It's Not You, It's Me: Individual Factors Associated with Attachment and Relationship Satisfaction

Abstract

Relationship satisfaction is positively correlated with higher levels of happiness, lower risk for depression, and greater overall well-being. Research on individual predictors of relationship satisfaction points to attachment style as the most important predictor. The current study sought to further investigate the relationship between attachment and satisfaction by examining four individual-level factors that might help explain this relationship. We proposed that guilt-proneness, shame-proneness, communal norm adherence, and exchange norm adherence might play a mediating role in the effect of attachment style on relationship satisfaction. We also examined potential differences in the strength of this relationship depending on age, marital status, and relationship length. A total of 397 adults completed self-report questionnaires online assessing relationship satisfaction, attachment style, guilt- and shame-proneness, and communal and exchange norm use. Communal norm use mediated the relationship between anxious attachment and relationship satisfaction. The strength of the relationship between attachment and satisfaction increased with age.