Designing an Integrated Model of Dyadic Emotion Regulation Based on Attachment Patterns, Psychological Flexibility, and the Quality of Conflict Dialogue Among Young Couples
Keywords:
Dyadic emotion regulation, adult attachment, psychological flexibility, arital conflict, young couples, qualitative researchAbstract
Objective: This study aimed to design an integrated model of dyadic emotion regulation among young couples based on attachment patterns, psychological flexibility, and the quality of conflict dialogue.
Methods and Materials: This qualitative study was conducted using thematic analysis. Participants consisted of 24 individuals, 12 young couples, residing in Tehran, Iran, who were selected through purposive sampling according to predefined inclusion criteria. Data were collected through semi-structured individual and dyadic interviews and continued until theoretical saturation was achieved. After obtaining informed consent, interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed using NVivo software. Data analysis involved initial coding, code organization, development of subthemes, and abstraction of main categories. To enhance trustworthiness, member checking, peer review, analytic memo writing, and an audit trail were employed.
Findings: Data analysis led to the identification of five main categories: “attachment-based emotional activation,” “psychological flexibility in conflict situations,” “quality of conflict dialogue,” “dyadic strategies of emotion regulation and re-regulation,” and “cultural-communicative contextual factors.” The findings indicated that insecure attachment, particularly abandonment anxiety and avoidance of intimacy, shifts conflict from a problem-solving level to a relational threat level. Conversely, psychological flexibility, emotional acceptance, relational pausing, value-based responding, and validating dialogue played central roles in reducing demand-withdraw cycles.
Conclusion: The final model suggests that dyadic emotion regulation is an interactive, cyclical, and context-sensitive process formed through the interplay of attachment patterns, psychological flexibility, and the quality of conflict dialogue. Accordingly, couple therapy interventions should simultaneously focus on enhancing attachment security, developing psychological flexibility, and improving constructive conflict dialogue skills.
Downloads
References
Bloch, L., Haase, C. M., & Levenson, R. W. (2014). Emotion regulation predicts marital satisfaction: More than a wives’ tale. Emotion, 14(1), 130–144. doi: 10.1037/a0034272
Bowlby, J. (1982). Attachment and loss: Vol. 1. Attachment (2nd ed.). Basic Books.
Brandão, T., Brites, R., Nunes, O., Pires, M., & Hipólito, J. (2020). Attachment, emotion regulation, and well-being in couples: Intrapersonal and interpersonal associations. Journal of Personality, 88(4), 748–761. doi: 10.1111/jopy.12523
Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3(2), 77–101. doi: 10.1191/1478088706qp063oa
Christensen, A., & Heavey, C. L. (1990). Gender and social structure in the demand/withdraw pattern of marital conflict. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 59(1), 73–81. doi: 10.1037/0022-3514.59.1.73
Feeney, J. A. (2017). Couple conflict: Insights from an attachment perspective. Current Opinion in Psychology, 13, 60–64. doi: 10.1016/j.copsyc.2016.04.017
Gottman, J. M., & Levenson, R. W. (1992). Marital processes predictive of later dissolution: Behavior, physiology, and health. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 63(2), 221–233. doi: 10.1037/0022-3514.63.2.221
Gottman, J. M., Coan, J., Carrere, S., & Swanson, C. (1998). Predicting marital happiness and stability from newlywed interactions. Journal of Marriage and the Family, 60(1), 5–22. doi: 10.2307/353438
Gross, J. J. (1998). The emerging field of emotion regulation: An integrative review. Review of General Psychology, 2(3), 271–299. doi: 10.1037/1089-2680.2.3.271
Gross, J. J. (2015). Emotion regulation: Current status and future prospects. Psychological Inquiry, 26(1), 1–26. doi: 10.1080/1047840X.2014.940781
Guest, G., Bunce, A., & Johnson, L. (2006). How many interviews are enough? An experiment with data saturation and variability. Field Methods, 18(1), 59–82. doi: 10.1177/1525822X05279903
Hayes, S. C., Luoma, J. B., Bond, F. W., Masuda, A., & Lillis, J. (2006). Acceptance and commitment therapy: Model, processes, and outcomes. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 44(1), 1–25. doi: 10.1016/j.brat.2005.06.006
Hazan, C., & Shaver, P. R. (1987). Romantic love conceptualized as an attachment process. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 52(3), 511–524. doi: 10.1037/0022-3514.52.3.511
Holley, S. R., Haase, C. M., & Levenson, R. W. (2013). Age-related changes in demand-withdraw communication behaviors. Journal of Marriage and Family, 75(4), 822–836. doi: 10.1111/jomf.12051
Kashdan, T. B., & Rottenberg, J. (2010). Psychological flexibility as a fundamental aspect of health. Clinical Psychology Review, 30(7), 865–878. doi: 10.1016/j.cpr.2010.03.001
Lincoln, Y. S., & Guba, E. G. (1985). Naturalistic inquiry. Sage.
Mikulincer, M., & Shaver, P. R. (2016). Attachment in adulthood: Structure, dynamics, and change (2nd ed.). Guilford Press.
Nowell, L. S., Norris, J. M., White, D. E., & Moules, N. J. (2017). Thematic analysis: Striving to meet the trustworthiness criteria. International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 16(1), 1–13. doi: 10.1177/1609406917733847
Papp, L. M., Kouros, C. D., & Cummings, E. M. (2009). Demand-withdraw patterns in marital conflict in the home. Personal Relationships, 16(2), 285–300. doi: 10.1111/j.1475-6811.2009.01223.x
Simpson, J. A., & Rholes, W. S. (2017). Adult attachment, stress, and romantic relationships. Current Opinion in Psychology, 13, 19–24. doi: 10.1016/j.copsyc.2016.04.006
Twiselton, K., Stanton, S. C. E., Gillanders, D., & Bottomley, E. (2020). Exploring the links between psychological flexibility, individual well-being, and relationship quality. Personal Relationships, 27(4), 880–906. doi: 10.1111/pere.12344
