The Impact of Attachment Style on Communication Frequency and Language Use in Romantic Partners’ Text Messages

Abstract

This study examines the association between attachment style and text message behaviors using the text message history of 40 early-stage college student daters. Actor-partner interdependence models revealed an association between avoidant attachment and decreased texting frequency, but not an association between anxious attachment and texting frequency. Further, anxiously attached individuals utilized more future focused language in their text messages to their partner; avoidant attachment did not independently predict language use in text messages. Overall, there is evidence to support the impact of attachment style on the frequency of, and language use in, text messages between romantic partners, which serves as a next step to understand how attachment may affect everyday communication.

Keywords

attachment style computer-mediated communication dyadic data analysis LIWC mobile data donation romantic relationships

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