Are you Satisfied? A Look at How Adult Attachment Style and Perfectionism Influence Romantic Relationship Satisfaction

Abstract

This study is important in expanding the existing literature on the Perfectionism Social Disconnection Model (PSDM) and building an understanding of the connections between adult attachment style, maladaptive perfectionism, and romantic relationship satisfaction. This cross-sectional study examined the relationships between attachment style, maladaptive perfectionism, and romantic relationship satisfaction among a convenience sample of 214 adults currently in a romantic relationship. Based on previous literature and theoretical models, this study hypothesized that insecure adult attachment styles (anxious and avoidant) would directly and indirectly predict romantic relationship satisfaction for individuals currently in a romantic relationship through three mediation pathways of rigid perfectionism, self-critical perfectionism, and narcissistic perfectionism. Path analysis was conducted to test the hypothesized model. The current study found a direct link between higher levels of attachment avoidance and lower romantic relationship satisfaction. There was not a significant relationship between attachment anxiety and romantic relationship satisfaction. Further, there were direct links between insecure attachment styles (avoidant and anxious) and maladaptive perfectionism. Unexpectedly, there were no direct links between maladaptive perfectionism and relationship satisfaction. Participant’s sex and current relationship length were used as control variables. Implications for future research include the necessity for further exploration of the interpersonal impacts of insecure attachment styles and maladaptive perfectionism. Perhaps incorporating more narrow interpersonal concepts (e.g., relationship length) instead of broad interpersonal concepts (e.g., relationship satisfaction) may allow for successful expansion of the PSDM. For practitioners, this research can help identify appropriate interventions to use with individual clients or couple’s therapy and/or which areas to provide psychoeducation on with their clients.