Romantic relationships are an important part of people’s lives. Indeed, having satisfying romantic relationships predicts health and well-being (Chopik & O’Brien, 2017). Attachment style in romantic relationships predicts... [ view full abstract ]
Romantic relationships are an important part of people’s lives. Indeed, having satisfying romantic relationships predicts health and well-being (Chopik & O’Brien, 2017). Attachment style in romantic relationships predicts relationship satisfaction and well-being (Simpson, 1990). An insecurely attached individual doubts the availability and support of others. In studies of attachment, insecure attachment (characterized by high levels of anxiety and/or avoidance) is associated with greater anxiety and loneliness (even when in a romantic relationship) and low self-esteem (Collins & Read, 1990). Additionally, insecurely attached individuals tend to experience a higher rate of relationship dissolution (Hazan & Shaver, 1987). Conversely, gratitude has been shown to benefit social relationships and increase positive emotions (Burkhart et al., 2015); however, research on the potential benefits that a positive intervention, such as gratitude, would have on romantic relationships for insecurely attached individuals. By looking at separate literature on attachment and gratitude, an attachment-oriented gratitude activity was developed. The attachment-oriented gratitude activity is thought to evoke feelings of attachment security by thinking of someone who has made the individual feel cherished, protected, or accepted. The attachment-oriented gratitude activity has been shown to improve positive emotions, meaning in life, and connectedness among parents who are insecurely attached (Nelson-Coffey & Coffey, 2018); however, the effects of attachment-oriented gratitude has not been studied in the context of romantic relationships. We hypothesized that it would be especially beneficial for insecurely attached relationship partners. The participants (N= 225, 71% women, Mage = 40.53) were randomly assigned to one of three conditions: 1) to write a gratitude letter for someone who made them feel cherished, protected, or accepted (attachment-oriented gratitude), 2) to write a gratitude letter for someone who was kind to them (general gratitude), or 3) to write about their daily activities (control). Among people high in attachment-related anxiety, attachment-oriented gratitude led to improvements in feelings of competence (p < .08), relationship satisfaction, and couple satisfaction (p < .001), and positive emotions and meaning in life (p < .05) five days later. This evidence suggests that a more specific gratitude such as attachment-oriented gratitude is beneficial for anxiously attached partners in relationships.
