An Investigation of the Dissolution of Romantic Relationships: The Impact of Affective Forecasting, Attachment, and Coping
Date
2012-09-25
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Abstract
The dissolution of a romantic relationship is considered to be one of life’s most distressing and upsetting experiences. However, despite the negative impact accompanied by relational dissolution, little is known concerning individuals’ expectations pertaining to their affective reactions following a romantic breakup, and the accuracy with which people can predict these reactions. Thus, the present research describes a pair of studies aimed at examining affective forecasting in response to relational dissolution (real or imagined). Study 1 consisted of a prospective longitudinal investigation designed to examine (a) the independent contributions of the initial intensity bias and the durability bias, (b) the association between attachment styles and forecasting errors, and (c) whether attachment moderated the association between anticipated affect and coping. Participants were 33 undergraduate students who experienced the breakup of a romantic relationship during the course of the study. Results revealed that (a) participants committed the durability bias (but not the initial intensity bias), (b) attachment avoidance (and not anxiety) moderated the durability bias, and (c) attachment avoidance moderated the association between anticipated affect and avoidant coping. Also, results revealed that, over time, participants expected that their negative affective reactions would diminish and their positive reactions would increase. As a complement to Study 1, Study 2 was designed to examine whether the temporary activation of state attachment was associated with greater anticipated affect. To prime attachment styles (i.e., anxiety, security), participants (N = 94) completed a scrambled sentence priming procedure. Results failed to demonstrate an association between state attachment and anticipated affect. However, participants did anticipate that their affective reactions would dissipate over time. These findings are discussed in terms of their implications for understanding affective forecasting research. Limitations and future research will be discussed in detail.
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Psychology
Citation
Sheppard, K. (2012). An Investigation of the Dissolution of Romantic Relationships: The Impact of Affective Forecasting, Attachment, and Coping (Doctoral thesis, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada). Retrieved from https://prism.ucalgary.ca. doi:10.11575/PRISM/24918