The purpose of this study was to investigate if there is a correlation between adult’s attachment styles and the use of negative relational maintenance behaviors in romantic relationships. Studies suggest, depending on an individual’s perception of self as well as others in correspondence to their attachment style determines the social behaviors practiced in maintaining a relationship either by positive or negative practices. As Goodboy and Bolkan hypothesize in “Attachment and the Use of Negative Relational Maintenance Behaviors in Romantic Relationships” one’s adult attachment style may explain the antisocial behaviors in a negative maintenance of a romantic relationship. Furthermore, the study looks to observe a link between adult attachment …show more content…
style and the influence negative relational maintenance behaviors factor into romantic relationships. The theory of Attachment Styles explains how individuals develop bond with other in relationships. Evolving at infancy, attachment styles explain “the impact of individual’s perceptions of themselves and others in relational decisions, with the assumption that these perceptions are grounded in the types of attachment that were experienced as infants with primary caregivers” (Bolkan and Goodboy, 329). If a primary caregiver is not readily available and supportive to the child than there is an absent sense of security. Thus leading to the adoption of negative strategies affecting relational regulation. Moreover, there is a connection between the mental models of self and social life obtained in relation to the interactions between a child and caretaker, in which sets the foundation to how the child will grow up in bonding and maintaining romantic relationships. If there is support, availability and a sense of security, there is more likely to be a positive development of attachment regarding relationships. Simply, attachment “explains how both healthy and unhealthy forms of love originate as reasonable adaptions to specific social circumstances” (Bolkan and Goodboy, 328). People have different attachment styles, in which the potential of either positive or negative relational maintenance within romantic relationships stem from. There are four attachment styles romantic partners develop based upon their perception of themselves and others. The first style is secure, which are individuals with a positive regard for themselves and others. Theses individuals reflect “high levels of comfort with intimacy and autonomy” (Bolkan and Goodboy, 329). The preoccupied attachment styles regard individuals with a negative perspective of themselves, but a positive outlook of others. Preoccupied individuals reflect a “constant desire to be loved and gained self-acceptance from the value of others” (Bolkan and Goodboy, 329). The third attachment style, dismissive avoidant, individuals contain a positive regard for themselves, but negative discernment for others. The desire to remain “independent and detached from committed relationships, originating from the perspective that relationships are nonessential” are the prominent standpoint of dismissive avoidant individuals (Bolkan and Goodboy, 329). The final attachment style is fearful avoidant, in which individuals encompass a negative regard for themselves and others. Based on the desire to “avoid rejection due to the fear of feeling unworthy, along with the distrust of others” fearful avoidant individuals evade attachment on relationships (Bolkan and Goodboy, 329). From these studies of attachment, attention has been brought to light to relational maintenance within romantic relationships. Attachment styles have been used as a framework to understanding the reason why individuals practice particular relational maintenance behaviors.
The study refers to relational maintenance as “the action and activities romantic partners use to sustain desired relational definitions” (Bolkan and Goodboy, 327). Studies show prosocial behaviors, where openness, positivity, assurance, social networks, shared tasks, and conflict management are the primary functions with a relationship are defined as operationalized maintenance (Bolkan and Goodboy, 328). Conversely, antisocial or avoidance strategies are utilized in negative relational maintenance. These methods of maintaining a romantic relationship are categorized by jealousy induction, avoidance, destructive conflict, allowing control, spying, and infidelity (Bolkan and Goodboy, 328). Often partners utilizing these behaviors report less liking, satisfaction, respect, control mutuality, and commitment. Furthermore, this observation prompted Bolkan and Goodboy to investigate if the practice of negative relational maintenance behaviors results from difference in adult attachment styles. In previous studies focus has been placed on the role attachment styles plays in prosocial maintenance behaviors, where functions including assurance, romantic affection, support, conflict management, advice, social networks, openness and positivity are performed by secure partners (Bolkan and Goodboy, 329). Clearly, attachment styles contribute …show more content…
significantly in the framework of understanding how romantic partners maintain their relationships. For this study, Bolkan and Goodboy looked to support the notion based on one’s adult attachment style may explain the antisocial behaviors in a negative maintenance of a romantic relationship. They hypothesized the existence of “an inverse relationship will exist between having a secure attachment style and using negative relational maintenance behaviors” (Bolkan and Goodboy, 329). Their hypothesis involves the concepts that “a positive relationship will exist between having a dismissive attachment style and using negative relational maintenance behaviors” (329); “a positive relationship will exist between having a fearful-avoidant attachment style and using negative relational maintenance behaviors” (330); and “a positive relationship will exist between having a preoccupied attachment style and using negative relational maintenance behaviors” (330). Essentially, the study looks to observe a link between adult attachment style and the influence negative relational maintenance behaviors factor into romantic relationships. In regards to the subjects of the study, 232 undergraduate students comprising of 86 men and 146 women participated. The study utilized students enrolled in an Introduction to Communication Studies class at a Mid-Atlantic university and upper-level Communications Studies classes at a large Southwestern university. As requirement to partake, students needed to be currently in a romantic relationship. There was mandatory age range or relationship length. The study saw ages vary from 18-52 and the length of the relationships from 1 month to 30 years. To test the hypothesizes a questionnaire was administered to subjects concerning their current romantic partner and romantic relationship involving the Attachment Style Measure, Negative Maintenance Scale, Quality Marriage Index, as well as demographic questions. Utilizing the 7-point Likert format soliciting response fluctuating from strongly disagree (1) to strongly agree (7) the questionnaire focused on three primary measurements analyzing relational maintenance behaviors. The first measurement, Attachment Style analyzed the continuous operationalization of the four adult attachment styles: secure, preoccupied, fearful-avoidant and dismissive. Negative Maintenance Scale was the second examination; respondents were asked to indicate how frequently they use six negative behaviors to maintain a desired relational state. These items included jealousy, avoidance, spying, infidelity, destructive conflict, and allowing control. Finally, Quality Marriage Index assessed the degree to which a martial partner experiences satisfaction in the relationship (Bolkan and Goodboy, 330-331). The results from the study supported the first hypothesis fully, while the second, third, fourth hypothesizes only receive partial support. There posited to be a correlation between the variables of a person’s attachment style and negative relational maintenance displayed in the revelation of three significant roots. The First Root revealed participants who displayed dismissive and fearful-avoidant attachment styles, they tended to maintain relationships using jealousy, induction, avoidance, and infidelity, however, they refrained from using allowing control (Bolkan and Goodboy, 331). The Second Root revealed participants who displayed secure, but not preoccupied or fearful-avoidant attachment styles, they tended to avoid using negative maintenance behaviors as a whole (Bolkan and Goodboy, 332). The Third Root revealed participants who displayed fearful-avoidant, but not dismissive or secure attachment styles tended to avoid using destructive conflict and infidelity to maintain relationships (Bolkan and Goodboy, 333). Moreover, the results demonstrated inverse relationships between secure attachment styles and the use of negative relational maintenance behaviors. In addition, there was a positive correlation between dismissive and fearful-avoidant attachment styles with negative relational maintenance behaviors. This study was conducted to investigate how attachment styles influence the practice of negative relational maintenance behaviors in romantic relationships.
While people contain different attachment styles, their practice of either negative or positive maintenance behaviors originate from. However, depending on the utilization of these behaviors can determine the satisfaction within the romantic relationship. As the study demonstrates, the more negative maintenance behaviors are practiced the more likely dissatisfaction is to occur in the relationship. These behaviors though depend heavily, though, on the perception an individual has of themselves, but also others. Simply, when positive outlooks of the self as well as other is a practiced mindset, then the more comfortable an individual will be performing positive social skills in maintaining relationships. Thus, making a connection between attachment style and relational maintenance behaviors. As Bolkan and Goodboy, state attachment is a vital framework for conceptualizing how romantic partners maintain their relationships (329). It was found from the results of this study, individuals with a secure attachment style are less likely to practice negative maintenance behaviors. Conversely, dismissive and fearful-avoidant individuals display more negative maintenance behaviors through the representation of jealousy, avoidance, infidelity and not allowing control of the partner in the relationship. However, these results
demonstrate partners who are considered insecure have developed a negative perception of themselves and their partner, as the attachment theory suggests therefore explaining the acquired antisocial skills. Evidence though displays “secure partners avoid engaging in potentially destructive communication patterns, which is consistent with research that suggests secure partners are satisfied and prefer prosocial maintenance” (Bolkan and Goodboy, 333). Therefore, implicating the practice of negative maintenance behaviors stems from insecurity, which in turn is traced back to an individual’s attachment style. Secure individuals find comfort in intimacy and closeness, where as dismissive and fearful-avoidant dislike commitment and treat their partner tentatively. This could be in relation the fact these models are “self-penetrating,” in that, “both attachment styles attempt to minimize relational distress by maintaining distance, negative maintenance behaviors may be doing just that” (Bolkan and Goodboy, 333). While dismissive individuals view themselves positively and others negatively, they contain an inflated self-worth and seek “little desire for intimacy and emotional expressiveness” (Bolkan and Goodboy, 334). Thus, explaining reasons why dismissive individuals view relationships as nonessential. As known from the attachment theory, secure individuals positively view themselves and others, thus do not feel the compel to use negative maintenance behaviors in romantic relationships. As a result, the attachment style one expresses dictates the habit of negative maintenance behaviors.
The first stage of the cycle is the man experiences rejection by his current partner. The past experience of rejection by the man's previous attachment relationships will be able to detonate by contact with his current partner's behaviour of rejection. Brown et al. (2010) pointed out that previous experiences of rejection weaken a man's ability to cope with present rejection. Such experiences include excessive rejection, punishment, neglect and abandonment. According to Bowlby's attachment research (as cited in Bretherton, 1992, p. 769), repeated threats of rejection may lead to excessive separation anxiety. Thus, an anxiously attached man tends to be the one being rejected or abandoned several times by parents or previous partner in his past life experience. Substantial research has been carried out which indicated a link between attachment style and man's abusive behaviour (Brown et al., 2010). Other than that, a man received excessive punishment during their childhood is more likely a troublesome individual (Fergusson & Lynskey, 1997). Therefore, when a m...
Hazan, C., Gur-Yaish, N., & Campa, M. (2003). What does it mean to be attached? In W. S. Rholes & J. A. Simpson (Eds.) Adult Attachment: Theory, Research, and Clinical Implications, (pp. 55 – 85). New York: Guilford.
Changing history has profound effects on humans and the choices that they make, in 1984 by George Orwell Big Brother has the ability to manipulate the past, present, and future because he is the supreme leader of Oceania. The supreme leader of Oceania is Big Brother, none of the citizens in the country know if Big Brother is a group or a single individual. Big Brother stepped into power after the rebellion and has maintained absolute power over his citizens. In order to gain absolute power, Big Brother had to destroy human relationships. Relationships are a problem for Big Brother because they allow citizens to form bonds with one and other. Big Brother has ruined humanity and the relationships that they have in order to gain absolute power. By controlling the essential parts of relationships, physical contact, sex, and breaking the bond between parents and children, Big Brother successfully turns society into individuals in order to gain absolute power which will ensure that he will never lose power.
In addition to romantic partners, other age peers such as friends and family have the potential to become dominant attachment figures for adults. Throughout adolescence and early adulthood, friends and romantic partners gradually replace parents as the preferred source of emotional support and proximity seeking (Freeman & Brown, 2001; Hazan & Zeifman, 1994). Shifts in attachment tend to be a function of the relationship length, and only longer lasting friendships are likely to create close attachment bonds (Fraley & Davis, 1997). Enduring close friendships have the potential to
Admittedly, many psychologists define attachment as an enduring, affectionate bond that one person forms between himself and another person throughout life. Mary Ainsworth provided the most famous research: strange situation, offering explanations of individual differences in attachment. However, in this Adult Attachment Style questionnaire that I took, I found many factors relevant to attachment as defined in the textbook. For example, in the textbook, it defines attachment based on Ainsworth research, the strange situation by observing attachment forms between mother and infants. They are described in four attachment styles: securely attached, insecure avoidant, insecure resistant, and insecure disorganized.
Attachment is described as the close emotional bond between two people and Attachment Theory (AT) generally concentrates on the early bonds in a person’s development as well as the effects that these bonds have on later socio-emotional development. While emphasis on attachment as an antecedent for future behavior and personality has decreased somewhat in recent years, it is interesting to note that the DSM IV-TR includes a “reactive attachment disorder” which it states is caused when extreme circumstances prevent proper attachment development.
Psychologist, Mary Ainsworth expanded upon Bowlby's original work. She conducted a study labelled the ‘Strange Situation’. In the study, based upon the children’s reactions, Ainsworth described three major styles of attachment: secure attachment, ambivalent-insecure attachment, and avoidant-insecure attachment. Work by Stroufe and Waters in 1977, further supported Ainsworth's attachment styles and have indicated that attachment styles also have an impact on behaviours later in life (Birns, 1999, p. 13). Researchers have found strengths in attachment patterns established early in life can lead to a number of outcomes. For example, children who are securely attached as infants tend to develop stronger self-esteem and better self-reliance as they grow older. These children also tend to be more independent, perform better in school, have successful social relationships, and experience less depression and anxiety (Birns, 1999, p. 13).
Relationships between two people can have a strong bond and through poetry can have an everlasting life. The relationship can be between a mother and a child, a man and a woman, or of one person reaching out to their love. No matter what kind of relationship there is, the bond between the two people is shown through literary devices to enhance the romantic impression upon the reader. Through Dudley Randall’s “Ballad of Birmingham,” Ben Jonson’s “To Celia,” and William Shakespeare’s “Shall I Compare Thee to a Summer’s Day?” relationships are viewed as a powerful bond, an everlasting love, and even a romantic hymn.
Dainton and Gross (2008) specifically discuss the repercussions that negative behaviors such as jealousy induction may have on relationship maintenance. For instance utilizing negative maintenance behaviors such as jealousy to react to a relationship is negatively associated with relationship satisfaction. This research is tied in with the idea of social support and how individual respond to their partners. Researchers agree that jealousy in relationships can have a negative impact, yet also enhance romantic feelings and satisfaction based on how jealousy is initially communicated (Dainton & Gross, 2008; Yoshimura, 2004). “An essential idea behind this study is that the ways in which jealous individuals communicate their jealousy influence how the target communicatively responds. The results showed that targets of jealousy expressions most strongly respond in the style of the initial expression” (Yoshimura, 2004, p. 95). The way jealousy is expressed initially based on attitude and mood can affect the response of the partner and at shaping and guiding the relat...
Acknowledging, the importance of attachment has been in helpful development of couples therapy, in particular to Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy (EFT), “where it helps explain how even healthy adults need to depend on each other,” (Nichols, 2013, p. 62). EFT is an empirically validated experiential therapy model that works with emotion to create change. EFT therapists use “attachment theory to deconstruct the familiar dynamic in which one partner criticizes and complains while the other gets defensive and withdraws,” (Nichols, 2013, p.63). Research has demonstrated the importance of attachment in individuals. It is not solely a childhood trait attachment is a trait that individuals carry for the rest of their lives. Nonetheless, it is important to work on the attachments with families and couples in order to alleviate some of the negative interactions that arise from feeling a fear of losing the attachment with
Introduction: Thoughts from the Breakroom The coffee has gotten cold, the soggy sandwich you brought for lunch is suddenly unappealing, and the conversation has run stale. The clock could not possibly be moving any slower. Your cubicle buddy is busy working on his customer reports, your boss is locked away in his office, and the creepy dude that sits that stares at you from his desk so happens to be taking his lunch break at the same time as you.
In LDRs, relational dialectics contribute to the future or demise of an existing or developing relationship. To some, the benefit of living apart from their partner allows the individual to establish autonomy within the relationship while allowing a connection to their partner through communication. However, additional effort may be required to guarantee assurances to the partner who desires more security and closeness. Moreover, couples in LDRs have the freedom to attain privacy while also providing open communication when required by the situation. Therefore, it is pertinent to identify these trends in relational dialectics through four studies examining LDRs.
The researchers of the article wanted to know if relationship satisfaction, disclosure, hope, and trust are important elements in a model of attachment for friendships. The study used 268 undergraduate students from different levels and departments of a private Christian university. The methodology used involved five different questionnaires. The first questionnaire measured avoidance and anxiety attachment styles, this was called the Relationship Structure Questionnaire. The Relationship Satisfaction Scale measured the relationship satisfaction in relationships, such as family and friendships. The third questionnaire was called the Herth Hope Index and it was used to explore temporality and future, interconnectedness, and positive readiness.
Ferrara and Levine looked for multiple answers in the study. They wanted to know if is using communication strategies affect relational stability after a betrayal occurred. The study defined betrayal as failing to uphold relational expectations held by a partner. The study also wanted to see how betrayal and comparison level interacted, and the effect the interaction might have o level of satisfaction. Satisfaction was defined as the amount of positive affect associated with the relationship. Researches wanted to look at the relationship between satisfaction and investment size on commitment, and effects comparison level of alternative has on commitment. Commitment referred to the degree to which one feels attachment to and intends to maintain a relationship over time. What affect might satisfaction, investment size, and comparison level of alternative, mediated by commitment, have on relationship
Moors, Conley, Edelstein, & Chopik (2015) explored the relationship between attachment and CNM. The researchers found that while avoidant individuals who were not currently in a CNM relationship held positive views of CNM they were less likely to actually be in a CNM with a negative correlation of -.27. The perceived psychological and physical distance from romantic partners may explain why, hypothetically, avoidant individuals prefer CNM. However, CNM may require open and honest communication which is congruent with a secure attachment rather than an avoidant attachment. Anxious individuals appeared to have mixed emotions when thinking about hypothetical CNM relationships, but they were no more likely to be in a CNM relationship than a monogamous relationship. Anxious individuals may be able to see both the good and bad in a CNM relationship such as the prospect of affection from many partners, but also the risk of abandonment. Since there was not a significant correlation at .04 it may be that anxiety is not as an important role in relationship configurations as it was believed to be. Therefore, it appears as though individuals in CNM relationships can have secure attachments similar to those in monogamous