The Pathway From Attachment Styles to Addiction in Romantic Relationships: The Mediating Roles of Psychological Flexibility and Difficulties in Emotion Regulation

Abstract

The present study aimed to examine the mediating roles of psychological flexibility (PF) and difficulties in emotion regulation (DER) in the relationship between attachment styles and addiction in romantic relationships (ARR). The participants consisted of 522 adults from Türkiye, aged between 18 and 55 years (M = 29.28, SD = 8.36), who were recruited online. Data were collected using the Three-Dimensional Attachment Style Scale, the Psychological Flexibility in Romantic Relationships Scale, the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale-8, and the Addiction in Romantic Relationships Scale. Pearson correlation analysis was conducted to examine the relationships among the variables. Serial mediation was tested using path analysis within a structural equation modeling (SEM) framework, and the significance of direct and indirect effects was evaluated using bootstrapping. The results indicated that secure and anxious attachment were significantly associated with PF, DER, and ARR. Avoidant attachment, however, was not significantly associated with ARR. Additionally, PF, DER, and ARR interrelated. Path analysis further showed that secure and anxious attachment indirectly associated with ARR through PF and DER. Overall, the findings suggest that PF and emotion regulation processes may be relevant targets for promoting healthier romantic relationship functioning.