Barriers to comforting: Couples' attachment and emotional reactivity in a German sample
Dados Bibliográficos
| AUTOR(ES) | |
|---|---|
| AFILIAÇÃO(ÕES) | Department of Psychology and Logopedics University of Helsinki Helsinki Finland, Wilhelm Wundt Institute for Psychology University of Leipzig Leipzig Germany, Institute of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy Technische Universität Dresden Dresden Germany, Professorship of Developmental Psychology and Educational Psychology Evangelische Hochschule Dresden Dresden Germany |
| ANO | 2025 |
| TIPO | Artigo |
| PERIÓDICO | Journal of Marriage and Family |
| ISSN | 0022-2445 |
| E-ISSN | 1741-3737 |
| EDITORA | Sage Publications (United States) |
| DOI | 10.1111/jomf.13079 |
| ADICIONADO EM | 2025-08-18 |
Resumo
ObjectiveThis study examines how attachment orientations are associated with emotional reactivity (i.e., emotional experience and expression) during couples' comforting conversations, as well as age‐related differences in these associations.BackgroundEffective emotional support during times of need is essential for maintaining intimate relationships. While it is well documented that attachment anxiety and avoidance significantly challenge partners' comforting interactions, research on how these attachment styles affect partners' emotional reactivity in comforting situations remains lacking.MethodThe current study recruited 37 younger (Mage = 24.33) and 41 older couples (Mage = 70.27) in Germany. Couples first separated to relive a recent personal negative event (i.e., the comfort seeker) or a non‐emotional event (i.e., the comforters), and then reunited for a comforting conversation about the negative event, with subsequent assessments of their subjective emotional experience, facial, and verbal expressions.ResultsFindings indicated that comfort seekers' anxiety was associated with more difficulties in their own emotional recovery and a greater decrease in their partner's positive emotions after comforting conversations. Moreover, comforters' avoidance was associated with their partner's reduced positive facial expression. Notably, significant age‐related differences were identified, with younger couples showing stronger associations between attachment styles and negative verbal expression compared to older couples.ConclusionThe study highlights how attachment styles are associated with emotional reactivity in couples' comforting situations, emphasizing the need for tailored therapeutic interventions to improve emotional recovery and positive emotional expression, especially in younger couples.