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Beyond the Simple Association Between Romantic Attachment Insecurity and Dyadic Coping: An Examination of Romantic Perfectionism as a Mediator

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  03 July 2019

Marie-France Lafontaine ,
Katherine Péloquin ,
Christine Levesque ,
Stéphanie Azzi ,
Marie-Pierre Daigle  and
Audrey Brassard
Marie-France Lafontaine*
Affiliation:
School of Psychology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Katherine Péloquin
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Quebec, Canada
Christine Levesque
Affiliation:
School of Psychology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Stéphanie Azzi
Affiliation:
School of Psychology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Marie-Pierre Daigle
Affiliation:
School of Psychology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Audrey Brassard
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada
*
Address for correspondence: Marie-France Lafontaine, School of Psychology, University of Ottawa, 136 Jean-Jacques Lussier, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, K1N 6N5. Email: [email protected]
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Abstract

This study examined the mediating role of romantic perfectionism in the associations linking romantic attachment insecurity and self-perceived dyadic coping in a community sample of 170 mixed-sex couples. Path analyses, based on the actor-partner interdependence model, revealed that other-oriented perfectionism in men and women mediated the link between their own attachment-related avoidance and dyadic coping. Other-oriented perfectionism in women mediated the link between their own attachment-related anxiety and dyadic coping. Findings contribute to advancing knowledge about the intrapersonal and interpersonal mechanisms underlying coping processes in couples. Results also inform clinical interventions targeting attachment insecurities and perfectionism in the context of romantic relationships.

Keywords

actor-partner interdependence modelcouplesdyadic copingromantic attachmentromantic perfectionism
Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Relationships Research , Volume 10 , 2019 , e12
Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s) 2019 

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