How Do I Love Thee: A Look at Why Adults Bond Differently to Romantic Relationships Than to Other Relationships
Date of Award
Spring 6-5-2015
Document Type
Doctoral Research Paper
Degree Name
Psy.D. in Clinical Psychology
Organizational Unit
Graduate School of Professional Psychology
First Advisor
Jamie Shapiro
Second Advisor
Fernand Lubuguin
Third Advisor
Jon Richard
Copyright Statement / License for Reuse
All Rights Reserved.
Keywords
Theory of attachment, Adult romantic attachment, Romantic love, Attachment behavior, Partner preference
Abstract
The attachment behavior system is an important concept in attachment theory, because it provides the conceptual link between ethological models of human development and modern theories on emotion regulation and personality. Research on adult attachment is guided by the premise that early motivational systems that gave rise to close emotional bonds between parents and their children will in turn shape the quality of an individual’s subsequent attachment experiences in adulthood. There are several perspectives on how attachment theory in general accounts for romantic relationship selection, the characteristics of the romantic relationship (i.e., dynamics of the relationship, reciprocity of attachment), and the perceived level of satisfaction with the romantic relationship. Given that two people under similar circumstance will respond differently depending on reciprocity or attachment style, what are some psychosocial characteristics of the individual that contribute to why the individual relates differently in romantic relationships as compared to all other relationships in general? This paper reviews the construct of attachment in the context of various psychosocial variables that affect romantic attachments vis-à-vis the modern and classic field research on adult attachment and romantic relationships. Due to the current state of the literature, hetero-normative romantic relationships will be examined throughout the body of this paper (i.e., as opposed to examining specificities of non-traditional romantic relationships — e.g., poly-amorous relationships).
Copyright Date
6-9-2015
Publication Statement
Copyright is held by the author. Permanently suppressed.
Rights Holder
Julia I. Renedo
Provenance
Received from Author
File Format
application/pdf
Language
English (eng)
Extent
41 pgs
File Size
231 KB
Recommended Citation
Renedo, Julia I., "How Do I Love Thee: A Look at Why Adults Bond Differently to Romantic Relationships Than to Other Relationships" (2015). Graduate School of Professional Psychology: Doctoral Papers and Masters Projects. 21.
https://digitalcommons.du.edu/capstone_masters/21