ATTACHMENT, PERCEPTIONS OF INTERACTION, AND RELATIONSHIP ADJUSTMENT

This study examined the hypothesis that perceptions of interaction in intimate relationships would mediate the association between attachmen t organization and relationship satisfaction. A multi-ethnic group of 159 male and 226 female community college students completed questionn aires regarding attachment organization and aspects of their intimate relationships. Greater attachment security and less activation of the attachment system were associated with perceptions of more affiliative interaction (R =.45, p<.001) and less distress (R = .43, p<.001) in t he relationship. Perceptions of more affiliative interaction were stro ngly associated with less relationship distress (R = .69, p<.001). Whe n attachment factors and interaction factors were entered jointly in t he regression for relationship distress, the association between attac hment and relationship distress was substantially reduced. This analys is supported the hypothesis of a mediation effect. The mediation effec t was less complete for women than for men. The association of attachm ent factors with relationship distress was more direct in relationship s that were at relatively early stages of development. Over all compar isons, the inclusion of subjects with a conventionalized response set inflated Rs(2) by an average of 3 percent.