Adult attachment style, marriage structure and marital satisfaction.
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Date
1996
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Abstract
Recent research into marital satisfaction has highlighted distan.ce regulation as a central
source of controversy in couples' relationships ((Byng-Hall, 1991b, 1995; Marvin &
Stewart, 1990; Pistole, 1994; Stevenson-Hinde, 1990). Shifts in the spatial arrangements
or structural elements of the marital couple may escalate or de-escalate attachment
behaviour and partners continually regulate this distance in order not to experience
separation anxiety. Albeit differently, structural family, theory (Minuchin, 1974) also
emphasizes the spatial arrangements of the couple and how these differentially affect
the Viability of the system. In view of the fact that both attachment theory and structural
family theory are concerned with the spatial arrangements of the couple, this research
proposes to examine the interface between these theories and how they may jointly,
rather than separately, inform research into marital satisfaction.
Opportunistic sampling of 6 groups was undertaken and self-report questionnaires
assessing sociodemographics,.attachment styles, attachment history, marriage structure
and marital satisfaction distributed to married couples only. Self-report questionnaires
comprised the following assessment instrume,nts: the Close Relationships Questionnaire
(Hazan & Shaver, 1987) measuring attachment style (viz. secure, anxious/ambivalent,
avoidant); an Adjective Checklist measuring attachment-history variables (Hazan &
Shaver, 1987); the Adult Attachment Scale (Collins & Read, 1990) measuring attachment
dimensions (viz. Close, Depend, Anxiety); the Family Adaptability and Cohesion Scales
(FACES III) (Olson, Portner & Lavee, 1985) measuring-.Qoth marriage structure (viz. the
variables cohesion and adaptability) and marital satisfaction; and a 5-item Marital
Satisfaction Scale compiled by the researcher. The final sample constituted 82
participants of which 34 were couples and 14 were individuals. The 14 individual
respondents comprised 10. wives and 4 husbands.
Statistical analyses included Pearson correlation coefficients, a Canonical Discriminant
Functions Analysis, one-way analyses of variance (ANOVA's), chi-square /tests of
independence and t-tests.
Hypotheses examined the relationship between family/couple structure, attachment
classifications and marital satisfaction. Relationships between individual attachment
classifications and marriage structure (viz. cohesion and adaptability) (FACES III - Olson ,
et al., 1985) were, for the most part, not supported. The hypothesis investigating the
relationship between individual attachment classifications and satisfaction with the
marriage was, for the most part, not supported, however, the second part of the
hypothesis investigating the relationship between couple attachment classifications and
couples' satisfaction with the marriage showed a significant relationship between couple
attachment style groupings (viz. secure husband, anxious wife, etc.) and one of the
scales measuring couple satisfaction. Some significant relationships were found
between individuals' attachment classifications and their recollection of childhood
relationships with parents and parents' relationships with one another.
In view of the fact that research into this area has only recently been embarked upon, it
is concluded that future research using multiple methods of assessment be undertaken
in order to more comprehensively establish the merits or otherwise of combining
attachment theory and structural family theory in research into marital satisfaction.
Description
Thesis (M.A.)-University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 1996.
Keywords
Marriage., Theses--Psychology., Marriage--Psychological aspects., Husband and wife., Attachment behaviour., Satisfaction., Interpersonal behaviour.