Do Partner Attachment Behaviors Moderate Avoidant Conflict-Resolution Styles and Relationship Self-Regulation?

Keywords

relationship, partners, conflict-resolution, marriage

Abstract

Relationship self-regulation refers to the “work” partners put in to keep their relationships healthy. Past relationship self-regulation research has not taken into account distal variables that may affect it, such as respondents’ own and parental avoidant couple conflict-resolution styles. Using data from 4,456 people in their first marriages who completed the RELATionship Evaluation (RELATE) (Busby, Holman, & Taniguchi, 2001), the current study found a positive correlation between parents’couple avoidant conflict-resolution style and respondents’ avoidant couple conflict-resolution style. Respondents’ avoidant couple conflict-resolution style was also negatively correlated with relationship self-regulation. Perception of partners’ secure attachment behaviors, however, had a significant strong relationship with respondents’ ability to do relationship self-regulation.

Original Publication Citation

Rackham, E. L., Larson, J. H., Willoughby, B. J., Sandberg, J. G., & Shafer, K. M. (2017). Do Partner Attachment Behaviors Moderate Avoidant Conflict-Resolution Styles and Relationship Self-Regulation?. The American Journal of Family Therapy, 45(4), 206-219.

Document Type

Peer-Reviewed Article

Publication Date

2017-07-20

Permanent URL

http://hdl.lib.byu.edu/1877/6999

Publisher

The American Journal of Family Therapy

Language

English

College

Family, Home, and Social Sciences

Department

Family Life

University Standing at Time of Publication

Full Professor

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