Romantic Attachment as a Predictor of Partners' Dyadic Coping

The article presents the results of theoretical and empirical study about the interlinking of partners' romantic attachment and qualities of their dyadic coping. The authors suggested that dimensions of secure romantic attachment have positive effects on dyadic coping in close relationships. Dimensions of insecure romantic attachment, according to the authors` hypotheses, have a negative impact on dyadic coping. The study involved 65 couples (n = 130), men aged 18-57 (M = 26.2; SD = 6.1); women aged 18-35 (M = 23.4; SD = 4.2). There were 25 married couples, and 40 couples being in relationships, among them 18 couples cohabitated, 22 couples were dating. Method: Multi-Item Measure of Adult Romantic Attachment by K.A. Brennan, F.R. Shaver; Dyadic Coping Inventary by G. Bodenmann. It was found that the dimensions of partners' romantic attachment influence the dyadic coping strategies choice in different directions: enhancing some and reducing others. Dimensions of romantic attachment predict not only the one's dyadic coping strategies choice, but also the coping strategies choice by their partner. The results obtained in the study allow concluding that partners' dyadic coping has both similar and specific features in men and women. Romantic attachment determines dyadic coping in close relationships. Insecure attachment styles reduce the frequency of choosing dyadic coping strategies in men and women. Secure attachment style increases partners' focus on dyadic coping as a means of stabilizing close relationships. Thus, the stated hypothesis was partially confirmed.