Attachment style, interpersonal perception accuracy, and relationship satisfaction in dating couples

This study investigated associations between attachment style, partner perc eption accuracy, and relationship satisfaction in a sample of 61 undergradu ate dating couples. Each partner completed questionnaires assessing own att achment style, own feelings about the relationship, and perceptions of the partner's feelings about the relationship. Results indicated that more avoi dantly attached men and more anxiously attached individuals of both sexes r eported lower relationship satisfaction. However, only anxiously attached m en showed consistently lower accuracy in perceiving their partner's feeling s about the relationship. The lower satisfaction among anxiously attached m en could be partially explained by their lower accuracy in perceiving their partner's feelings of love, and this lower accuracy was not due to the par tner's self-reported level of communication. Implications of the results in terms of understanding how attachment style influences interpersonal commu nication and relationship quality are discussed.