Correlates of Self-Reported Adult Attachment Styles in a Dutch Sample of Married Men and Women

Abstract

The relationships between attachment style, recollections of the family of origin, working model of self and others and current relational satisfaction were examined in a Dutch sample of married subjects from the general community. Measures were adapted from those developed by Hazan & Shaver (1987). Results generally corroborated the Hazan & Shaver (1987) analyses: subjects endorsing the avoidant and anxious ambivalent styles reported more adverse childhood experiences, i.e. less affectionate and more rejecting parents and more experiences related with separations, as well as a more fearful model of self and others. For men and women the same-sex parent appeared to be more important than the other-sex parent. Moreover, only among men and not among women was attachment style related to current relational satisfaction. All effects were obtained while controlling for age and social desirability, thus enhancing the validity and generalizability of the findings.