Skip to main content Accessibility help

We use cookies to distinguish you from other users and to provide you with a better experience on our websites. Close this message to accept cookies or find out how to manage your cookie settings.

Close cookie message
×
Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-g7gxr Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-02T20:12:21.174Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

3 - Attachment theory as a framework for the promotion of optimal relationships

from Part I - Major theoretical perspectives

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 April 2016

By
Mario Mikulincer  and
Phillip R. Shaver
Edited by
C. Raymond Knee  and
Harry T. Reis
C. Raymond Knee
Affiliation:
University of Houston
Harry T. Reis
Affiliation:
University of Rochester, New York
Get access

Summary

One basic tenet of attachment theory is that interactions with loving, caring, and supportive relationship partners and the resulting sense of attachment security (confidence that one is socially valued and that others will be available and helpful when needed) are building blocks of mental health and social adjustment. Moreover, attachment theory provides a valuable conceptual framework for the study of optimal relationship development. In this chapter, we first present a brief overview of attachment theory and our model of attachment processes in adulthood, an extension of Bowlby’s theory that is now supported by 25 years of research by personality and social psychologists. Next, we focus on the anchoring of attachment security in expectations concerning relationship partners’ sensitivity and responsiveness (expectations organized within a secure-base script), and review research findings showing that the sense of security is associated with positive appraisals of self and others and with social adjustment. We then review studies of dating and marital relationships showing that dispositional and experimentally induced feelings of security can transform otherwise destructive reactions to relationship partners’ undesirable, hurtful behavior, improve a person’s handling of interpersonal conflict, foster empathy and support for a partner in need, and promote positive relational emotions.
Type
Chapter
Information
Positive Approaches to Optimal Relationship Development , pp. 56 - 78
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2016

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Alexandrov, E. O., Cowan, P. A., & Cowan, C. P. (2005). Couple attachment and the quality of marital relationships: Method and concept in the validation of the new couple attachment interview and coding system. Attachment and Human Development, 7, 123–152.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Ashy, M., Mercurio, A. E., & Malley-Morrison, K. (2010). Apology, forgiveness and reconciliation: An ecological world-view framework. Individual Differences Research, 8, 17–26.Google Scholar
Askari, A., Madgaonkar, J. S., & Rowell, R. K. (2012). Current psycho-pathological issues among partners of cancer patients. Journal of Psychosocial Research, 7, 77–85.Google Scholar
Baldwin, M. W., Fehr, B., Keedian, E., Seidel, M., & Thomson, D. W. (1993). An exploration of the relational schemata underlying attachment styles: Self-report and lexical decision approaches. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 19, 746–754.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bartz, J. A., & Lydon, J. E. (2008). Relationship-specific attachment, risk regulation, and communal norm adherence in close relationships. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 44, 655–663.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Beck, L. A., & Clark, M. S. (2010). Looking a gift horse in the mouth as a defense against increasing intimacy. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 46, 676–679.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Beijersbergen, M. D., Bakermans-Kranenburg, M. J., van IJzendoorn, M. H., & Juffer, F. (2008). Stress regulation in adolescents: Physiological reactivity during the Adult Attachment Interview and conflict interaction. Child Development, 79, 1707–1720.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Berant, E., Mikulincer, M., & Florian, V. (2001). The association of mothers’ attachment style and their psychological reactions to the diagnosis of their infant’s congenital heart disease. Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, 20, 208–232.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Besser, A., & Priel, B. (2010). Grandiose narcissism versus vulnerable narcissism in threatening situations: Emotional reactions to achievement failure and interpersonal rejection. Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, 29, 874–902.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bouthillier, D., Julien, D., Dube, M., Belanger, I., & Hamelin, M. (2002). Predictive validity of adult attachment measures in relation to emotion regulation behaviors in marital interactions. Journal of Adult Development, 9, 291–305.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bowlby, J. (1973). Attachment and loss: Vol. 2. Separation: Anxiety and anger. New York: Basic Books.Google Scholar
Bowlby, J. (1980). Attachment and loss: Vol. 3. Sadness and depression. New York: Basic Books.Google Scholar
Bowlby, J. (1982). Attachment and loss: Vol. 1. Attachment (2nd ed.). New York: Basic Books. (Original ed. 1969)Google Scholar
Bowlby, J. (1988). A secure base: Clinical applications of attachment theory. London: Routledge.Google Scholar
Brandau-Brown, F. E., Bello, R. S., & Ragsdale, J. D. (2010). Attachment style and tolerance for ambiguity effects on relational repair message interpretation among remarrieds. Marriage & Family Review, 46, 389–399.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Braun, M., Hales, S., Gilad, L., Mikulincer, M., Rydall, A., & Rodin, G. (2012). Caregiving styles and attachment orientations in couples facing advanced cancer. Psycho-Oncology, 21, 935–943.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Brennan, K. A., Clark, C. L., & Shaver, P. R. (1998). Self-report measurement of adult attachment: An integrative overview. In Simpson, J. A. & Rholes, W. S. (Eds.), Attachment theory and close relationships (pp. 46–76). New York: Guilford Press.Google Scholar
Burnette, J. L., Taylor, K., Worthington, E. L. Jr., & Forsyth, D. R. (2007). Attachment working models and trait forgivingness: The mediating role of angry rumination. Personality and Individual Differences, 42, 1585–1596.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Campbell, L., Simpson, J. A., Boldry, J., & Kashy, D. A. (2005). Perceptions of conflict and support in romantic relationships: The role of attachment anxiety. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 88, 510–531.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Cann, A., Norman, M. A., Welbourne, J., & Calhoun, L. G. (2008). Attachment styles, conflict styles, and humor styles: Interrelationships and associations with relationship satisfaction. European Journal of Personality, 22, 131–146.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Carnelley, K. B., Israel, S., & Brennan, K. (2007). The role of attachment in influencing reactions to manipulated feedback from romantic partners. European Journal of Social Psychology, 37, 968–986.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cassidy, J., & Kobak, R. R. (1988). Avoidance and its relationship with other defensive processes. In Belsky, J. & Nezworski, T. (Eds.), Clinical implications of attachment (pp. 300–323). Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.Google Scholar
Cassidy, J., & Shaver, P. R. (Eds.) (2008). Handbook of attachment: Theory, research, and clinical applications (2nd ed.). New York: Guilford Press.Google Scholar
Cassidy, J., Shaver, P. R., Mikulincer, M., & Lavy, S. (2009). Experimentally induced security influences responses to psychological pain. Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, 28, 463–478.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Collins, N. L. (1996). Working models of attachment: Implications for explanation, emotion, and behavior. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 71, 810–832.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Collins, N. L., & Feeney, B. C. (2000). A safe haven: An attachment theory perspective on support-seeking and caregiving in intimate relationships. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 78, 1053–1073.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Collins, N. L., Ford, M. B., Guichard, A. C., & Feeney, B. C. (2005). Responding to need in intimate relationships: The role of attachment security. Unpublished manuscript, University of California, Santa Barbara.Google Scholar
Collins, N. L., & Read, S. J. (1990). Adult attachment, working models, and relationship quality in dating couples. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 58, 644–663.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Cooper, M. L., Shaver, P. R., & Collins, N. L. (1998). Attachment styles, emotion regulation, and adjustment in adolescence. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 74, 1380–1397.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Creasey, G., & Hesson-McInnis, M. (2001). Affective responses, cognitive appraisals, and conflict tactics in late adolescent romantic relationships: Associations with attachment orientations. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 48, 85–96.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Creasey, G., & Ladd, A. (2004). Negative mood regulation expectancies and conflict behaviors in late adolescent college student romantic relationships: The moderating role of generalized attachment representations. Journal of Research on Adolescence, 14, 235–255.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Creasey, G., & Ladd, A. (2005). Generalized and specific attachment representations: Unique and interactive roles in predicting conflict behaviors in close relationships. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 31, 1026–1038.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Davila, J., & Kashy, D. (2009). Secure base processes in couples: Daily associations between support experiences and attachment security. Journal of Family Psychology, 23, 76–88.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Dewitte, M., De Houwer, J., Goubert, L., & Buysse, A. (2010). A multi-modal approach to the study of attachment-related distress. Biological Psychology, 85, 149–162.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dominique, R., & Mollen, D. (2009). Attachment and conflict communication in adult romantic relationships. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 26, 678–696.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Donovan, S., & Emmers-Sommer, T. M. (2012). Attachment style and gender as predictors of communicative responses to infidelity. Marriage & Family Review, 48, 125–149.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Feeney, B. C., & Collins, N. L. (2001). Predictors of caregiving in adult intimate relationships: An attachment theoretical perspective. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 80, 972–994.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Feeney, B. C., & Thrush, R. L. (2010). Relationship influences on exploration in adulthood: The characteristics and function of a secure base. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 98, 57–76.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Feeney, B. C., Collins, N. L., van Vleet, M., & Tomlinson, J. M. (2013). Motivations for providing a secure base: Links with attachment orientation and secure base support behavior. Attachment & Human Development, 15, 261–280.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Feeney, J. A. (1996). Attachment, caregiving, and marital satisfaction. Personal Relationships, 3, 401–416.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Feeney, J. A. (1998). Adult attachment and relationship-centered anxiety: Responses to physical and emotional distancing. In Simpson, J. A. & Rholes, W. S. (Eds.), Attachment theory and close relationships (pp. 189–219). New York: Guilford Press.Google Scholar
Fraley, R. C., & Waller, N. G. (1998). Adult attachment patterns: A test of the typological model. In Simpson, J. A. & Rholes, W. S. (Eds.), Attachment theory and close relationships (pp. 77–114). New York: Guilford Press.Google Scholar
Fredrickson, B. L. (2001). The role of positive emotions in positive psychology: The broaden-and-build theory of positive emotions. American Psychologist, 56, 218–226.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Frei, J. R., & Shaver, P. R. (2002). Respect in close relationships: Prototype definition, self-report assessment, and initial correlates. Personal Relationships, 9, 121–139.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gable, S. L., Reis, H. T., Impett, E. A., & Asher, E. R. (2004). What do you do when things go right? The intrapersonal and interpersonal benefits of sharing positive events. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 87, 228–241.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gaines, S. O. Jr., Reis, H. T., Summers, S., Rusbult, C. E., Cox, C. L., Wexler, M. O., Marelich, W. D., & Kurland, G. J. (1997). Impact of attachment style on reactions to accommodative dilemmas in close relationships. Personal Relationships, 4, 93–113.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gallo, L. C., & Smith, T. W. (2001). Attachment style in marriage: Adjustment and responses to interaction. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 18, 263–289.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Guerrero, L. K. (1998). Attachment-style differences in the experience and expression of romantic jealousy. Personal Relationships, 5, 273–291.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hannon, P. A., Rusbult, C. E., Finkel, E. J., & Kumashiro, M. A. (2010). In the wake of betrayal: Perpetrator amends, victim forgiveness, and the resolution of betrayal incidents. Personal Relationships, 17, 253–278.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hazan, C., & Shaver, P. R. (1987). Romantic love conceptualized as an attachment process. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 52, 511–524.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Heene, E. L. D., Buysse, A., & Van Oost, P. (2005). Indirect pathways between depressive symptoms and marital distress: The role of conflict communication, attributions, and attachment style. Family Process, 44, 413–440.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Johnson, S. M. (2003). Attachment theory: A guide for couple therapy. In Johnson, S. M., & Whiffen, V. E. (Eds.), Attachment processes in couple and family therapy (pp. 103–123). New York: Guilford Press.Google Scholar
Kachadourian, L. K., Fincham, F., & Davila, J. (2004). The tendency to forgive in dating and married couples: The role of attachment and relationship satisfaction. Personal Relationships, 11, 373–393.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Karremans, J. C., & Aarts, H. (2007). The role of automaticity in the inclination to forgive close others. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 43, 902–917.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kim, Y., & Carver, C. S. (2007). Frequency and difficulty in caregiving among spouses of individuals with cancer: Effects of adult attachment and gender. Psycho-Oncology, 16, 714–728.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kim, Y., Carver, C. S., Deci, E. L., & Kasser, T. (2008). Adult attachment and psychological well-being in cancer caregivers: The meditational role of spouses motives for caregiving. Health Psychology, 27, S144–S154.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kunce, L. J., & Shaver, P. R. (1994). An attachment-theoretical approach to caregiving in romantic relationships. In Bartholomew, K. & Perlman, D. (Eds.), Advances in personal relationships (Vol. 5, pp. 205–237). London, England: Kingsley.Google Scholar
Kuscu, M. K., Dural, U., Onen, P., Yaşa, Y., Yayla, M., Basaran, G., Turhal, S., & Bekiroğlu, N. (2009). The association between individual attachment patterns, the perceived social support, and the psychological well-being of Turkish informal caregivers. Psycho-Oncology, 18, 927–935.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
La Valley, A. G., & Guerrero, L. K. (2012). Perceptions of conflict behavior and relational satisfaction in adult parent–child relationships: A dyadic analysis from an attachment perspective. Communication Research, 39, 48–78.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lawler-Row, K. A., Hyatt-Edwards, L., Wuensch, K. L., & Karremans, J. C. (2011). Forgiveness and health: The role of attachment. Personal Relationships, 18, 170–183CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lawler-Row, K. A., Younger, J. W., Piferi, R. L., & Jones, W. H. (2006). The role of adult attachment style in forgiveness following an interpersonal offense. Journal of Counseling and Development, 84, 493–502.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Marazziti, D., Consoli, G., Albanese, F., Laquidara, E., Baroni, S., & Dell’Osso, M. C. (2010). Romantic attachment and subtypes/dimensions of jealousy. Clinical Practice and Epidemiology in Mental Health, 6, 53–58.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Markman, H. J., Stanley, S., & Blumberg, S. L. (1994). Fighting for your marriage: Positive steps for preventing divorce and preserving a lasting love. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.Google Scholar
Martin, L. A., Vosvick, M., & Riggs, S. A. (2012). Attachment, forgiveness, and physical health quality of life in HIV + adults. AIDS Care, 24, 1333–1340.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Mickelson, K. D., Kessler, R. C., & Shaver, P. R. (1997). Adult attachment in a nationally representative sample. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 73, 1092–1106.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mikulincer, M. (1995). Attachment style and the mental representation of the self. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 69, 1203–1215.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mikulincer, M., & Florian, V. (1995). Appraisal of and coping with a real-life stressful situation: The contribution of attachment styles. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 21, 406–414.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mikulincer, M., Florian, V., Cowan, P. A., & Cowan, C. P. (2002). Attachment security in couple relationships: A systemic model and its implications for family dynamics. Family Process, 41, 405–434.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Mikulincer, M., Gillath, O., & Shaver, P. R. (2002). Activation of the attachment system in adulthood: Threat-related primes increase the accessibility of mental representations of attachment figures. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 83, 881–895.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Mikulincer, M., & Shaver, P. R. (2003). The attachment behavioral system in adulthood: Activation, psychodynamics, and interpersonal processes. In Zanna, M. P. (Ed.), Advances in experimental social psychology (Vol. 35, pp. 53–152). San Diego, CA: Academic Press.Google Scholar
Mikulincer, M., & Shaver, P. R. (2004). Security-based self-representations in adulthood: Contents and processes. In Rholes, W. S. & Simpson, J. A. (Eds.), Adult attachment: Theory, research, and clinical implications (pp. 159–195). New York: Guilford Press.Google Scholar
Mikulincer, M., & Shaver, P. R. (2007a). Attachment in adulthood: Structure, dynamics, and change. New York: Guilford Press.Google Scholar
Mikulincer, M., & Shaver, P. R. (2007b). Boosting attachment security to promote mental health, prosocial values, and inter-group tolerance. Psychological Inquiry, 18, 139–156.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mikulincer, M., Shaver, P. R., Bar-On, N., & Sahdra, B. K. (2014). Security enhancement, self-esteem threat, and mental depletion affect provision of a safe haven and secure base to a romantic partner. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 31, 630–650.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mikulincer, M., Shaver, P. R., Sahdra, B. K., & Bar-On, N. (2013). Can security-enhancing interventions overcome psychological barriers to responsiveness in couple relationships? Attachment and Human Development, 15, 246–260.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Mikulincer, M., Shaver, P. R., Sapir-Lavid, Y., & Avihou-Kanza, N. (2009). What’s inside the minds of securely and insecurely attached people? The secure-base script and its associations with attachment-style dimensions. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 97, 615–633.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Mikulincer, M., Shaver, P. R., & Slav, K. (2006). Attachment, mental representations of others, and gratitude and forgiveness in romantic relationships. In Mikulincer, M. & Goodman, G. S. (Eds.), Dynamics of romantic love: Attachment, caregiving, and sex (pp. 190–215). New York: Guilford Press.Google Scholar
Millings, A., & Walsh, J. (2009). A dyadic exploration of attachment and caregiving in long-term couples. Personal Relationships, 16, 437–453.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Millings, A., Walsh, J., Hepper, E., & O’Brien, M. (2013). Good partner, good parent: Responsiveness mediates the link between romantic attachment and parenting style. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 39, 170–180.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Monin, J. K., Feeney, B. C., & Schulz, R. (2012). Attachment orientation and reactions to anxiety expression in close relationships. Personal Relationships, 19, 535–550.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Morse, J. Q., Shaffer, D. R., Williamson, G. M., Dooley, W. K., & Schulz, R. (2012). Models of self and others and their relation to positive and negative caregiving responses. Psychology and Aging, 27, 211–218.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Nelson, N., Albeck‐Solomon, R., & Ben‐Ari, R. (2011). Are your disputants insecure and does it matter? Attachment and disputants’ speech during mediation. Negotiation Journal, 27, 45–68.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Nguyen, H. P., & Munch, J. M. (2011). Romantic gift giving as chore or pleasure: The effects of attachment orientations on gift giving perceptions. Journal of Business Research, 64, 113–118.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Noftle, E. E., & Shaver, P. R. (2006). Attachment dimensions and the big five personality traits: Associations and comparative ability to predict relationship quality. Journal of Research in Personality, 40, 179–208.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Paley, B., Cox, M. J., Burchinal, M. R., & Payne, C. (1999). Attachment and marital functioning: Comparison of spouses with continuous-secure, earned-secure, dismissing, and preoccupied attachment stances. Journal of Family Psychology, 13, 580–597.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Park, L. E. (2010). Responses to self-threat: Linking self and relational constructs with approach and avoidance motivation. Social and Personality Psychology Compass, 4, 201–221.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Perunovic, M., & Holmes, J. G. (2008). Automatic accommodation: The role of personality. Personal Relationships, 15, 57–70.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Pietromonaco, P. R., & Carnelley, K. B. (1994). Gender and working models of attachment: Consequences for perceptions of self and romantic relationships. Personal Relationships, 1, 63–82CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Powers, S. I., Pietromonaco, P. R., Gunlicks, M., & Sayer, A. (2006). Dating couples’ attachment styles and patterns of cortisol reactivity and recovery in response to a relationship conflict. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 90, 613–628.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Radecki-Bush, C., Farrell, A. D., & Bush, J. P. (1993). Predicting jealous responses: The influence of adult attachment and depression on threat appraisal. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 10, 569–588.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Rodin, G., Walsh, A., Zimmermann, C., Gagliese, L., Jones, J., Shepherd, F. A., & Mikulincer, M. (2007). The contribution of attachment security and social support to depressive symptoms in patients with metastatic cancer. Psycho-Oncology, 16, 1080–1091.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Salvatore, J. E., Kuo, S. I., Steele, R. D., Simpson, J. A., & Collins, W. A. (2011). Recovering from conflict in romantic relationships: A developmental perspective. Psychological Science, 22, 376–383.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Scharfe, E., & Bartholomew, K. (1995). Accommodation and attachment representations in young couples. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 12, 389–401.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Scinta, A., & Gable, S. L. (2005). Performance comparisons and attachment: An investigation of competitive responses in close relationships. Personal Relationships, 12, 357–372.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Shallcross, S. L., Howland, M., Bemis, J., Simpson, J. A., and Frazier, P. (2011). Not “capitalizing” on social capitalization interactions: The role of attachment insecurity. Journal of Family Psychology, 25, 77–85.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Shaver, P. R., & Hazan, C. (1988). A biased overview of the study of love. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 5, 473–501.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Shaver, P. R., & Mikulincer, M. (2002). Attachment-related psychodynamics. Attachment and Human Development, 4, 133–161.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Shaver, P. R., Mikulincer, M., Lavy, S., & Cassidy, J. (2009). Understanding and altering hurt feelings: An attachment-theoretical perspective on the generation and regulation of emotions. In Vangelisti, A. (Ed.), Feeling hurt in close relationships (pp. 92–121). New York: Cambridge University Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Simpson, J. A., Collins, W. A., Tran, S., & Haydon, K. C. (2007). Attachment and the experience and expression of emotions in adult romantic relationships: A developmental perspective. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 92, 355–367.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Simpson, J. A., Rholes, W. S., & Nelligan, J. S. (1992). Support seeking and support giving within couples in an anxiety-provoking situation: The role of attachment styles. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 62, 434–446.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Simpson, J. A., Rholes, W. S., Orina, M., & Grich, J. (2002). Working models of attachment, support giving, and support seeking in a stressful situation. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 28, 598–608.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Simpson, J. A., Rholes, W. S., & Phillips, D. (1996). Conflict in close relationships: An attachment perspective. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 71, 899–914.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Sofer-Roth, S. (2008). Adult attachment and the nature of responses to a romantic partner’s expression of personal happiness. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel.Google Scholar
Sprecher, S., & Fehr, B. (2011). Dispositional attachment and relationship-specific attachment as predictors of compassionate love for a partner. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 28, 558–574.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sullivan, K. T., Pasch, L. A., Johnson, M. D., & Bradbury, T. N. (2010). Social support, problem solving, and the longitudinal course of newlywed marriage. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 98, 631–644.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Wang, C. D., King, M. L., & Debernardi, N. R. (2012), Adult attachment, cognitive appraisal, and university students’ reactions to romantic infidelity. Journal of College Counseling, 15, 101–116.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Waters, H. S., & Waters, E. (2006). The attachment working models concept: Among other things, we build script-like representations of secure base experiences. Attachment and Human Development, 8, 185–198.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Wieselquist, J., Rusbult, C. E., Foster, C. A., & Agnew, C. R. (1999). Commitment, pro-relationship behavior, and trust in close relationships. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 77, 942–966.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Wood, N. D., Werner-Wilson, R. J., Parker, T. S., & Perry, M. S. (2012). Exploring the impact of attachment anxiety and avoidance on the perception of couple conflict. Contemporary Family Therapy, 34, 416–428.CrossRefGoogle Scholar

Save book to Kindle

To save this book to your Kindle, first ensure [email protected] is added to your Approved Personal Document E-mail List under your Personal Document Settings on the Manage Your Content and Devices page of your Amazon account. Then enter the ‘name’ part of your Kindle email address below. Find out more about saving to your Kindle.

Note you can select to save to either the @free.kindle.com or @kindle.com variations. ‘@free.kindle.com’ emails are free but can only be saved to your device when it is connected to wi-fi. ‘@kindle.com’ emails can be delivered even when you are not connected to wi-fi, but note that service fees apply.

Find out more about the Kindle Personal Document Service.

Available formats
×

Save book to Dropbox

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Dropbox.

Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

Available formats
×