Regular Article
The development of commitment and attachment in dating relationships: attachment security as relationship construct

https://doi.org/10.1006/jado.2001.0406Get rights and content

Abstract

This study examined attachment security and commitment as predictors of relationship stability in a sample of 51 couples. Attachment and commitment were measured during the Fall and Spring semesters prior to graduation from college and relationship stability was determined by contacting couples approximately one year following graduation from college. Attachment security was measured as a relationship construct (appraisal of the dating partner's availability and responsiveness). Attachment security increased with the length of time in the dating relationship and predicted relationship stability following graduation. We then considered how personality and family of origin factors contributed to positive trajectories within the dating relationship (i.e. the growth of attachment security, commitment and relationship stability). Males' security with their mothers and fathers and reports of open communication between their parents contributed to growth in attachment security and commitment between the Fall and Spring semesters. Attachment styles (assessed as a measure of personality) also predicted relationship stability with both males' and females' security increasing the relationship stability one year after graduation. Implications for understanding attachment as both a personality and relationship construct in adult romantic relationships are discussed.

References (37)

  • M. Acker et al.

    Intimacy, passion, and commitment in adult romantic relationships: a test of the triangular theory of love

    Journal of Social and Personal Relationships

    (1992)
  • J.M. Adams et al.

    The conceptualization of marital commitment: an integrative analysis

    Journal of Personality and Social Psychology

    (1997)
  • K. Bartholomew et al.

    Attachment styles among young adults: a test of a four category model

    Journal of Personality and Social Psychology

    (1991)
  • S.R.H. Beach et al.

    Love in marriage: a cognitive account

  • J. Bowlby

    Attachment and Loss: Vol. 2. Separation: Anxiety and Anger

    (1973)
  • J. Bowlby

    Attachment and Loss: Vol. 1. Attachment

    (1982)
  • J. Bowlby

    A Secure Base: Parent–Child Attachment and Healthy Human Development

    (1988)
  • I. Bretherton

    Young children in stressful situations: the supporting role of attachment figures and unfamiliar caregivers

  • Burland, A. Duemmler, S. L. 1997, Current attachment relationships and emotion regulation in dating...
  • D.M. Buss

    Love acts: the evolutionary biology of love

  • A. Collins et al.

    Developmental precursors of romantic relationships: a longitudinal analysis

  • J.A. Crowell et al.

    Bowlby's theory grown up: the role of attachment in adult love relationships

    Psychological Inquiry

    (1994)
  • J.A. Crowell et al.

    Measurement of individual difference in adolescent and adult attachment

  • S. Duck

    Attaching meaning to attachment

    Psychological Inquiry

    (1994)
  • F.D. Fincham et al.

    Marital satisfaction and depression: different causal relationships for men and women?

    Psychological Science

    (1997)
  • W. Furman et al.

    Adolescent romantic relationships: a developmental perspective

  • Hazan, C. 1994, Important People, Cornell University, New...
  • C. Hazan et al.

    Attachment as an organizational framework for research on close relationships

    Psychological Inquiry

    (1994)
  • Cited by (50)

    • A tangled start: The link between childhood maltreatment, psychopathology, and relationships in adulthood

      2021, Child Abuse and Neglect
      Citation Excerpt :

      We therefore controlled for duration of relationship in our study. In line with previous studies (Duemmler & Kobak, 2001) we found an association between duration of the relationship and secure attachment style (r = 0.44), indicating that individuals in longer lasting relationships tend to report more secure attachment styles. This may go both ways, in the sense that commitment, mutual trust, and satisfaction, may result in a more secure attachment style, whereas individuals with more secure attachment styles generally will also end up in longer lasting relationships.

    • Adult Attachment: A Concise Introduction to Theory and Research

      2016, Adult Attachment: A Concise Introduction to Theory and Research
    • Positive orientation and interpersonal styles

      2016, Personality and Individual Differences
      Citation Excerpt :

      Furthermore, the major contribution of POS in reducing avoidance over the entire examined interval of time, as well as the higher contribution of POS in reducing anxiety in adulthood compared to an earlier age is worth noting . It is important to note that most of the participating young adults had stable relationships; therefore, it is possible that they tended to experience lower levels of ANX and AV in their romantic relationships than at earlier ages (e.g., Duemmler & Kobak, 2001). Yet, Model 1 (AV) variability at T3 is 37% while in Model 2 (ANX) variability at T3 is 55%.

    View all citing articles on Scopus
    f1

    Reprint requests and correspondence should be addressed to Roger Kobak, Department of Psychology, 220 Wolf Hall, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware 19716. (E-mail: [email protected] or [email protected]).

    View full text