ATTACHMENT, CAREGIVING, AND RELATIONSHIP FUNCTIONING IN COUPLES - EFFECTS OF SELF AND PARTNER

We examined the links among attachment, caregiving, and relationship f unctioning in both dating (Study 1) and married couples (Study 2), ass essing both partners' perspectives. We found that (1) men and women ge nerally evidenced caregiving characteristics similar to those of their parents, especially their same-sex parent; (2) individuals who report ed giving more care to their partner evidenced less fearful-avoidant a ttachment (Studies 1 and 2) and less preoccupation with attachment (St udy 2); and (3) individuals' own attachment models and their partner's attachment models and caregiving jointly predicted relationship funct ioning, but individuals' own attachment models remained strong predict ors even after the partner's attachment and caregiving were taken into account. The results suggest that caregiving learned in childhood att achment relationships may be carried forward into adult romantic relat ionships, and they support the idea that attachment and caregiving are central components of romantic love.