[[alternative]]Attachment Styles, Conflict-Coping Strategies and Marital Satisfaction in Married Couples

[[abstract]]Attachment Styles, Conflict-Coping Strategies and Marital Satisfaction in Married Couples Chia-Ling Lin Abstract The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships among spouses' attachment styles, conflict-coping strategies, and marital satisfaction. The sample was composed of 299 married couples living in the northern parts of Taiwan and having primary school-age children. Instruments used in this study were ”Experiences in Close Relationship Inventory”, “The Marital Coping Inventory”, and “Marital Satisfaction Inventory”. Data obtained were analyzed by contingency coefficient, One-way MANOVA, ANOVA and Canonical correlation. The major findings were as follows: 1. The relationship between spouse’s attachment styles The result of contingency coefficient analysis revealed that husbands’ attachment style was significantly associated with wives’ attachment style. Secure participants tended to pair with secure partners and vice versa . The same was applicable to the preoccupied, fearful, as well as dismissing attachments. Among all types of pairing, the pairs of secure husbands and secure wives were most common, claiming a leading percentage of 17.4%. 2. Differences between husbands and wives regarding their conflict-coping strategy and marital satisfaction Data analysis indicated significant sex differences for conflict-coping strategy. The differences were evident in forms of conflict, introspective self-blame, positive approach, self-interest and seeking social support. Simply put, husbands reported greater use of positive approach and self-interest than did wives. Moreover, wives reported greater use of conflict, introspective self-blame, and seeking social support than did husbands. As for marital satisfaction, husbands tended to be more satisfied than their wives for psychological aspects of marriage. 3. Difference among attachment styles regarding the conflict- coping strategies and marital satisfaction Results of the one-way MANOVA revealed that husbands and wives with different attachment styles were significantly different on conflict-coping strategies. Major differences lied in conflict, introspective self-blame, positive approach and avoidance. And there were differences on self-interest and seeking social support by husband with different attachment styles. Results of the one-way MANOVA revealed that husbands and wives with different attachment styles were significantly different on marital satisfaction. Primary variations were of physical, economic, psychological, social, and philosophical aspects of marriage. 4. Differences among attachment styles pairing couples on the conflict-coping strategies and marital satisfaction Results of the one-way MANOVA revealed that husbands and wives paired with different attachment styles were significantly different on conflict-coping strategies. Major differences range from conflict, introspective self-blame, positive approach and avoidance. Results of the one-way MANOVA revealed that husbands and wives paired with different attachment styles were significantly different on marital satisfaction. Primary variations were of physical, economic, psychological, social, and philosophical aspects of marriage. 5. The Relationships between conflict-coping strategy and marital satisfaction There are three canonical roots for husbands: a. Husbands using more conflict, introspective self-blame and avoidance, less positive approach, enjoy less satisfaction in their physical, economic, social, psychological, and philosophical aspects of marriage. b. Husbands using more conflict, introspective self-blame, positive approach, and seeking social support enjoy less satisfaction in their social aspects of marriage. c. Husbands involving themselves more in conflicts and social supports and less in avoidance tend to get less physical satisfaction with their spouses. There are two canonical roots for wives: a. Wives using more conflict, introspective self-blame and avoidance, less positive approach, enjoy less satisfaction in their physical, economic, social, psychological,and philosophical aspects of marriage. b. Wives using methods like conflict, introspective self-blame, and positive approach enjoy less satisfaction in both economic and social aspects of the marriages. Lastly, based on the above results, relevant implications were discussed and suggestions for the counseling services as well as future research were presented.