The Mediating Role of Insecure Attachment Styles between Early Experienced Violence and Marital Adjustment in Women

The purpose of this research was to determine the mediating role of insecure attachment styles between early experienced violence and marital adjustment in married women.

This research was a descriptive-correlational study, in which a structural equation modeling was used to analyze a conceptual model. The statistical population of the study included all the married women referring to counseling centers in Tehran in 2017. The sample size according to the Myers et al. consisted of 206 participants who were selected by accidental sampling method. The data collection tools included measures of conflict tactics scales, dyadic adjustment and attachment styles.

Fit indices represented fitness of model with collected data. On the whole, the anxiety and avoidance and early experienced violence were able to explain marital adjustment. Also, the results showed that the direct and indirect effect of early experienced violence on marital adjustment is negative and significant (p<0.05).

It can be concluded that the early relationship within the family environment supports a certain attachment style and the effects of the avoidant insecure and ambivalent insecure styles affect the interpersonal relations of the couples in adulthood. As attachment styles are contributory to marital adjustment, counselors can build a couple therapy approach to have an effective role in modifying the attachment styles of couples and solve their conflicts both before and after marriage.