Adult Attachment and Commitment to Romantic Relationships

Two factors that may influence the quality of romantic relationships are attachment style to one’s parents and current adult attachment to romantic partners. This study utilized the attachment literature to establish a framework for examining how adult attachment to parents may be related to relationship commitment. It was predicted that gender and family structure would be associated with the quality of relationships children have with their parents and that attachment to romantic partners would mediate the relationship between attachment to parents and commitment. It was further predicted that a combination of low anxiety and low avoidance with parents (i.e., secure attachment) would predict higher interest in committing to exclusive romantic relationships, and higher levels of commitment within those relationships, than those with insecure attachment. Data was collected from college students through a computer-based survey. Results showed that attachment to mothers and fathers was predictive of interest in commitment, but not actual patterns of commitment or level of commitment to romantic partners. Mediation analyses provided evidence that attachment avoidance with mothers is transferred to romantic partners, which, in turn, is negatively related to interest in commitment. The findings from this study demonstrate the importance of the quality of relationships with parents in individuals’ commitment to romantic relationships.