Attachment style in married couples: Relation to current marital functioning, stability over time, and method of assessment

TAMARA L. FULLER, FRANK D. FINCHAM

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

We examined several aspects of attachment in marriage, including the association among attachment style, mental models of the spouse, satisfaction, affect regulation within the marriage, the stability of attachment style, and its operationalization. Fifty‐three married couples completed initial assessments, and 44 participated in a 24‐month follow‐up. Attachment style was related to positive and negative affect immediately preceding a potentially stressful event and to the mental model of the spouse. Approximately 35% of the subjects changed their attachment style rating over a 2‐year period; later attachment style was related to changes in mental models of the spouse. Categorical and dimensional measures of attachment style did not yield equivalent results. The implications of these findings for future research are discussed.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)17-34
Number of pages18
JournalPersonal Relationships
Volume2
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - Mar 1995

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Social Psychology
  • Anthropology
  • Developmental and Educational Psychology
  • Life-span and Life-course Studies

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Attachment style in married couples: Relation to current marital functioning, stability over time, and method of assessment'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this