Attachment styles and conflict management among married couples

Abstract

The prese1lt study was designed fa explore the Attachment styles and COI?/lict N/cuwgemenf mnong married couples, It was a/so (fimed 10 explore the gender differences in otlaehmen/ styles and conflict management. Demographic variables of age, length a/relationship, family income, and education 'were also e.'p/ored. The sludy cOl/sisted 0/ three phases. Phase-l comprised of translation and adaplation of three questionnaires. The Experiences in Close Relationships-Revised (ECR-R) Questionnaire (Fraley, Waller, & Brennan, 2000), which meCl.5'llres fhe attachment slyles of couples; The Disagreemenl Scale-When JiVe Disagree, (his scale meaSllres the con/Ncr management styles used by partners in a conflicting si/ltalion, and When We Disagree: Outcome by Camara and Resnik. J 989 which measures the participanf 's feelings after Ihe conflict was over. Pre-testing of all three scales was also carried 0111 in phase-! In Phase-II a pilol sllldy 'was carried 011110 tesf whetherlhe scales 'were reliable measllres of Ihe above mentioned variables. Phase- Ill was the main study that was aimed aT fulfilling of the objectives. Sample of260 individuals ' i.e. no hllsbands and 130 wives was lakeH, who were married for the pasr 5-20 years. The data WtlS collected from dffferenl cities 0/ Pc/kis/all i.e. Islamabad, Rawcllpindi and Faisalabod. Convenience sampling technique was used and data was collected on Ihe three sc,lies along with a demographic data sheet. The jindings indicated satis/aclolY alpha reliability coefficients of all three scales. Resulls showed {hal secure individllals lise cOlllprondsing conJ];ct mallagement techniques whereas, fearful individuals avoid conflicting situatiolls. Furthermore, young individllals were more secure and compromising and they reported increased intimacy after conflict resolll1ion. High educalion and low income was also found to be highly correlated wilh secure and compromising individuals. The sample delllonsfrctted nOIl-sigllf!icclllt gel/del' d{fferences 011 ECR-R Questionnaire, The Disagreemellt Scale-When We Disagree and The Disagreement scale: outcome. The study concluded tl1at there exists a relationship between attachment alld conflict management among married couples. Findings of the study cOl/ld be IItilized il1l11orital cOllnseling and training programs to maimain healthy lIIal'ilal relationships.