The role of attachment in the perception of romantic relationships between men and women

Abstract

Purpose. In this proposed article was made a theoretical analysis and empirical verification of the position that the type of attachment of a man and a woman is important in the perception of their romantic relationship.

Methods. A theoretical part of this work was constructed based on comparative analysis of western scientific and theoretical research towards problems of close interpersonal relationships, including modern. On the basis of theoretical searches and generalizations a program of empirical verification of certain provisions was developed, which was implemented through the survey method. The authenticity and reliability of the results were ensured by the scientific and methodological validity of the study, using adequate methods of completion of the task, representativeness of the sample, the use of mathematical statistics.

Results. The article attempts to integrate the basic tenets of John Bowlby and Mary Ainsworth's theory of attachment regarding the importance of communication with an adult in early childhood for the further development of personality and close relationships. This makes it possible to trace the dynamics of the development of human interpersonal relations in ontogenesis as a coordinated and interconnected process, in which the experience of previous relationships affects the further social interaction of the individual. The object of our study was determined by the sphere of romantic relationships. They are characterized by close intense interaction between the opposite sex, which is based on love and is characterized by a sense of trust. It is worth noting that attachment to the mother rather than to the father appears as the sphere of child-parent relations, which has the most pronounced connection with the type of attachment in a romantic relationship. This is consistent with the results obtained by other researchers on the predominant influence of attachment to the mother on the construction of romantic relationships. The mother is the main figure of attachment for most children of different sexes, so the relationship with her is more related to the subsequent relationship in human life than the relationship with the father.

Conclusions. Empirical research has shown that romantic relationships in the perception of the studied men and women can be characterized from the standpoint of the types of attachments that underlie them and differ in the parameters of emotional color of the relationship with a romantic partner, trust and joint activities.