Romantic relationships (RR) regarding attachment styles and theory have been widely studied, whereas platonic relationships (PR) have received comparatively less attention in research. This study aims to explore two hypotheses: (1) individuals exhibit more avoidant behavior in platonic relationships rather than anxious behavior, and more anxious behavior in romantic relationships than in platonic ones; (2) attachment styles in platonic relationships manifest uniquely and can exist independently of romantic attachment. This research aims to better understand the way that attachment differs between both relationship types. Through a quantitative study involving a survey with a 5-point Likert scale measuring attachment, administered to college-aged students and others, the data analysis supported the prediction that anxiousness is higher in RR than in PR and avoidance is higher in PR than in RR. As for the second hypothesis, the data did not fully support that attachment styles exist uniquely in both relationship types. This research helps contribute to a better understanding of how attachment differs between RR and PR.

Submitted by Filipe dos Santos (fsantos@pucsp.br) on 2016-09-01T14:33:58Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Lígia Baruch de Figueiredo.pdf: 1298049 bytes, checksum: 781f6aa407bcee4b9c0d711e3eacf7ef (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-09-01T14:33:58Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Lígia Baruch de Figueiredo.pdf: 1298049 bytes, checksum: 781f6aa407bcee4b9c0d711e3eacf7ef (MD5) Previous issue date: 2016-04-06 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / The overall objective of this Thesis was to understand the use unmarried adult women (single, widowed or separated) are doing of partner search applications. The theoretical contributions were the critical studies of gender and the theory of romantic attachment. The method was qualitative and the instrument used was the interview. Semi-directed interviews were conducted with five women over 35 years of urban middle class with high educational levels and adepts of new technologies, which reported their experiences of the use and their perceptions about the impact of applications of meetings in the contemporary relationships. The results led to the formulation of a proposal for three styles of usage of applications partner search: the curious use, recreational use and rational use. As for the impact on the formation of romantic relationships we observed that these widen the possibilities for meetings for different purposes. Applications for meetings also highlighted some aspects of contemporary romantic relationships, such as greater exposure, quantity and speed interactions, persistent romantic ideas updated through adaptations, and belief in technology, rationality and self-knowledge for a better partner selection. The dating applications are valid resources and increasingly popular in searching loving partnership. In general its uses reflect the typified behaviors of gender of our society, but also they facilitate the emergence of more recreational female sexual behaviors, which can contribute for greater equality between genders / O objetivo geral desta Tese foi compreender o uso que mulheres adultas não casadas (solteiras, viúvas ou separadas) estão fazendo de aplicativos de busca de parceiros. Os aportes teóricos foram os estudos críticos de gênero e a teoria do apego romântico. O método foi qualitativo e o instrumento utilizado foi a entrevista. Foram realizadas entrevistas semi-dirigidas com cinco mulheres acima dos 35 anos das camadas médias urbanas, com altos níveis educacionais e adeptas das novas tecnologias, que relataram suas experiências de uso e suas percepções a respeito do impacto dos aplicativos para encontros nos relacionamentos contemporâneos. Os resultados levaram à formulação de uma proposta de três estilos de uso dos aplicativos para busca de parceiros: o uso curioso, o uso recreativo e o uso racional. Quanto ao impacto na formação dos relacionamentos amorosos observamos que os aplicativos ampliam as possibilidades de encontros para diferentes propósitos. Os aplicativos para encontros também colocam em destaque alguns aspectos dos relacionamentos amorosos contemporâneos, tais como: maior exposição, quantidade e velocidade nas interações, ideias românticas persistentes e atualizadas por meio de adaptações e crença na tecnologia, na racionalidade e no autoconhecimento para uma melhor seleção de parceiro. Os aplicativos de encontros são recursos válidos e cada vez mais populares para a busca de parceria amorosa. De maneira geral seus usos refletem os comportamentos tipificados de gênero da nossa sociedade, mas também facilitam a emergência de comportamentos sexuais femininos mais recreativos, o que pode contribuir para uma maior equidade entre os gêneros

Using an attachment theory perspective, variation in adult romantic attachment style outcomes were examined according to childhood experiences of parental divorce and residential instability. The sample was comprised of 172 individuals in the young adulthood developmental stage that were recruited using snowball sampling via online social networking. Participants completed an online survey containing the 36-item Experiences in Close Relationships scale and 28 author-developed items. The majority of the sample reported stable and predictable living arrangements as children. Those whose parents had divorced reported higher levels of parental conflict during their childhood than those whose parents had never divorced or separated. There was no statistical difference on adult romantic attachment style score between individuals who experience parental divorce or separation and those who did not. Parental conflict and stability of residence patterns did not have a statistically significant impact on attachment avoidance or anxiety. For participants whose parents had divorced or separated, conflict, residential stability, and time with nonresidential parent statistically improved the predictive ability of attachment anxiety. Specifically, time with nonresidential parent moderated adult romantic attachment anxiety.

Given the nature of couple conflict, couples are frequently tasked with mutually working towards a solution to a given problem. Effective conflict management is a key relationship resource that maintains closeness and cohesiveness (Epstein & Baucom, 2002; Overall & Simpson, 2013), whereas ineffective conflict management is generally associated with impaired relationship functioning (Gottman & Notarius, 2000; Overall & Fletcher, 2010). The overarching goal of the present thesis therefore consisted of further advancing the field’s understanding of conflict management as an interpersonal process in heterosexual couple relationships. This goal was addressed through two novel and complementary studies. The sample for both studies consisted of 179 community-based heterosexual adult couples involved in a long-term romantic relationship. During the testing session, participants completed a questionnaire package and discussed a topic of disagreement for 15 minutes. These interactions were then coded for both positive and negative conflict management behaviours. Both studies modeled these conflict management behaviours alongside crucial variables involved in couple conflict. The first study examined the ways in which partners’ adult romantic attachment orientations interact to predict their conflict management behaviours. As hypothesized, the results provide preliminary evidence that, in some cases, men’s and women’s conflict management depends on the interaction between their own and their partner’s adult romantic attachment orientation, more so than a sole individual’s attachment. The second study examined whether effective conflict management moderates the negative association between relationship satisfaction and men’s and women’s use of psychological partner aggression. Contrary to hypotheses, the results suggest that, in predicting these aggressive acts, relationship satisfaction and conflict management make fairly independent contributions. These findings are based on strong theoretical frameworks as well as a number of methodological strengths, including the observational coding of positive and negative conflict management behaviours and the implementation of sophisticated dyadic data analyses. Furthermore, by filling gaps in the existing literature, these findings offer several theoretical, empirical, and clinical implications for the field of couple conflict. As individual and collective bodies of work, the studies of the present thesis provide invaluable evidence in support of the complex and interdependent nature of couple relationships. Such findings are highly relevant to couple researchers and clinicians alike, both of whom endeavour to understand and improve couple relationship functioning.

This study examined how adult romantic attachment (anxiety and avoidance dimensions), global self-esteem, and social and academic self-views relate to one another and how well they predict preference for a specific feedback type (enhancing, verifying, or no feedback) from a potential romantic partner in times of distress. It also investigated the relation between the type of feedback one receives and attraction to the partner who gives that type of feedback. Multiple regression analyses supported some predicted relations between romantic attachment and feedback preference. Neither global self-esteem nor social and academic self-views predicted preference for a particular feedback type, nor did social self-views moderate the relation between attachment and feedback preference. Although global self-esteem was found to moderate the relation between attachment style and feedback preference, the moderation effects were not in the predicted directions. However, academic self-views were found to moderate the relation between attachment and feedback preference. In addition, anxious and avoidant attachment related negatively to global self-esteem, social self-views, and academic self-view. Global self-esteem related positively to both social and academic self-views. Receiving one's preferred feedback predicted attraction to the potential romantic partner who gave that type of feedback. Limitations of the study and direction for future research are discussed.

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The present study examined the possibility that adult romantic attachment orientation, empathy, and social skills could either individually or jointly influence the expression of mate poaching behaviors. Participants (N = 404) were recruited from a Southern Appalachian university and ranged in age from 18-60 years, with a mean of 21. Data were collected using a web-based survey system. Results of this study lend support to the growing literature demonstrating a link between adult romantic attachment and mate poaching. Additionally, the present study also added to the literature by showing for the first time 1) a relationship between empathy and mate poaching and 2) a relationship between social skills and mate poaching. Contrary to one of the hypothesized structural models, adult attachment was not found to mediate the relationships between 1) empathy and mate poaching and 2) social skills and mate poaching.

Self-regulation in the context of a relationship, described as relationship "work," is a powerful predictor of relationship satisfaction. Identifying individual characteristics that predict the practice of relationship self-regulation (RSR) can inform clinical and couple relationship education interventions. Anxious and avoidant attachment have been linked to shortcomings in self-regulation in various contexts, and were hypothesized to be negatively associated to individual practice of RSR; neuroticism, a personality trait characterized by negative emotionality, was also hypothesized to be negatively related to RSR. Neuroticism was also tested as a moderator of the relationship between attachment and RSR. Data from first-married men (589) and women (912) taking the RELATE online questionnaire was used in correlational and OLS multiple regression analyses to test hypotheses and a research question. Bi-variate correlations for all predictor variables and RSR were negative and statistically significant for women and men. Regression analyses echoed those associations. Moderated multiple regression analyses testing a moderator effect of neuroticism were significant for anxious attachment and RSR, but not for avoidant attachment. Results are interpreted as support for the theoretical model tested.

Stressors stemming from tactical policing such as social isolation and increased work responsibilities often spill over into the home and affect personal relationships. Using attachment theory as the guiding framework, this mixed methods study aimed to obtain a better understanding of the factors involved in maintaining long-term relationships between tactical officers and their romantic partners. Phase I consisted of surveys administered to tactical officers in Kentucky and measured romantic partner attachment, organizational and operational police stressors. Research questions examined how operational and organizational stress correlated with attachment while controlling for demographics. Analysis indicated that holding a rank above an officer has a significant relationship to both operational and organizational stress. Influenced by the findings from phase I, phase II consisted of 30 qualitative interviews with both tactical officers and their romantic partners. Using elements of attachment theory, symbolic interactionism, and components comprising the spirit of grounded theory, four primary themes with supporting subthemes were discovered: (1) communication, a key component of successful relationships; (2) isolation, particularly from socializing with those outside policing or tactical policing; (3) job related stress, where participants indicated more stress with tactical duties; and (4) tactical team as family and trust where participants indicated that personal support among team members was essential to building the mutual trust needed for the dangers of tactical policing. These themes indicated important findings including better communication between couples who had a romantic partner working in a criminal justice related field and discovery of stressors unique to tactical policing including increased job-related stress pertaining to the higher physical, moral and intellectual standards needed for tactical policing. Participant-based advice and recommendations for more tailored support services for tactical officers and their families were also developed from the findings of phase II and included a need for family notification systems and creation of family-oriented trainings. Relationships between the phases highlighted unique aspects of police subculture within tactical policing and its effects on the personal and occupational lives of tactical officers.