Relationship experiences and change in attachment characteristics of youngadults: The role of relationship breakups and conflict avoidance

This study examined whether close relationship experiences predict change i n individuals' attachment characteristics. Partners from 301 dating couples each rated their attachment characteristics and their conflict avoidance. Five months later 184 women and 138 men reported whether their relationship s were intact or broken-up, and they rated their attachment characteristics again. Women became less secure after a breakup and more secure after rema ining together. There was a similar result for men who initially had insecu re attachment characteristics. Additionally, women low in conflict avoidanc e became more secure over time, and those high in conflict avoidance became less secure. For men whose relationships remained intact, conflict avoidan ce was not related to change in attachment characteristics. For men whose r elationships ended, however, initial conflict avoidance predicted increased attachment security. These results extend previous research on the stabili ty of attachment characteristics by exploring predictors of change.