THE NATURE AND CORRELATES OF ATTACHMENT W ITHIN COUPLES

The most recent studies in couple psychology give an important role to the process of attachment in conceptualizing the dynamics of love rel ationships. In this perspective, this research aims at examining relat ions existing between forms of attachment (conforting, avoiding and an xious/ambivalent) and marital adjustment (Spanier, 1976). Moreover, th e convergent validity of two questionnaires is verified. The sample fo r this study consisted of 124 heterosexual francophone couples, averag e age of participants was 36.7 years. Multiple regression analysis sho wed that the anxious/ambivalent attachment of men and women constitues a variable linked to marital dissatisfaction. Also, there exists a mo derate correspondence between the two attachment questionnaires. Final ly, the dyads for which the form of attachment for the man and the wom an is categorized as comforting obtain higher scores of marital adjust ment if we compare them to the three other types of dyads in which one or both partners adopt a different form. The three part classificatio n of forms of attachment is discussed in view of recent developments i n the area of attachment.