An Empirical Test of a Model of the Impact of Attachment Style on Depressive Symptoms, Conflict Resolution, and Marital Quality

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

An Empirical Test of a Model of the Impact of Attachment Style on Depressive Symptoms, Conflict Resolution, and Marital Quality AN EMPIRICAL TEST OF A MODEL OF THE IMPACT OF ATTACHMENT STYLE ON DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS, CONFLICT RESOLUTION, AND MARITAL QUALITY DISSERTATION Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy in the Graduate School of The Ohio State University By Matthew D. Dawson, M.S. * * * * * The Ohio State University 2001 Dissertation Committee: Approved by Professor Julianne M. Serovich, Advisor Professor Ellen Hock ________________________ Advisor Professor James Lantz Human Ecology ABSTRACT Attachment theory has been used to explain various phenomena in adult relationships. It has been found to influence conflict resolution style, depressive symptoms, and marital quality. Many studies have explored the relationships between these variables. Most of these studies look at these variables in isolation. The present study represents the first attempt to empirically validate a model of the combined relationship of attachment on depressive symptoms, conflict resolution style, and marital quality using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). Data from 65 married couples were used to test the fit of the model to the data. A moderate fit was found, and results from previous studies were supported. Implications for clinicians and future research are discussed. ii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I would like to acknowledge and express appreciation to my adviser, Julianne Serovich, Ph.D., for her constant support throughout my doctoral program, especially during this process. She has been an encouraging mentor who has taught me much both in and out of the classroom. I am very grateful for her encouragement, prodding, and guidance throughout this project and helping me find direction in the therapy room. I would also like to acknowledge the thoughtful contributions and support of my dissertation committee members including: Ellen Hock, Ph.D., and James Lantz, Ph.D. In addition, I would like to thank all of the couples who agreed to participate in this study. Finally, I would like to thank my family, especially my wife, who has helped keep me on track throughout. Her strength and encouragement made it easier for me to find new direction when things seemed to be falling apart with this project. She has been and continues to be an inspiration to me. iii VITA 1993…………………………………………Bachelor of Arts: Psychology Yale University New Haven, CT USA 1997…………………………………………Master of Science: Human Development and Family Science University of Georgia Athens, GA USA March 4, 2000……………………………….Granted Doctoral Candidacy The Ohio State University Columbus, OH USA 1997-2001…………………………………...Graduate Research Assistant The Ohio State University Columbus, OH USA 2001-2002…………………………………...Family Systems and Health Fellow Chicago Center for Family Health Chicago, IL USA PUBLICATIONS Dawson, M., & Brucker, P. S. (2001). The utility of the Delphi Method in MFT research. American Journal of Family Therapy, 29, 125 – 140. FIELDS OF STUDY Major Field: Human Ecology Human Development and Family Science Graduate Program Cognate: Program Evaluation and Development Education Policy and Leadership v TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT........................................................................................................................ ii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS .................................................................................................iii VITA................................................................................................................................... v LIST OF TABLES...........................................................................................................viii LIST OF FIGURES ........................................................................................................... ix CHAPTER 1 .......................................................................................................................1 INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................................... 1 Historical Context of Attachment Theory................................................................... 2 Attachment “Styles”................................................................................................ 3 Research on Adult Relationships................................................................................ 5 Research Objectives and Hypotheses ......................................................................... 8 Objective 1.............................................................................................................. 8 Objective 2.............................................................................................................. 9 Objective 3.............................................................................................................. 9 CHAPTER 2 ..................................................................................................................... 11 LITERATURE REVIEW ............................................................................................. 11 Attachment Theory ................................................................................................... 11 Overall Concepts................................................................................................... 11 Internal Working Models (IWM)...................................................................... 14 Attachment styles.............................................................................................. 20 Measurement issues .......................................................................................... 22 Secure adult attachment .................................................................................... 27 Insecure Attachment Styles............................................................................... 28 Preoccupied................................................................................................... 29 Fearful........................................................................................................... 30 Dismissing..................................................................................................... 30 Adult attachment vs. Infant Attachment ............................................................... 31 Adult Relationships and Attachment theory......................................................... 32 Attachment and marital quality............................................................................. 34 Attachment and conflict resolution....................................................................... 37 Attachment and depressive symptoms.................................................................. 40 Rationale for the present study ................................................................................. 41 Presentation of the model.......................................................................................... 42 METHODS ................................................................................................................... 45 Procedures................................................................................................................. 45 Participants............................................................................................................ 46 Instruments............................................................................................................ 46 Data Analysis of Specific Research Objectives........................................................ 50 vi Research Objective 1 ............................................................................................ 50 Research Objective 2 ............................................................................................ 51 Research Objective 3 ............................................................................................ 51 CHAPTER 4 ..................................................................................................................... 53 RESULTS ..................................................................................................................... 53 Data Analysis of Specific Research Question and Hypotheses................................ 53 Objective 1............................................................................................................ 53 Objective 2............................................................................................................ 58 Objective 3............................................................................................................ 61 CHAPTER 5 ..................................................................................................................... 69 DISCUSSION............................................................................................................... 69 Summary and integration of results .......................................................................... 69 Objective 1............................................................................................................ 70 Objective 2............................................................................................................ 72 Objective 3............................................................................................................ 74 Implications of findings ............................................................................................ 76 Theoretical implications.......................................................................................
Recommended publications
  • Preliminary Questionnaire and Petition
    Revised August 2019 OFFICE OF THE TRIBUNAL Phone (843) 261-0450 Diocese of Charleston 901 Orange Grove Road Charleston, SC 29407 INSTRUCTIONS FOR PRELIMINARY QUESTIONNAIRE AND PETITION Please note that altered templates of this form will be rejected and returned 1) The “Preliminary Questionnaire” is intended to help you, the petitioner, to present pertinent information to the Tribunal. The information you provide will be used to determine if there is a canonical basis for a case. The questions are formulated to reveal possible canonical grounds against the presumed validity of your marriage. The information you provide, therefore, is critically important for the determination of whether or not the Tribunal can consider your case. 2) If information about sexual or physical abuse of a child who is currently a minor is revealed in your testimony, you must provide written proof that this abuse has been reported to the proper authorities. In accord with civil law, no confidentiality can be given for any sexual or physical abuse of someone who is currently a minor. Cases revealing sexual or physical abuse of someone who is not currently a minor will be examined on an individual basis and may have to be discussed with you prior to moving forward depending on several factors. 3) If your case is accepted and it is a formal case, your former spouse, the Respondent, has the legal right to see the testimony and evidence that has been presented as proof of nullity. 4) All questions concerning the Respondent must be answered in full. Blank responses will not be accepted, please use “not applicable” or “unknown” as necessary.
    [Show full text]
  • Family Finding Evaluations: a Summary of Recent Findings APPENDIX Appendix A
    Family Finding Evaluations: A Summary of Recent Findings APPENDIX Appendix A. Study overviews Ns Grant/funding Target population (for outcome Staffing Study Study ST Grantee Program Model Intervention goal Evaluator Design (T=treatment, Notes structure evaluation) structure enrollment end date C=control) • Establish meaningful, permanent Family Finding New to care and in care. Children Children’s Family Connection connections with relatives/kin who can Program for WI new to care or in care beyond 09/30/09‐ WI Services Society Discretionary Grant: Specialized. Kevin Campbell provide emotional and legal permanency Child Trends RCT T=83, C=92 9/29/2012 Youth in Out‐of‐ ASFA guidelines in Milwaukee 03/31/12 of Wisconsin Family Finding • Improve child safety, permanency and well‐ Home Care County (urban) being FF coaches were randomly • Help case managers integrate FF into daily assigned to casework units, practice Hillsborough Kids Central: Family Connection J.K. Elder and rather than children being Families for New to care and in care. All youth Other. Coaching • Improve youth connections with adult T=308, C=246 10/1/2009‐ 9/2012 FL Kids Central Discretionary Grant: Kevin Campbell Assoc., with RCT randomly assigned. T and C Florida’s Children in foster care in 6 counties. for caseworker relatives/kin Kids Central 12/31/2011 Hillsborough: Family Finding Child Trends groups all received FF; • Achieve permanency more quickly T=88, C=30 4/2012 evaluation tested the • Improve safety and well‐being outcomes assignment of a FF coach. • Identify and engage connections upon foster care (re‐)entry New to care and in care.
    [Show full text]
  • The Love Triangle: Reasons Romantic Relationships Don't Work and How to Attain a Relationship That Does Mary Beth Navo Regis University
    Regis University ePublications at Regis University All Regis University Theses Spring 2012 The Love Triangle: Reasons Romantic Relationships Don'T Work and How to Attain a Relationship that Does Mary Beth Navo Regis University Follow this and additional works at: https://epublications.regis.edu/theses Part of the Arts and Humanities Commons Recommended Citation Navo, Mary Beth, "The Love Triangle: Reasons Romantic Relationships Don'T Work and How to Attain a Relationship that Does" (2012). All Regis University Theses. 576. https://epublications.regis.edu/theses/576 This Thesis - Open Access is brought to you for free and open access by ePublications at Regis University. It has been accepted for inclusion in All Regis University Theses by an authorized administrator of ePublications at Regis University. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Regis University Regis College Honors Theses Disclaimer Use of the materials available in the Regis University Thesis Collection (“Collection”) is limited and restricted to those users who agree to comply with the following terms of use. Regis University reserves the right to deny access to the Collection to any person who violates these terms of use or who seeks to or does alter, avoid or supersede the functional conditions, restrictions and limitations of the Collection. The site may be used only for lawful purposes. The user is solely responsible for knowing and adhering to any and all applicable laws, rules, and regulations relating or pertaining to use of the Collection. All content in this Collection is owned by and subject to the exclusive control of Regis University and the authors of the materials.
    [Show full text]
  • Redalyc. Attachment Style and Adjustment to Divorce
    Scientific Information System Network of Scientific Journals from Latin America, the Caribbean, Spain and Portugal Sagrario Yárnoz-Yaben Attachment Style and Adjustment to Divorce The Spanish Journal of Psychology, vol. 13, núm. 1, mayo, 2010, pp. 210-219, Universidad Complutense de Madrid España Available in: http://www.redalyc.org/articulo.oa?id=17213039016 The Spanish Journal of Psychology, ISSN (Printed Version): 1138-7416 [email protected] Universidad Complutense de Madrid España How to cite Complete issue More information about this article Journal's homepage www.redalyc.org Non-Profit Academic Project, developed under the Open Acces Initiative The Spanish Journal of Psychology Copyright 2010 by The Spanish Journal of Psychology 2010, Vol. 13 No. 1, 210-219 ISSN 1138-7416 Attachment Style and Adjustment to Divorce Sagrario Yárnoz-Yaben Universidad del País Vasco (Spain) Divorce is becoming increasingly widespread in Europe. In this study, I present an analysis of the role played by attachment style (secure, dismissing, preoccupied and fearful, plus the dimensions of anxiety and avoidance) in the adaptation to divorce. Participants comprised divorced parents (N = 40) from a medium- sized city in the Basque Country. The results reveal a lower proportion of people with secure attachment in the sample group of divorcees. Attachment style and dependence (emotional and instrumental) are closely related. I have also found associations between measures that showed a poor adjustment to divorce and the preoccupied and fearful attachment styles. Adjustment is related to a dismissing attachment style and to the avoidance dimension. Multiple regression analysis confirmed that secure attachment and the avoidance dimension predict adjustment to divorce and positive affectivity while preoccupied attachment and the anxiety dimension predicted negative affectivity.
    [Show full text]
  • 1 Attachment Processes in Adult Romantic Relationships Paula R
    ATTACHMENT IN ADULT RELATIONSHIPS 1 Attachment Processes in Adult Romantic Relationships Paula R. Pietromonaco and Lindsey A. Beck University of Massachusetts, Amherst CORRESPONDING AUTHOR: Paula R. Pietromonaco Department of Psychology 135 Hicks Way, Tobin Hall University of Massachusetts, Amherst Amherst, MA 01003 Phone: 413-545-3156 Email: [email protected] AUTHOR NOTE Preparation of this chapter was facilitated by a grant from the National Cancer Institute (R01 CA133908) to Paula Pietromonaco. Chapter to appear in J. A. Simpson & J. Dovidio (Eds.) Handbook of interpersonal relations and group processes.Washington, DC: American Psychological Association. ATTACHMENT IN ADULT RELATIONSHIPS 2 Abstract This chapter begins with an overview of attachment theory, including the main tenets of Bowlby’s original theory as well as later extensions to adult romantic relationships. It provides an updated theoretical statement that incorporates Bowlby’s original theory and Hazan and Shaver’s (1987) provocative extension to adult romantic relationships as well as additional theoretical revisions from over two decades of theoretical development and empirical findings. We review and evaluate research following from attachment theory that has demonstrated that attachment shapes (a) how people experience and regulate emotion, (b) how they think about their romantic relationships, (c) their motives and goals in those relationships, (d) how they behave and interact with their partners (e.g., how they provide and seek support), and (e) how they initiate and maintain relationships and respond to relationship dissolution or loss. Finally, we discuss several emerging themes and promising directions for future research, including expanding on a person-in-context approach to attachment processes, investigating how partners may promote change or stability in each other’s attachment representations, exploring interactions between attachment and temperament or personality, and examining the implications of attachment for both partners’ health-related processes and outcomes.
    [Show full text]
  • Attachment, Locus of Control, and Romantic Intimacy in Adult
    ATTACHMENT, LOCUS OF CONTROL, AND ROMANTIC INTIMACY IN ADULT CHILDREN OF ALCOHOLICS: A CORRELATIONAL INVESTIGATION by Raffaela Peter A Dissertation Submitted to the Faculty of The College of Education in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Florida Atlantic University Boca Raton, Florida December 2012 Copyright Raffaela Peter 2012 ii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I would like to thank my family members and friends for their continuous support and understanding during this process of self-exploration which oftentimes called for sacrifices on their part. Not to be forgotten is the presence of a very special family member, Mr. Kitty, who silently and patiently witnessed all colors and shapes of my affective rainbow. Val Santiago Stanley has shown nothing but pure, altruistic friendship for which I will be forever grateful. The appreciation is extended to Val’s Goddesses Club and its members who passionately give to others in the community. Many thanks go out to Jackie and Julianne who, with true owl spirit and equipped with appropriate memorabilia, lent an open ear and heart at all times. Thank you to my committee who provided me with guidance and knowledge throughout my journey at Florida Atlantic University. Most of them I have known for nearly a decade, a timeframe that has allowed me to grow as an individual and professional. To Dr. Paul Ryan Peluso, my mentor and fellow Avenger, thank you for believing in me and allowing me to “act as if”; your metaphors helped me more than you will ever know. You are a great therapist and educator, and I admire your dedication to the profession.
    [Show full text]
  • Understanding Kinship Diversion and Its Relationship with Child Health and Behabior Problems
    CORE Metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk Provided by Carolina Digital Repository UNDERSTANDING KINSHIP DIVERSION AND ITS RELATIONSHIP WITH CHILD HEALTH AND BEHABIOR PROBLEMS Qi Wu A dissertation submitted to the faculty of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the School of Social Work Chapel Hill 2016 Approved by: Mark F. Testa Shenyang Guo Cecilia E. Casanueva Susan M. Snyder Eun Koh ©2016 Qi Wu ALL RIGHTS RESERVED ii ABSTRACT QI WU: Understanding Kinship Diversion and Its Relationship with Child Health and Behavior Problems (Under the direction of Mark F. Testa) During the past two decades, child welfare professionals have given kinship care priority as the preferred least-restrictive, most family-like placement option when a child has to be removed from his or her family. Given this preference, the number of children placed in kinship foster care steadily increased during the 1980s and 1990s, leveling off in the 2000s. Although kinship care has received research attention, much of the extant research has focused on kinship foster care and specific issues such as child safety, stability, permanency, and well-being. However, the available literature lacks investigation into what factors drive the decision to use kinship care, specifically an understanding of why some children are diverted from child welfare system (CWS) into unpaid kinship arrangements while other children enter the traditional foster care system. In addition, the literature lacks evidence that would advance the understanding of the short- and long-term effects of this kind of kinship diversion on child outcomes.
    [Show full text]
  • Attachment and Conflict in Close Relationships
    Copyright is owned by the Author of the thesis. Permission is given for a copy to be downloaded by an individual for the purpose of research and private study only. The thesis may not be reproduced elsewhere without the permission of the Author. Attachment and Conflict in Close Relationships: The association of attachment with conflict resolution styles, conflict beliefs, communication accuracy and relationship satisfaction A thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Psychology at Massey University, Albany, New Zealand. Karin du Plessis 2006 Abstract The present research aims to obtain a more complete view of couple relationships. In particular, it investigated the manner in which attachment styles (and more specifically the combination of attachment styles to one’s partner and one’s primary caregiver, such as the mother) are related to conflict beliefs, conflict resolution styles, relationship satisfaction and communication accuracy. Two studies were conducted to explore these relationships. In Study 1 individuals in couples relationships (N = 83) were asked to participate in an online questionnaire regarding primary caregiver and partner attachment, conflict resolution, and conflict beliefs. Study 2 saw the recruitment of twenty-two couples from public advertisements. Couples were asked to participate in a ten minute videotaped discussion around a major disagreement. The discussion exercise and accompanying self-report questionnaires indicated each couple’s communication accuracy. Trained post-graduate raters also coded the observable conflict styles of the couples on a scale developed for the purpose of this research. These were compared with self-reported conflict resolution styles. Couples were also asked to complete questionnaires individually to identify their parent and partner attachment styles, relationship satisfaction, conflict resolution styles and conflict beliefs.
    [Show full text]
  • Love Is a Battlefield: Experience of Love in Relation to Depression
    Modern Psychological Studies Volume 21 Number 1 Article 5 2015 Love is a battlefield: experience of love in relation to depression Laura Hill Abilene Christian University Cherisse Flanagan Abilene Christian University Follow this and additional works at: https://scholar.utc.edu/mps Part of the Psychology Commons Recommended Citation Hill, Laura and Flanagan, Cherisse (2015) "Love is a battlefield: experience of love in relation to depression," Modern Psychological Studies: Vol. 21 : No. 1 , Article 5. Available at: https://scholar.utc.edu/mps/vol21/iss1/5 This articles is brought to you for free and open access by the Journals, Magazines, and Newsletters at UTC Scholar. It has been accepted for inclusion in Modern Psychological Studies by an authorized editor of UTC Scholar. For more information, please contact [email protected]. LOVE IS A BATTLEFIELD I HILL & FLANAGAN Love is a Battlefield: Experience of Love in Relation to Depression Laura Hill and Cherisse Flanagan Abilene Christian University Depression is a debilitating mental illness that entails much more than just sadness. In an attempt to discover if there is a relationship between experience of love and depression, a survey was created to assess these variables. The survey included the Experience of Love Questionnaire (ELQ), an author-developed scale, and the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression scale (Radloffi 1977). The ELQ consisted of three subscales measuring experience of love in family, friends, and romantic relationships. The hypothesis of this study was that there would be a negative correlation between experience of love and depression. The survey was completed by 103 participants and the results revealed a correlation between the two variables.
    [Show full text]
  • Attachment Style, Perceived Life Events, and Psychological Well- Being in Adults Coping with Bipolar Disorder: a Longitudinal Study
    ATTACHMENT STYLE, PERCEIVED LIFE EVENTS, AND PSYCHOLOGICAL WELL- BEING IN ADULTS COPING WITH BIPOLAR DISORDER: A LONGITUDINAL STUDY Sarah Greenberg A Thesis Submitted to the Graduate College of Bowling Green State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF ARTS August 2014 Committee: Catherine Stein, Chair Robert Carels Michael Zickar © 2014 Sarah Greenberg All Rights Reserved iii ABSTRACT Catherine Stein, Advisor Evidence suggests the importance of healthy social relationships for adults coping with severe mental illness. Secure adult attachment has been linked with strong supportive relationships, yet it is estimated that approximately 11% to 22% of adults diagnosed with bipolar disorder are classified as having a secure attachment style. In comparison, approximately 60 to 80% of adults without psychiatric illness are classified as having a secure attachment style. Using a sample of 161 adults diagnosed with bipolar disorder, the present study examined the role of romantic attachment style and stressful life events in describing adults’ reports of mood symptoms and psychosocial functioning. Based on adults’ responses to self-report measures, results suggest that adults who reported more stressful life events or an insecure attachment style endorsed more symptoms of depression and worse psychosocial functioning. Conversely, individuals classified as securely attached generally report less depression and better psychosocial functioning than adults with insecure attachment styles. Implications of findings for working with adults diagnosed with bipolar disorder are discussed. iv ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I have been privileged to have the support of many individuals throughout this research. Without them, this research would not have been possible. First and foremost, thank you to my advisor, Dr.
    [Show full text]
  • Attachment in the Classroom
    Educ Psychol Rev (2009) 21:141–170 DOI 10.1007/s10648-009-9104-0 REVIEW ARTICLE Attachment in the Classroom Christi Bergin & David Bergin Published online: 21 May 2009 # Springer Science + Business Media, LLC 2009 Abstract Attachment influences students’ school success. This is true of students’ attachment to their parents, as well as to their teachers. Secure attachment is associated with higher grades and standardized test scores compared to insecure attachment. Secure attachment is also associated with greater emotional regulation, social competence, and willingness to take on challenges, and with lower levels of ADHD and delinquency, each of which in turn is associated with higher achievement. These effects tend to be stronger for high-risk students. In this era of accountability, enhancing teacher–student relationships is not merely an add-on, but rather is fundamental to raising achievement. Understanding the role of attachment in the classroom will help educators be more effective, particularly with challenging students. Twelve suggestions to improve teacher–student relationships and school bonding are provided. Keywords Attachment . Achievement . School bonding . Teacher–student relationship Children’s socioemotional well-being is critical to school success, and attachment is the foundation of socioemotional well-being. Because of this, educators—from preschool to high school—can be more effective if they understand how attachment influences their students. Attachment influences school success through two routes: indirectly through attachment to parents, and directly through attachment to teachers and schools. In this article, we briefly review basic attachment concepts for readers who are not familiar with attachment research. We then show how attachment to parents is linked to school success, and we summarize the limited research on attachment-like relationships with teachers.
    [Show full text]
  • Odor, Adult Attachment and Emotions in Romantic Relationships
    View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE provided by D-Scholarship@Pitt ODOR, ADULT ATTACHMENT AND EMOTIONS IN ROMANTIC RELATIONSHIPS by Sybil Anne Streeter Bachelor of Philosophy, University Honors College, University of Pittsburgh, 1999 Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of Arts and Sciences in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy University of Pittsburgh 2008 UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES This dissertation was presented by Sybil Anne Streeter It was defended on August 21, 2008 and approved by Kay Jennings, Associate Professor, Department of Psychology Karen L. Schmidt, Assistant Professor, Department of Psychiatry Elizabeth Votruba-Drzal, Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology Dissertation Advisor: Donald H. McBurney, Professor Emeritus, Department of Psychology ii Copyright © by Sybil Anne Streeter 2008 iii ODOR, ADULT ATTACHMENT AND EMOTIONS IN ROMANTIC RELATIONSHIPS Sybil Anne Streeter, PhD University of Pittsburgh, 2008 This study explored the reasons why people commonly smell the clothing of loved ones. Romantic partners’ scents were compared with (1) that of an unknown other person (placebo) or (2) a neutral odor (control) to examine their effect on anxiety, negative affect and feelings of comfort. Adult attachment was also measured dimensionally with the Bartholomew and Horowitz (1991) Relationship Questionnaire (RQ). All participants rated themselves on each attachment dimension (Secure, Fearful, Preoccupied and Dismissing). Participants presented with the scent of their partner experienced significant increases in comfort when compared to both placebo and control odor, and decreased anxiety and negative affect when compared to neutral odor. Scent of partners and unknown persons were equivalent in their ability to decrease the aversive emotions.
    [Show full text]