Atiachment Style and Heterosexual Relationships among Young Adults: A Short-Term Panel Study

Abstract

We investigated whether the relationship advantages reported for individuals with a secure attachment style persisted over a 4-month time period. The temporal stability of two self-report measures of attachment style was also investigated. `Secures' reported consistent levels of relationship satisfaction, relationship costs, relationship commitment, trust for their partners. `Insecures' (i.e. avoidants and anxious/ambivalents) reported decreasing levels of satisfaction, commitment and trust along with increasing relationship costs. Insecurely attached individuals from ended relationships characterized their relationships more negatively than insecures from intact relationships. Both self-report measures of attachment style were characterized by considerable short-term temporal stability.