomes in others?…”