Examining Attachment Avoidance and Attachment Anxiety Across Eight Sessions of Couple Therapy. (10th August 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Johnson, Lee N.; Tambling, Rachel B.; Mennenga, Kayla D.; Ketring, Scott A.; Oka, Megan; Anderson, Shayne R.; Huff, Scott C.; Miller, Richard B.
• Is Part Of: Journal of marital and family therapy. Volume 42:Number 2(2016:Apr.)
• Page Start: 195
• Page End: 212
• Publication Date: 2015-08-10
• Subjects: Marriage counseling -- United States -- Periodicals; Family psychotherapy -- Periodicals; Counseling -- Periodicals; Family -- Periodicals; Family Therapy -- Periodicals; Marriage -- Periodicals; Gezinstherapie; Conseil conjugal -- États-Unis -- Périodiques; Thérapie familiale -- Périodiques; 616.89156
• DOI: 10.1111/jmft.12136
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0194-472X

Abstract

Abstract : This study examined initial levels of attachment anxiety and avoidance, as well as their patterns of change, across eight sessions of couple therapy. Participants were 461 couples in a treatment‐as‐usual setting. Dyadic latent growth modeling was used to determine whether couples started therapy at similar levels of attachment anxiety and avoidance and whether attachment anxiety and avoidance changed. An actor partner interdependence model was used to see whether partner attachment anxiety was related to avoidance. Results showed relative stability of attachment anxiety and avoidance over the course of therapy, with the only change being a slight decline in attachment anxiety among women. Results showed that a person's attachment anxiety was not related to their partner's avoidance and vice versa.