Attachment anxiety in daily experiences of romantic relationships: An expansion of the mutual cyclical growth model.
Affiliation of Author, Researcher, or Creator
Marlboro Institute of Liberal Arts and Interdisciplinary Studies
Department
Marlboro Institute for Liberal Arts and Interdisciplinary Studies
Author(s)
Beck, L. A., Lemay, E. P., Jr., & Witting, C. S.
Resource Type
Article
Publication, Publisher or Distributor
Journal of Social and Personal Relationships
Publication Date
2024
Brief Description
This research provides a conceptual replication and theoretical extension of the mutual cyclical growth model. This model proposes that dependence promotes relationship commitment, which promotes pro-relationship behavior, which—when detected by partners—promotes partners’ trust, which promotes partners’ willingness to depend on the relationship. Prior research supports these links on a month-to-month basis, but romantic partners’ thoughts, feelings, and behaviors may change on a day-to-day basis. The present research sought to replicate the model on a daily level, and to extend the model with an important potential moderator: individuals’ attachment orientations. Results from a dyadic daily-report study of romantic couples replicated the links in the mutual cyclical growth model at the level of day-to-day fluctuations in partners’ experiences; the links were especially strong for individuals high in attachment anxiety. This research provides insight into mechanisms through which close relationships develop and strengthen.
Keywords
attachment, commitment, dependence, romantic relationships, trust
Recommended Citation
Beck, L. A., Lemay, E. P., Jr., & Witting, C. S. (2024). Attachment anxiety in daily experiences of romantic relationships: An expansion of the mutual cyclical growth model. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 41(8), 2095-2120. https://doi.org/10.1177/02654075241235335
Preferred Citation Style
APA
Peer Reviewed
1
License Agreement
1