| The purpose of this study was to explore (a) the role of attachment and differentiation in predicting marital satisfaction for married heterosexual men and women, (b) the relationship between secure attachment and differentiation, and (c) how gender and length of marriage impact the predictive value of attachment and differentiation in marital satisfaction. The sample consisted of 152 individuals living in the U.S. who identified themselves as a heterosexual man or woman in a married relationship and at least 22 years of age. Findings indicated that while both attachment and differentiation explained significant variance in marital satisfaction, attachment avoidance explained the most variance (beta = -.47, p < .001). Results also indicated that there was a significant negative relationship between attachment anxiety and global CDS, r(150)= -. 60, p < .001 and attachment avoidance and global CDS, r(150)= -. 50, p < .001. An interesting and clinically relevant finding was that the relationship between differentiation and marital satisfaction differed between males and females. |
