A dyadic approach to attachment anxiety and avoidance, marital conflict, and drinking

Abstract

In this research, we integrate attachment theory and dyadic methodology to examine how attachment anxiety and avoidance might interact with marital conflict to influence alcohol consumption, drinking motives, and alcohol-related problems in a sample of 280 married and cohabiting couples over 3 years. Both husband and wife attachment anxiety were related to higher levels of own drinking to cope and alcohol-related problems. Additionally, both husband and wife reports of marital conflict were associated with own alcohol-related problems. For wives, significant interactions between anxiety and marital conflict suggested that anxiety was more strongly associated with alcohol consumption, coping, and problems at higher levels of conflict. For husbands, significant interactions between avoidance and conflict indicated that avoidance was more strongly associated with coping and problems at lower levels of conflict. This research suggests two main patterns of attachment and alcohol use, both exacerbated by marital conflict and different for husbands and wives.