ERIC Number: EJ775268
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2002-Jul
Pages: 11
Abstractor: Author
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0022-0167
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
Associations between Working Models of Attachment and Conflict Management Behavior in Romantic Couples
Creasey, Gary
Journal of Counseling Psychology, v49 n3 p365-375 Jul 2002
The goal of this study was to specify relations between internal working models of attachment (IWM) and conflict management behaviors in a sample of young adults involved in romantic relationships. One hundred forty-five romantic couples were recruited to address this goal. All participants were administered the Adult Attachment Interview (C. George, N. Kaplan, & M. Main, 1996) and observed across 2 experimental conditions designed to simulate waiting room and conflict management contexts. As expected, individual differences in IWM predicted positive and negative conflict management behavior. The IWM of the young women predicted more positive behavior across interactions, whereas the IWM of the young men predicted more negative behavior in the conflict management condition. Individuals who were unresolved regarding loss or trauma and who displayed considerable attachment insecurity were particularly vulnerable to more negative behavior, particularly in terms of exhibiting controlling behavior.
Descriptors: Young Adults, Conflict, Attachment Behavior, Observation, Individual Differences, Simulation, Conflict Resolution, Experiments, Behavior Patterns, Prediction, Counseling Psychology
American Psychological Association. Journals Department, 750 First Street NE, Washington, DC 20002-4242. Tel: 800-374-2721; Tel: 202-336-5510; Fax: 202-336-5502; e-mail: order@apa.org; Web site: http://www.apa.org/publications
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Adult Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Assessments and Surveys: Adult Attachment Interview
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A