Please summarize its key points in no more than two (2) pages. Distill the information down to its most essential elements. Questions to be Addressed Were there any hypotheses or expected outcomes? If

Fifty-five university undergraduates who were in romantic relationships completed the Relationship Scales Questionnaire (Griffin & Bart holomew, 1994) and Sternberg’s Triangular Theory of Love Scale (Sternberg, 1988). Hierarchical regression analyses revealed that the association between secure attachment and relationship satisfaction is mediated by commitment and intimacy. However, when controlling for passion, secure attachment and passion each provided direct paths to relationship satisfaction. These findings are discussed in relation to the Triangular Theory of Love, and the function of attachment, caregiving, and sexual systems as these systems impact relationship satisfaction.

When one is asked to list important com ponents of a healthy romantic relationship, intimacy, passion, and commitment intuitively come to mind. These three variables are believed to be implicit in people’s theories of love (Aron & Westbay, 1996; Sternberg, 1997) and ontologically pre-suppose a Neoclass ical structure linking affect (intimacy), motivation (passion), and cognition (commitment) to a conceptual model of love called the Triangular Theory of Love (Diessner, Frost, & Smith, 2004; Sternberg, 1988, 1997, 2006). The Triangular Theory of Love posits that intimacy, passion, and commitment are necessary elements toward attaining consummate, or complete love. Intimacy is the feeling of closeness, conn ectedness, and bondedness that one feels in a relationship.

Passion represents the drives th at lead to romance, physical attraction and sexual activity.

Commitment, in the short term, involves the decision that one loves another person. In the long term, commitment involves a decision to maintain that love (Sternberg, 1986, 1997, 2006). Possibly less intuitive to the layperson but found to be equally important in relationship satisfaction are attachment styl es. Attachment as predictive of quality romantic relationships evolved out of research on attachment in infancy (e.g., Ainsworth, Blehar, Waters, & Wall, 1978; Ainswort h, 1989; Bowlby, 1982). Three types of attachment in infancy--secure, anxious, a voidant--may have important implications for relationships later in life (A insworth, et al, 1978; Ainsworth, 1989). Hazan and Shaver (1987) extrapolating the work on infant-caregiver attachment to close relationships in Madey… / Individual Differences Research , 2009, Vol. 7, No. 2, pp. 76-84 77 adulthood proposed that individual differences in attachment are the prototypes, schemas, or working models of social interaction that organize romant ic relationships with others.

A body of research has found that attachme nt predicts successful and unsuccessful relationships. Secure attachme nt is associated with greater trust and commitment (Simpson, 1990), greater intimacy (Pielage, Luteijn, & Arrindell, 2005), greater self- confidence (Feeney & Noller, 1990), better communication skills (Guerrero, 1996), and greater willingness for self-disclosure (Shi, 2003). Anxious individuals engage in poorer coping techniques (Mikulincer, Florian, & Weller, 1993, Birnbaum, Orr, Mikulincer, & Florian, 1997). Anxious individu als perceive more conflict and escalation of conflict in their relationships on a daily basis (Campbell, Si mpson, Boldry, & Kashy, 2005).

Avoidant attachment is asso ciated with being emotionally distant and distrusting the partner (Kirkpatrick & Hazan, 1994; Simpson, 1990) and being less satisfied with the relationship (Collins, Cooper, Albino, & Allard, 2002). Attachment has been con ceptualized in many ways-- along two dimensions: close- independent and secure-insecure (e.g., Siegert, Ward, & Hudson, 1995); a two- dimensional space: angry/resistant and proxim ity seeking/avoidant (Fraley & Spieker, 2003); three patterns: secure, anxious, and a voidant (Hazan & Shaver, 1987); with others proposing a four factor structur e: secure, preoccupied, fearful-avoidant, and dismissively- avoidant based on two-dimensions consisting of positive or negative views about self and others (Bartholomew and Horo witz, 1991). Regardless of the number of dimensions or types of attachment used the findings consis tently report the link between attachment and variables such as intimacy, commitment, communication, coping, and disclosure. The purpose of this paper is to test whet her attachment style directly predicts relationship satisfaction or is mediated by vari ables of love such as intimacy, passion and commitment which in turn predict satisfacti on. We link attachment specifically to three structural components of love—intimacy, passion, and commitment-- initially proposed by Sternberg (1988) in his Triangular Theory of love. More recently Sternberg (2006) has subsumed the Triangular Theory of Love and Love as Story under his Duplex Theory of Love. Sternberg (1997) early on in the develo pment of this theory recommended that the Triangular Theory of Love be connected to attachment constructs in order to better understand the complexities of love and relationships .

The attachment patterns we investigate ar e secure-insecure and close-independent (Siegert, et al, 1995). These attachment pattern s are derived from the Relationship Scales Questionnaire (RSQ; Griffin & Bartholom ew, 1994). Although secure, fearful, dismissing, and preoccupied attachment patte rns are traditionally measured using the RSQ, use of these types of attachment ha ve resulted in some mixed findings (e.g., Pielage, et al 2005). A subsequent factor an alysis of the RSQ has revealed an underlying two-dimensional structure--secure-insecure and close-independent attachment--that may provide more predictive utility in understanding the association between attachment and relationship satisfaction (Siegert, et al 1995). Although these two dimensions were identified several years ago, we are not awar e of attempts to link these two attachment dimensions to relationship variables such as satisfaction, intimacy, passion, and commitment. Expanding on the work of Sieg ert and colleagues (1995), we propose that secure attachment is associated with less anxiety in the relationship, greater intimacy, trust, and willingness to discuss and resolve i ssues with the partner. Insecure attachment Madey… / Individual Differences Research , 2009, Vol. 7, No. 2, pp. 76-84 78 is associated with anxieties a bout whether the partner really loves or values them, worries about being abandoned, and not being accep ted. We would predict that a secure attachment pattern is associated with more intimacy, passion, and commitment and with greater relationship satisfacti on. Close attachment represents emotional closeness in the relationship and comfort with being near the partner. As one moves more to the independent end of the continuum, more detach ment is associated with the relationship and is represented by feelings of not wanti ng to depend on others, reluctance to get close to others, and discomfort with being clos e to others. We would predict that close attachment is associated with more inti macy, passion, and commitment, and greater satisfaction in the relationship than is an independent attachment pattern.

Finally, it is important to test whether attachment directly predicts relationship satisfaction or is a precursor to variable s of love such as intimacy, passion and commitment which in turn predict relationship satisfaction. A path analysis that tests the direct and indirect effects of attachment on relationship satisfaction using valid and reliable measures of love can further our understanding of attachment as a precursor to successful or unsuccessful relationships . Pielage and colleagues (2005) when investigating the variables that mediate att achment and psychological distress stated that “attachment influences functioning through th e quality of one’s affectional bonds (p.

456).” In other words, a mediational model is proposed where attachment styles can predispose the individual to develop certa in affective, cognitive, and motivational- behavioral responses which in turn affect relationship satisfaction. Positive attachment styles such as secure attachment can lead to more pro-relationship behaviors, greater ability to establish intimac y, passion, and commitment in a relationship which in turn result in greater satisfaction in the relations hip. Dysfunctional attachment styles such as insecure attachment will have the opposite eff ect resulting in less ability to establish intimacy, passion, and commitment which re sult in less relationship satisfaction. Based on our background research, we are not aware of studies that directly tested intimacy, passion, and commitment as define d by the Triangular Theory of Love and secure-insecure and close-independent attachme nt styles on relationship satisfaction as proposed by Siegert and colleagues (1995). In ad dition, studies that have tested intimacy, passion, and commitment as mediators of at tachment have used only parts of the Triangular Theory of Love Scale (e.g., Colli ns et al, 2002; Kurdek, 2002) or have measured these variables in other ways and in other contexts (e.g., Pialege, et al, 2005).

Method Participants Participants were 55 university undergradua tes (15 males and 40 females). The mean age was 19.7 years ( SD = 2.82). The sample consisted of 91% Caucasian, 6% African American, and 2% Asian American students. To be eligible for the study, participants had to be in a romantic relationship at the tim e of recruitment. Most of the sample was unmarried at time of participation (unma rried = 94%, married = 6%). Participants received course credit for their participation. Madey… / Individual Differences Research , 2009, Vol. 7, No. 2, pp. 76-84 79 Materials and Procedure Attachment Style. Attachment style was measured using the Relationship Scales Questionnaire (RSQ; Griffin & Bartholomew, 1 994). A factor analysis by Siegert, Ward, and Hudson (1995) discovered that the RSQ can be identified along two dimensions: Secure-insecure and close-independent (see Siegert, et al, 1995 for the breakdown of RSQ items along these two dimensions). Corre lations and multiple regression analyses will be conducted using this 2-factor structur e. Participants indicated on a 1 (not like me) to 5 (very much like me) point scale the extent each item of the RSQ (e.g., “I find it difficult to depend on other people” ) was characteristic of them.

Intimacy, Passion, Commitment. Intimacy, passion, and commitment were measured using Sternberg’s Triangular L ove Scale (Sternberg, 1988). Part icipants used a 1 (not at all) to 9 (extremely) point sc ale to indicate the extent to which statements about intimacy (e.g., “I have a warm relationship with _________” ), passion (e.g., “I find myself thinking about ______ frequently during the day” ), and commitment (e.g., “I am committed to maintaining my relationship with _________” ).

Relationship Satisfaction Scale. Based on past research on relationship satisfaction, we developed a relationship satisfaction scale (Table 1). Participants filled out ten questions related to satisf action with their relationshi p on 1-5 points scales (e.g., “How satisfied are you with this relationship?” “How likely do you think you will be in this relationship one year from now?” ). The relationship satisfaction items exhibited high internal reliability ( Cronbach’s alpha = .82) and were averaged to form a composite satisfaction score. Results Preliminary Analyses An analysis of the correlation of gender, le ngth of relationship, and marital status of participant with at tachment styles, intimacy, passion, commitment, and relationship satisfaction revealed no signi ficant correlations between ge nder and marital status with any of the dependent measures. Length of relationship did correlate with greater commitment. The longer in a relation ship; the greater the commitment (r = .30, p < .05).

Pearson product moment correlations among secure-insecure attachment, intimacy, passion, commitment, and individual items of th e relationship satisfaction scale (Table 1) indicated that significant correlations were observed for 5 of the relationship satisfaction items and the composite measure of relationshi p satisfaction (Table 2). Greater insecurity was associated with less intimacy, passion, a nd commitment in the relationship and with less satisfaction. The close-independent dime nsion correlated with intimacy, passion, and commitment in that greater independence was associated with less intimacy, passion, and commitment. With regard to relationship satisfaction, the close-independent dimension correlated only with the item measuring the degree of passion believed to be in the relationship (Item 5). A marg inally significant correlation was observed between the close-independent dimension and the composite relationship satisfaction score. Although not approaching conventional levels of statistical significance the correlation was consistent with our predicti on that greater independence is associated with less Madey… / Individual Differences Research , 2009, Vol. 7, No. 2, pp. 76-84 80 satisfaction. Intimacy, passion, and commit ment correlated with the relationship satisfaction items and with the composite satisfaction score. Table 1 Correlations among Attachment Dimensions, Intimacy, Passion, Commitment, and Relationship Satisfaction Items Attachment Triangular Theory of Love Secure- insecure Close- Independent Intimacy Passion Commitment 1. How satisfied are you with this relationship? -.48** -.11 .66** .47** .74** 2. How easy is it for you to talk to your partner about important issues? -.43** -.15 .53** .41** .53** 3. How easy is it for you to talk to your partner about everyday issues? -.21 .03 .44** .30* .33** 4. How satisfied are you with the intimacy of your relationship? -.22+ -.19 .47** .30* .33* 5. How much do you think you are in a passionate relationship? -.18 -.30* .58** .47** .44** 6. How much do you think you are in a committed relationship? -.41** -.22+ .69** .53** .80** 7. How much do you think your partner is committed to the relationship? -.48** -.26+ .67** .60** .83** 8. How likely do you think you will be in this relationship one year from now? -.39** -.20 .74** .63** .83** 9. How much do you rely on your partner for stability in this relationship? -.23+ -.18 .46** .30* .38** 10. How easy was it for you to begin this relationship? -.07 .11 .08 -.03 .38** Note. +p < .10, *p < .05, **p< .01.

Table 2 Correlations Among Intimacy, Pass ion, Commitment, Attachment Dimensions and Relationship Satisfaction Composite Score Attachment Triangular Theory of Love Secure- insecure Close- Independent Intimacy Passion Commitment Intimacy -.45** -.27* Passion -.39** -.34* .83** Commitment -.52** -.33 .85** .83** Relationship Satisfaction -.48** -.22+ .82** .62** .79** Note. + p < .10, * p < .05, ** p<.01. Mediational Analyses Conditions necessary for analyses of medi ators are observed significant correlations between independent variables, presumed mediators, and dependent variable (Baron and Kenny, 1986). These conditions held for th e secure-insecure dimension. Three Madey… / Individual Differences Research , 2009, Vol. 7, No. 2, pp. 76-84 81 hierarchical regression anal yses were conducted. In each regression the relationship satisfaction composite score was regressed on intimacy, passion, and commitment. These variables were entered into the first step of separate regression analyses. The secure- insecure dimension was entered into the second step of each regression analysis (Table 3). We were interested in testing whethe r the amount of variance explained by the relationship between secure-insecure attachme nt and relationship satisfaction would be significantly reduced after controlling for the three items in the Triangular Theory of Love. As predicted, secure-insecure att achment no longer predicted relationship satisfaction after controlling for intimacy a nd commitment indicating that these variables mediate the effect of secure-insecure attachment on relationship satisfaction. However, we found that secure attachment independent ly predicted relationship satisfaction after controlling for passion. Table 3 Summary of Hierarchical Regression Analysis for Variables Predicting Relationship Satisfaction Variable B SE B Beta T R 2 change Step 1 Intimacy .42 .04 .82 10.32** .67 Step 2 Secure-insecure -.12 .08 -.14 1.59 .02 Step 1 Passion .24 .04 .62 5.82** .39 Step 2 Secure-insecure -.24 .10 -.27 2.46* .06 Step 1 Commitment .30 .03 .79 9.48** .63 Step 2 Secure-insecure -.08 .09 -.09 .88 .01 Note. *p < .05, ** p < .01. Discussion The results of this study extend previ ous work on attachment and relationship satisfaction by exploring the mediators through which attachment may lead to satisfactory or unsatisfactory relationships. We interject the Triangular Theory of Love with its three specific elements—intimacy, passion, and commitment—as the mediating variables between attachment style and rela tionship satisfaction. Direct tests of the interrelationship betw een attachment as defined by Sieg ert and colleagues (1995) and the Triangular Theory of Love on relationship satisfaction have heretofore not been conducted. We found that the effects of secure-insecur e attachment on relationship satisfaction are mediated by intimacy and commitment. A mo re secure attachment predicts intimacy and commitment, which in turn predict grea ter relationship satisfaction. Feelings of security allow one to establish intimacy in a relationship as has been demonstrated in past research. Security can also allow one to comm it to a relationship without fear of rejection or abandonment. Our findings suggest that intimacy and commitment are the paths through which secure attachment can lead to relationship satisfaction. Interestingly, Madey… / Individual Differences Research , 2009, Vol. 7, No. 2, pp. 76-84 82 security and passion each provided direct effects on relationship satisfaction when controlling for passion. Although speculative, we offer an explanation for this finding subject to future re search. Sternberg (1988) for exampl e, points out that intimacy and commitment may be relatively stable components whereas passion is “relatively unstable” and can “fluctuate unpredictably (p. 49).” Passion may play a larger role in short term relationships and may be more dependent on psychophysiological arousal than intimacy and commitment. If passion is linked to arousal then the relationship between attachment and passion can be understood in the context of other systems that impact the relationship process. For example, Shaver and Mikulincer (2006) propose that “optimal functioning of the attachment, caregiving, and sexual systems enlarges the area of the ‘love triangle’ by increa sing the intensity of its three components: intimacy, commitment, and passion (p.50).” These three systems in crease feelings of connectedness and oneness with the partner. However, they postulate that attachment and caregiving systems strengthens the commitment component; whereas passion may be more related to the sexual-behavior system contributing to at traction, vitality and arousal within the relationship. More research is needed to definitively determine if the attachment process indirectly predicts relationship satisfac tion through intimacy and commitment, whereas the pathway involving passion is linked mo re to the sexual-behavior system.

The study had several limitations. Although we found that the close-independent attachment dimension correlated with intim acy, passion, and commitment as predicted, its correlation with relationship satisfaction di d not reach conventional levels of statistical significance. Our 10-item measur e of satisfaction, although internally reliable, will also need to undergo more psychometric testing. Longitudinal studies are needed to determine if attachment is a necessary precursor to intimacy, passion, and commitment. Our findings provide a basis from which longitudinal studies can proceed. Conclusion We investigated the association between attachment and variables in Sternberg’s Triangular Theory of Love found to be im portant in relationship satisfaction. Our hypotheses were generally supported. We foun d that two dimensions of attachment, secure-insecure and close-inde pendent are linked to intimacy, passion, and commitment.

The association between secure attachment a nd relationship satisfaction is mediated by intimacy and commitment. References Ainsworth, M. D. S. (1989). Attachments beyond infancy. American Psychologist, 44, 709-716.

Ainsworth, M. D. S., Blehar, M. C., Waters, E., & Wall, S. (1978). Patterns of attachment: A psychological study of the strange situation. Hillsdale, New Jersey:

Erlbaum. Aron, A. & Westbay, L. (1996). Dimens ions of the prototype of love. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 70 , 535-551.

Baron, R. M, & Kenny, D. A. (1986). A moderato r-mediator variable distinction in social psychological research: Conceptual, strate gic, and statistical considerations. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 51, 1173-1182. Madey… / Individual Differences Research , 2009, Vol. 7, No. 2, pp. 76-84 83 Bartholomew, K., & Horowitz, L. M. (1991) . Attachment styles among young adults: A test of a four-category model. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 61 , 226- 244.

Birnbaum, G. E., Orr, I., Mikulincer, M ., & Florian, V. (1997). When marriage breaks up—Does attachment style contribute to coping and mental health. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 14, 643-654.

Bowlby, J. (1982). Attachment and loss: Vol. 1. Attachment (2 nd ed.). New York: Basic Books.

Campbell, L., Simpson, J. A., Boldry, J., & Kashy, D. A. (2005). Perception of conflict and support in romantic relationships : The role of attachment anxiety. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 88 , 510-531.

Collins, N. L., Cooper, M. L., Albino, A. & A llard, L. (2002). Psychosocial vulnerability from adolescence to adulthood: A prospective study of attachment style differences in relationship functioning and partner choice. Journal of Personality, 70, 965-1008.

Diessner, R., Frost, N., & Sm ith, T. (2004). Describing the ne oclassical psyche embedded in Sternberg’s Triangu lar Theory of Love. Social Behavior and Personality, 32 , 683- 690.

Feeney, J. A., & Noller, P. (1990). Attachment style as a predictor of adult romantic relationships. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 58 , 281-291.

Fraley, R. C., & Spieker, S. J. (2003). Are infant attachment patterns continuously or categorically distributed? A taxometric an alysis of strange situation behavior.

Developmental Psychology, 39 , 387-404.

Griffin, D. W., & Bartholomew, K. (1994). Mode ls of the self and other: Fundamental dimensions underlying measures of adult attachment. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 67, 430-445.

Guerrero, L. K. (1996). Attachment-style diffe rences in intimacy and involvement: A test of the four-category model. Communication Monographs, 63 , 269-292.

Hazan, C., & Shaver, P. R. (1987). Romantic love conceptualized as an attachment process. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 52, 511-524.

Kirkpatrick, L. A. & Hazan, C. (1994). Attach ment styles and close relationships: A four- year prospective study. Personal Relationships, 1, 123-142.

Kurdek, L. A. (2002). On being insecure ab out the assessment of attachment styles.

Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 19 , 811-834.

Mikulincer, M., Florian, V., & Weller, A. ( 1993). Attachment styles, coping strategies, and posttraumatic psychological distress: Th e impact of the Gulf War in Israel.

Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 54 , 817-826.

Pielage, S. B., Luteijn, F., & Arrindell, W. A (2005). Adult attachment, intimacy, and psychological distress in a clin ical and community sample. Clinical Psychological Psychotherapy, 12, 455-464.

Shaver, P. R., & Mikulincer, M. (2006). A beha vioral systems approach to romantic love relationships: Attachment, caregiving, and se x. In R. J. Sternberg & K. Wise (Eds.), The new psychology of love (pp. 35-64). New Haven: Ya le University Press.

Shi, L. (2003). The association between adult attachment styles and conflict resolution in romantic relationships. The American Journal of Family Therapy, 31 , 143-157. Madey… / Individual Differences Research , 2009, Vol. 7, No. 2, pp. 76-84 84 Siegert, R. J., Ward, T., & Hudson, S. (1995). The structure of romance: A factor-analytic examination of the Relationship Scales Questionnaire. New Zealand Journal of Psychology, 24 , 13-20.

Simpson, J. A. (1990). Influence of attach ment styles on romantic relationships. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 59, 971-980.

Sternberg, R. J. (1986). A tr iangular theory of love. Psychological Review, 93 , 119-135.

Sternberg, R. J. (1988). The Triangle of Love: Intimacy passion and commitment. New York: Basic Books.

Sternberg, R. J. (1997). Construct valid ation of a triangular love scale. European Journal of Social Psychology, 27 , 313-335.

Sternberg, R. J. (2006) A duplex theory of l ove. In R. J. Sternberg & K. Weis (Eds.), The new psychology of love (pp. 184-199). New Haven: Yale University Press.