The association between spouses' self-reports of attachment styles and representations of family dynamics

The current research assesses the association between spouses' self-reports of attachment style and their perceptions of family dynamics. The sample i ncluded 93 Israeli married couples with young children. Both husbands and w ives completed the adult attachment style scale and the perceived and ideal versions of FACES III Findings showed that spouses whose self-reports endo rsed the secure style perceived relatively high levels of family cohesion a nd adaptability; persons who endorsed the anxious-ambivalent style reported high levels of family cohesion but low levels of adaptability; and persons who endorsed the avoidant style reported relatively low levels of both fam ily dimensions. In addition, significant associations were found between re ports of attachment styles, on the one hand, and ideal representations of f amily dynamics, the marital partner's representations of family dynamics, a nd spouses' discrepancies in, these representations, on the other. Findings are discussed in terms of attachment theory.