Attachment Styles, Conflict Resolution, Trait Mindfulness and Marital Quality among Married Individuals

Abstract

The purpose of the present research was to explore the intricate relationships among attachment styles, conflict resolution strategies, trait mindfulness and marital quality in married individuals. The objectives of this research involved analyzing the correlations among the study variables; exploring the differences in conflict resolution strategies, trait mindfulness and marital quality among individuals with different attachment styles; looking for any possible gender differences with respect to these variables and testing the moderation ability of trait mindfulness in the relationship between conflict resolution strategies and marital quality. A cross-sectional research design has been used. A sample of (N = 311) married individuals (Men = 56, Women = 255) having an age range of 22 to 66 years (M = 32.37, SD = 6.99) were recruited from different areas of Islamabad and Rawalpindi through non-probability purposive and snowball sampling technique. The data collected from the participants was analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics Version 21. Pearson Product Moment Correlation revealed significant correlations among all the study variables. MANOVA analysis unveiled differences in conflict resolution strategies, trait mindfulness and marital quality among individuals with different attachment styles. Moderation analysis established trait mindfulness as a significant moderator (buffer) in the relationship between conflict resolution strategies and marital quality. Independent sample t-test demonstrated that women use more conflict engagement and compliance for resolving conflicts as compared to men. Furthermore, men were found to possess higher levels of trait mindfulness. The present research has implications for clinical, practical and research domains.