Attachment Avoidance And Anger Suppression:The Mediating Role Of Intimacy Power

Adult attachment refers to the intimate emotional connection between an individual and his current partner.The dimension of attachment avoidance refers to the degree that a person does not trust his partner’s good intentions and defensively maintains the independence of behavior and emotion.The dimension of attachment anxiety refers to the degree of fear of separation and fear of being abandoned by his partner.In order to explore the relationship between attachment avoidance and anger suppression and its internal psychological mechanism,study 1 used 267,101 and 429 adults with love experience as subjects to measure attachment avoidance,intimacy power and anger suppression,and conducted intermediary test successively.The results showed that:(1)attachment avoidance was positively correlated with anger suppression,attachment avoidance was negatively correlated with intimacy power,and intimacy power was negatively correlated with anger suppression;(2)Attachment avoidance priming condition increased anger suppression behavior;(3)Intimacy power partly mediated the relationship between attachment avoidance and anger suppression.We can think that the relatively equal sense of power is more helpful to reduce the internal inhibition of anger of both partners,which has a certain practical significance for individuals to establish a positive intimate relationship.In order to further explore the power perception of individuals with high degree of attachment avoidance in intimate relationship and the control and expression of anger in the process of love from a realistic perspective,study 2 conducted a qualitative research by using semi-structured interview method,and further compared the similarities and differences of cognitive behavior patterns,relationship power struggle,personal growth and integration of insecure attachment individuals in intimate relationship.Data analysis showed that:(1)in cognitive behavior pattern,individuals with high attachment avoidance felt "so troubled" in intimate relationship and keep emotional distance from their partners;Individuals with high attachment anxiety felt "very tired" in close relationship,and their emotions fluctuated greatly.(2)In the aspect of power struggle,high attachment avoided individuals paying attention to their partner’s personality and personal sense of space,avoided relationship conflicts and responsibilities,and generated anger when they felt restricted,controlled,concealed or cheated;Individuals with high attachment anxiety craved the attention and effort of their partner,felt angry when they were not valued or understood by their partner,and communicated with their partner about relationship decision-making,but used relationship aggression as a kind of means to express dissatisfaction and influence their partner.(3)In terms of personal growth and integration,individuals with high attachment anxiety could perceive and adjust their own needs,and the promotion of their own sense of value and the constant care and response of their partners could reduce their attachment anxiety;High attachment avoidance individuals made more self-expression,and their partners’ respect and acceptance of space could reduce their attachment avoidance.