Abstract
The purpose of this study was to examine the possible mediating effect of self-esteem on the relationship between attachment security and relationship quality. Previous studies have found a positive association between attachment style and relationship quality. One possible explanation for this link may be self-esteem, which has been shown to consistently predict relationship quality. Therefore, I hypothesized that self-esteem may mediate the relationship between attachment and relationship quality. A sample of 680 married couples that completed the sections on attachment, self-esteem, marital satisfaction, marital stability, and problem areas in the relationship of the RELATE questionnaire between 2011 and 2013 was used. The data were analyzed using an Actor-Partner Interdependence Model (APIM) to help account for shared variance. Results found that there is a positive link between one's attachment and their level of self-esteem and their own relationship quality. However, results also found negative trend-level effects for the links between attachment and partner's level of self-esteem and self-esteem and own relationship quality. There was no mediating effect of self-esteem on the relationship between attachment and relationship quality.
Degree
MS
College and Department
Family, Home, and Social Sciences; Marriage and Family Therapy
Rights
http://lib.byu.edu/about/copyright/
BYU ScholarsArchive Citation
Lee, Alexis, "Does Self-Esteem Mediate the Effect of Attachment on Relationship Quality" (2016). Theses and Dissertations. 6420.
https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/etd/6420
Date Submitted
2016-07-01
Document Type
Thesis
Handle
http://hdl.lib.byu.edu/1877/etd8784
Keywords
attachment style, internal working models, couple relationships, relationship quality, self-esteem
Language
english