Development of a Causal Model of Marital Conflict based on Attachment Styles with the Mediating Role of Disconnection/Rejection and Impaired Autonomy/Performance Schemas in Women on the Verge of Divorce

The present study aimed to develop a causal model of marital conflict based on attachment styles with the mediating roles of disconnection/rejection and impaired autonomy/performance schemas in women on the verge of divorce. 

 The study was descriptive and correlational, and its statistical population consisted of women with marital conflict on the verge of divorce who visited the Family Dispute Resolution Council Center in District 3 of Tehran from May to November 2020. Using multi-stage random sampling, we selected three out of seven centers of the Family Dispute Resolution Council Center and the sample size of 440 was selected based on the sample power software. They responded to the Barati and Sanaei Marital Conflict Questionnaire (2000), Collins and Read adult attachment Scale (1990), and the Young Schema Questionnaire (1988), and they analyzed data using structural equations. 

 The results indicated the direct path of fitting the model from secure attachment with disconnection/rejection schema (β=-0.24)  and impaired autonomy and performance (β=-0.27), and avoidant attachment style with disconnection/rejection schema (β=0.16), and the impaired autonomy/performance schema (β=0.11), as well as ambivalent attachment style with disconnection/rejection schema (β= 0.50), and the impaired autonomy/performance schema (β=0.30), and between secure attachment style and marital conflict (β=-0.17) and avoidant attachment style (β=0.23) and ambivalent style (β=0.56) marital conflict with a positive effect size. Furthermore, the disconnection/rejection schema (β=0.39), and impaired autonomy/performance schema (β=0.40) had a positive direct effect on marital conflicts. 

 The research results indicated that the design of an appropriate structural model for predicting marital conflict based on the attachment styles with the mediating roles of disconnection/rejection and impaired autonomy/performance schema in women on the verge of divorce complied with the theoretical model and had a good fit. To create a coherent and favorable marital relationship, we can improve the couples' relationship by understanding their schemas, types of attachment styles, and confrontation of their mental elements.