Under, Over, or Optimal Commitment? Attachment Insecurities and Commitment Issues in Relationally Distressed Couples

The Link Between Sexual Disagreements and Separation Proneness: Differences Between Men and Women in a Culturally Diverse Sample

Traditional gender ideologies suggest that sexual disagreements are associated with union instability more strongly among men than among women. Previous studies of this topic were based on one panel survey initiated in the United States in the late 1980s and they provided contradictory results. We revisited this issue using the Generations and Gender Survey, a more recent panel that interviewed 19,446 respondents (43.3% were male and 56.7% were female; M age = 44.72, SD = 13.49) in mixed-sex partnerships in seven European countries. The results show that the association between sexual disagreements and separation proneness is stronger among women than among men. This conclusion contradicts expectations based on traditional feminine and masculine ideologies and indicates that the role of sexual disagreements in union instability deviates from traditional expectations.

"How did you stay together so long?" Relationship longevity, a cross-generational qualitative study

This global qualitative study adopted a cross-generational approach considering key factors contributing to relationship longevity. Relatively few studies consider factors leading to relationship longevity as articulated by couples themselves, and there is a paucity of research considering young couples' questions regarding relationship longevity. This study has two sample groups. In sample one (n = 137) we asked individuals in relationship of 3-15 years questions they would ask couples in marriages of 40+ years. We then asked our second sample of coupled individuals married 40+ years (n = 180) these questions. The primary question from the younger couples to couples in long-term marriages regarded their "secret" to relationship longevity. This study focuses on this one question and coupled individuals' self-articulation of their "secrets" to relationship longevity. The top seven were (1) commitment, (2) altruism, (3) shared values, (4) good communication, (5) compromise: give and take, (6) love, and (7) never give up. The clinical implications for couple therapists are discussed.

Attachment insecurities and under-commitment in distressed couples: The role of positive and negative partner behaviors

Research has rarely considered intermediate variables in the association between attachment insecurities and relationship commitment. Based on attachment theory and Rusbult's Investment Model, we tested whether positive and negative partner behaviors explain this association in 91 distressed couples undergoing therapy. Path analyses based on the Actor-Partner Interdependence Model revealed that individuals with attachment avoidance reported perceiving fewer positive behaviors from their partner, which was associated with their own higher under-commitment. Partners of individuals with avoidance also reported perceiving fewer positive partner behaviors, which was in turn associated with their own higher under-commitment. Partners of individuals with attachment anxiety perceived more positive behaviors from their partner, which was associated to their own lower under-commitment. Perceived negative partner behaviors were only directly associated with higher under-commitment. These findings imply that perceived positive partner behaviors may be a key aspect to target in relationship therapy in couples who present with high attachment insecurities.

Treated together-changed together: The application of dyadic analyses to understand the reciprocal nature of alliances and couple satisfaction over time

In a Norwegian study of 73 couples attending a residential couple therapy program lasting between 6 and 12 weeks, weekly self-report data on therapy alliance and couple satisfaction were collected using routine outcome monitoring (ROM). The aim was to show how dyadic analyses could be applied to examine the predictive association between alliances and couple satisfaction. Results showed that improved alliance between dyad members and their couple therapist predicted their spouses' couple satisfaction. Furthermore, improved couple satisfaction predicted improvement in spouse's alliance. The clinical implication of these findings should heighten awareness to the importance of establishing and maintaining the alliance of male partners in couple therapy, something that predicts their spouses' couple satisfaction. These findings help nuance the already existing literature on the working alliance. Furthermore, we propose that dyadic analyses should be widely used in any psychotherapeutic research that aims to understand the reciprocal effects of dyads.

Changes in Attachment and Commitment in Couples Transitioning to Parenthood

This study examined whether attachment predicts changes in commitment and whether commitment predicts changes in attachment in both partners during the transition to parenthood. Both partners of 93 couples completed online questionnaires individually at the second trimester of pregnancy and at 4 months postpartum. Autoregressive cross-lagged path analyses based on the Actor-Partner Interdependence Model tested the bidirectional associations between attachment dimensions (anxiety and avoidance) and three modes of commitment (optimal, over-commitment, and under-commitment). Results revealed that for both partners, prenatal attachment avoidance was associated with a decrease in optimal commitment and an increase in under-commitment from pre- to postpartum. Fathers' attachment anxiety was associated with a decrease in mothers' under-commitment. Furthermore, prenatal optimal commitment was associated with a decrease in attachment avoidance, whereas under-commitment was associated with an increase in attachment avoidance. Fathers' prenatal over-commitment was associated with an increase in their own attachment anxiety and avoidance. These results highlight how attachment insecurities and relationship commitment interrelate during this major transition.