Comparing attachment patterns across relationships

Comparing Attachment Patterns in Relationships Involving Primary Caregivers, Friends, and Romantic Partners University of Texas at San Antonio Psychology Department . Jarryd T. Willis B.A., Robert W. Fuhrman Ph.D., Jaclynn B. Prince B.A., Kimberly D. Smith M.S. ABSTRACT Our study compared attachment styles of college-aged participants (n= 294) across four types of intimate relationships. Attachment scores for primary caregivers were more predictive of attachment patterns for romantic partners and same-sex friends when individuals were romantically-involved and more predictive of attachment patterns for cross-sex friends when individuals were single. INTRODUCTION Attachment theory posits that early childhood experiences with one’s primary caregiver creates an enduring pattern of interaction within future relationships. Essentially, early parent-child interactions form a prototypic attachment template whereby an individual develops one of three attachment styles (secure, avoidant, preoccupied). Research from the last decade, however, suggests that people develop differential patterns of interaction for each member of their social network (Overall, Fletcher, & Frissen, 2003). Relational schemas are organized hierarchically for different members of one’s interactive network causing attachment styles to vary across relationships (La Guardia, Ryan, Couchman, & Deci, 2000). Furthermore, Eastwick and Finkel (2008) found that partner-specific attachment preoccupation had large positive correlations with both safe haven and secure base behaviors. Basically, potential lovers begin to encourage attachment behaviors that tend to be reserved for one’s primary caregiver. While research has demonstrated differential attachment patterns across relationships, research has yet to examine the role of one’s prototypic caregiver attachment in this paradigm. This study extends previous research by: investigating how romantic involvement influences the attachment symmetry between one’s prototypic caregiver attachment and attachment to cross-sex and same-sex friends. This study extends previous work by examining if the attachment prototype will determine attachment across relationships regardless of romantic partner-specific effects. Hypotheses are as follows: (1) Attachment avoidance and preoccupation for romantic partners will deviate from prototypic caregiver attachment. (2) The symmetry of attachment preoccupation between an individual’s friends and their primary caregiver will differ based on romantic status. (3) For attachment avoidance, the symmetry between an individual’s friends and their caregiver will differ based on romantic status. (4) Prototypic caregiver attachment will not deviate regardless of romantic status. METHODS Two hundred ninety-four college-aged students (183 females) of age 18 or older participated in the study. All participants completed self-report measures for their primary caregiver, as well as one of three relationship categories. To control for order, the caregiver- romantic partner (101 subjects), caregiver-cross-sex friend (97), and caregiver-same-sex friend (96) questionnaires were all counterbalanced. Measures Experiences in Close Relationships-Revised (ECR-R) (Fraley et al., 2000). The pronoun for each attachment figure was changed across the four 36-item ECR-R measures. Using MPlus 5.21, the ECR-R two factor solution was found to demonstrate the best factor structure for the caregiver,  2 (559) = 1275.89, p < .001, CFI = .836, TLI = .815, RMSEA = .073 (90% CI = .068-.079, SRMS = .052). RESULTS Caregiver attachment was compared to attachment to other figures using a 3 (relationship type) x 2 (romantic status) repeated measures analysis of variance, and the ECR-R subscales were rotated as dependent measures. Preoccupation An analysis of the caregiver with romantic partners found a significant difference in attachment ambivalence, F (1, 88) = 5.321,  2 = .06, p = .023. Preoccupation for the romantic partner ( M = 41.68) was greater than it was for the caregiver ( M = 36.91). Attachment ambivalence did not differ for cross-sex friends and caregivers within romantically involved individuals; however, it DID differ within single individuals, F (1, 37) = 7.469,  2 = .17, p = .01. Single individuals were much more preoccupied with their cross-sex friends ( M = 50.68) than their caregivers ( M = 39.76). Attachment ambivalence for caregivers and same-sex friends was found to differ significantly within romantically involved individuals, F (1, 46) = 4.918,  2 =.097, p = .032. Individuals displayed less preoccupation for their same-sex friends ( M = 34.02) than for their caregivers ( M = 39.77). Ambivalence for caregivers and same-sex friends did not differ within single individuals. Avoidance An analysis of the caregiver with romantic partners found a significant difference in attachment avoidance, F (1, 80) = 20.378,  2 = .2, p < .001. Avoidance for the caregiver ( M = 49.47) was greater than it was for the romantic partner ( M = 38.37). Similar to ambivalence, attachment avoidance did not differ for cross-sex friends and caregivers within romantically involved individuals; it remained significantly different, however, within single individuals, F (1, 33) = 5.757,  2 = .15, p = .02. Single individuals indicated more attachment avoidance towards their caregiver ( M = 56.82) than their cross-sex friends ( M = 47). Attachment avoidance scores for caregivers and same-sex friends differed significantly within romantically involved individuals, F (1, 40) = 8.708,  2 =.18, p = .005. Individuals displayed more avoidance for their caregivers ( M = 52.39) than for their same-sex friends ( M = 39.85). Similar to ambivalence, attachment avoidance for caregivers and same-sex friends did not differ within single individuals. ,[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],Presented at 2010 APS Conference ,[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],Department of Psychology Department of Psychology

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Comparing attachment patterns across relationships