RESUMEN
Attachment is an important predictor of relationship satisfaction and attachment insecurities are a risk factor for couples under stress. Drawing from the Vulnerability-Stress-Adaptation model, we investigated whether dyadic coping strategies (DCS) would explain the links between attachment insecurities and relationship satisfaction in 97 couples involved in medically assisted reproduction (MAR). Path analyses revealed that for women and men, attachment insecurities (anxiety, avoidance) were associated with their own lower relationship satisfaction through their lower use of positive DCS. Attachment avoidance was also associated with participants' own lower relationship satisfaction through their own lower use of negative DCS. Men's attachment avoidance was also related to their partner's lower relationship satisfaction via their own and their partner's lower use of positive DCS. The findings suggest that promoting the use of positive DCS may be important to preserve relationship satisfaction in couples involved in MAR.
Asunto(s)
Adaptación Psicológica , Ansiedad , Masculino , Humanos , Femenino , Trastornos de Ansiedad , Satisfacción Personal , Reproducción , Parejas Sexuales , Relaciones InterpersonalesRESUMEN
Attachment theory postulates that three behavioral systems-attachment, caregiving, and sex-are essential for optimal relationship functioning in couples. We examined the contribution of attachment insecurities, perceived partner support, and sexual satisfaction to relational instability in 274 couples seeking relationship therapy. The results underscore the importance of all three systems for relationship stability, showing that for both men and women, avoidance of intimacy, low perceived partner support, and low sexual satisfaction were significant and concurrent predictors of relational instability. As such, intervening on factors associated with all three behavioral systems might help reduce relationship instability in couples experiencing relationship distress.
