Attributions about the partner: their role as mediator between attachment and marital satisfaction in heterosexual couples

Abstract

This research evaluated the mediator role of attribu- tions about negative events in the relation between adult attachment dimensions and marital satisfac- tion in heterosexual cohabiting or legally married couples (n = 183 couples). two models were em- pirically tested in which causal and responsibility attributions mediated the effects of attachment di- mensions on marital satisfaction. the models focu- sed on the dyad (couple) as the unit of analysis. Path analyses were conducted, using structural equation modelling, to estimate the effects of individual’s and partner’s variables on each person’s marital sa- tisfaction. Results showed that the relation between attachment dimensions and marital satisfaction was partially mediated by both causal and responsibi- lity attributions. Sex differences in the association between variables were also identified. Results are discussed based on the literature on attachment, cognitions, and marital satisfaction. Directions for future research are identified.