Major
Psychology
Research Abstract
The adult attachment theory states that physical proximity is vital for romantic relationship stability. Attachment styles are linked to relational conflict resolution, with secure individuals likely to use mutually-focused, and insecure individuals likely to use avoiding strategies. Communication research has shown that long distance couples accentuate positive affect and minimize differences. Therefore, it was hypothesized that long distance couples will engage in greater avoidant conflict resolution than geographically close couples. The participants included 94 college students. A MANOVA revealed a trend opposing the hypothesis. Long distance couples used less avoidant conflict resolution than geographically close couples, irrespective of attachment style.
Faculty Mentor/Advisor
Shirley McGuire
Course
PSYC 499: Honors Thesis Seminar
Included in
Conflict Resolution and Attachment Security: Long Distance Versus Geographically Close Romantic Relationships
The adult attachment theory states that physical proximity is vital for romantic relationship stability. Attachment styles are linked to relational conflict resolution, with secure individuals likely to use mutually-focused, and insecure individuals likely to use avoiding strategies. Communication research has shown that long distance couples accentuate positive affect and minimize differences. Therefore, it was hypothesized that long distance couples will engage in greater avoidant conflict resolution than geographically close couples. The participants included 94 college students. A MANOVA revealed a trend opposing the hypothesis. Long distance couples used less avoidant conflict resolution than geographically close couples, irrespective of attachment style.
