Emotional Experience During Couple Support Interactions: The Role of Attachment Anxiety and Avoidance

The Marriage and Family Therapy clinic at Utah State University conducted a study called the Relationship Checkup in which couple data was collected in an initial 2-hour session and feedback was provided for them in a follow-up 1-hour session. This checkup included completing self-report surveys, having an in-person interview, as well as couple interactions. The current study was carried out within the context of this broader relationship checkup, focusing on the couple support interactions, in which partners discussed a personal issue they would like to change about themselves. Although a substantial amount of attention has been given to the role of attachment during couple conflict, much less attention has been given to social support processes. Yet the purpose of therapy is not only to diminish disruptive conflict but also to enhance positive relationship processes, making a greater understanding of social support processes crucial to the therapy process. The results of this study indicate that partners with higher levels of avoidant attachment perceived they were receiving and providing less support. This reveals that couple therapists may need to assist these partners in reaching out and providing support. Additionally, results show that for women, discussing a personal issue soothed them physiologically. Therefore, rather than focusing on couple conflict, couples therapists can also build positive relationship interactions through couple social support

Attachment-Related Dynamics During a Positively Themed Couple Interaction: Implications of Anxiety and Avoidance.

Attachment style and adult intimate relationships have often been studied in the context of distress, such as couple conflict. Attachment anxiety represents an intense need for closeness and reassurance based on fears of abandonment, while attachment avoidance is typified by discomfort with emotional closeness and intimacy. Understanding these attachment-related processes in couples is important, although little research has looked at these dynamics in the context of positively themed interactions, where relational distress is much lower. In this study, we examined the interactions of 63 couples to understand the relationship between attachment style (anxiety and avoidance) and feelings toward partner, psychophysiological arousal, and linguistic process (positive, negative, and “we” language). The interaction was a discussion that commonly occurs in some form in couple therapy: how the couple met. Results revealed both men and women higher in attachment anxiety felt more positively toward their partner during the interaction. However, women with a male partner higher in attachment anxiety had higher levels of psychophysiological distress during the interaction. We also discovered a systemic relationship between anxiety and avoidance, with individuals higher in anxiety using more negative and less “we” language during the interaction, but only if their partners were higher in avoidance. Other findings involving age, gender, education status, income, individual distress, and relationship status were also found in the context of these positively themed interactions. We discuss implications of the findings for clinicians as well as future research needed to clarify and build upon our current findings

Psychophysiological Arousal and Perceived Support During Couple Support Interactions: The Role of Attachment Anxiety and Avoidance

Couple support processes—typically occurring in the context of non-relationship distressing issues—are crucial to our understanding of relationships (Pasch, Bradbury, & Sullivan, 1997). These couple support processes influence important relationship outcomes, including relationship satisfaction and longevity (i.e., Collins & Feeney, 2010). In this study, we examined 51 couples’ support perceptions and physiological arousal during individually distressing support conversations. Using dyadic data analysis, results reveal important findings in terms of avoidant attachment and couple support perceptions. Additionally, significant results were found between attachment anxiety and psychophysiological arousal. Implications of the current findings for couple relationships and therapy are discussed