3 research outputs found
The Role of Parents' Attachment Configurations at Childbirth on Marital Satisfaction and Conflict Strategies.
This study explores the role of adult attachment configurations on marital satisfaction and conflict strategies
during the transition to parenthood in a sample of 206 participants, 104 new parents and 102 childless by
choice. All participants were administered measures of dyadic satisfaction and conflict strategies at two stages
(during pregnancy and after 8 months, when the child was 6 months old). In prospective parents, the
participants\u2019 adult attachment configurations were also investigated in line with Crowell\u2019s model. Results
showed a decline in satisfaction and a lower use of cooperative conflict strategies for new parents. Secure
specific attachment configurations appeared predictable of better satisfaction during the transition to
parenthood. Insecure specific attachment configurations were predictable of a lower use of the cooperative
strategy of integrating. Results were also explored in terms of the couple\u2019s matching of attachment
configurations. Overall, findings showed that in order to study a couple\u2019s functioning it is important to
consider the weight of each partner\u2019s attachment configuration