Attachment styles and mate-retention: Exploring the mediating role of relationship satisfaction

Bruna da Silva Nascimento; Anthony C. Little; Renan P.  Monteiro; Paul H Hanel; Katia Correa Vione

doi:10.1037/ebs0000272

Attachment styles and mate-retention: Exploring the mediating role of relationship satisfaction

Bruna da Silva Nascimento^*
, Anthony C. Little
, Renan P. Monteiro
, Paul H Hanel
, Katia Correa Vione

^*Corresponding author for this work

Psychology

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

This study investigated whether relationship satisfaction mediates the association between attachment styles and mate-retention strategies. Four-hundred and twenty individuals in a heterosexual committed relationship participated in this study (79.7% women; Mage = 23.22, SDage = 8.07). Participants completed questionnaires assessing attachment styles, relationship satisfaction, and mate-retention strategies. The results replicated previous findings by showing that insecure attachment is positively associated with benefit-provisioning and cost-inflicting mate-retention strategies and extended previous research by showing that relationship satisfaction mediates these associations. The present findings confirm evolutionary predictions on romantic relationships that relationship satisfaction may serve as a monitor determining how individuals act to preserve their relationships.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	362–370
Journal	Evolutionary Behavioral Sciences
Volume	16
Issue number	4
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1037/ebs0000272
Publication status	Published - 31 Oct 2022

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http://repository.essex.ac.uk/id/eprint/30664Licence: None: All rights reserved

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title = "Attachment styles and mate-retention: Exploring the mediating role of relationship satisfaction",

abstract = "This study investigated whether relationship satisfaction mediates the association between attachment styles and mate-retention strategies. Four-hundred and twenty individuals in a heterosexual committed relationship participated in this study (79.7\% women; Mage = 23.22, SDage = 8.07). Participants completed questionnaires assessing attachment styles, relationship satisfaction, and mate-retention strategies. The results replicated previous findings by showing that insecure attachment is positively associated with benefit-provisioning and cost-inflicting mate-retention strategies and extended previous research by showing that relationship satisfaction mediates these associations. The present findings confirm evolutionary predictions on romantic relationships that relationship satisfaction may serve as a monitor determining how individuals act to preserve their relationships.",

author = "Nascimento, \{Bruna da Silva\} and Little, \{Anthony C.\} and Monteiro, \{Renan P.\} and Hanel, \{Paul H\} and \{Correa Vione\}, Katia",

year = "2022",

month = oct,

day = "31",

doi = "10.1037/ebs0000272",

language = "English",

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journal = "Evolutionary Behavioral Sciences",

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TY - JOUR

T1 - Attachment styles and mate-retention

T2 - Exploring the mediating role of relationship satisfaction

AU - Nascimento, Bruna da Silva

AU - Little, Anthony C.

AU - Monteiro, Renan P.

AU - Hanel, Paul H

AU - Correa Vione, Katia

PY - 2022/10/31

Y1 - 2022/10/31

N2 - This study investigated whether relationship satisfaction mediates the association between attachment styles and mate-retention strategies. Four-hundred and twenty individuals in a heterosexual committed relationship participated in this study (79.7% women; Mage = 23.22, SDage = 8.07). Participants completed questionnaires assessing attachment styles, relationship satisfaction, and mate-retention strategies. The results replicated previous findings by showing that insecure attachment is positively associated with benefit-provisioning and cost-inflicting mate-retention strategies and extended previous research by showing that relationship satisfaction mediates these associations. The present findings confirm evolutionary predictions on romantic relationships that relationship satisfaction may serve as a monitor determining how individuals act to preserve their relationships.

AB - This study investigated whether relationship satisfaction mediates the association between attachment styles and mate-retention strategies. Four-hundred and twenty individuals in a heterosexual committed relationship participated in this study (79.7% women; Mage = 23.22, SDage = 8.07). Participants completed questionnaires assessing attachment styles, relationship satisfaction, and mate-retention strategies. The results replicated previous findings by showing that insecure attachment is positively associated with benefit-provisioning and cost-inflicting mate-retention strategies and extended previous research by showing that relationship satisfaction mediates these associations. The present findings confirm evolutionary predictions on romantic relationships that relationship satisfaction may serve as a monitor determining how individuals act to preserve their relationships.

U2 - 10.1037/ebs0000272

DO - 10.1037/ebs0000272

M3 - Article

SN - 2330-2925

VL - 16

SP - 362

EP - 370

JO - Evolutionary Behavioral Sciences

JF - Evolutionary Behavioral Sciences

IS - 4

ER -

Attachment styles and mate-retention: Exploring the mediating role of relationship satisfaction

Abstract

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