Airport separations: A naturalistic study of adult attachment dynamics in separating couples

Couple members separating and not separating from each other in a public ai rport completed a questionnaire designed tb assess relationship length, att achment style, and degree of subjective distress. After they completed thes e measures, their attachment behavior was observed unobtrusively. Analyses suggested that adult attachment behavior is organized in a manner similar t o that observed in children. Relationship length and separation status were associated with the expression of attachment behavior in adults. Analyses also indicated that women with Anxious working models were more likely to e xperience distress prior to a separation. But the behavioral strategies exh ibited by women varied as a function of Avoidant, not Anxious, working mode ls. Results for men were less clear. Implications for adult attachment theo ry and research are discussed.