Attachment, conflict, and relationship satisfaction of couples transitioning to parenthood: The moderator role of intimacy.

On average, couples experience increase in conflicts and decrease in relationship satisfaction during the transition to parenthood. How couples manage conflicts may improve or erode their relationship over time. While romantic attachment (anxiety, avoidance) is known to modulate couples' adaptation during the transition to parenthood, the contribution of conflict resolution styles and intimacy to better understand these links seems promising. The goal of this study was to examine the mediator role of conflict resolution styles in the associations between romantic attachment and relationship satisfaction and the moderator role of intimacy in the conflict-satisfaction associations. In a dyadic prospective study involving 211 couples welcoming their first child, we assessed prenatal romantic attachment, conflict resolution style and intimacy at 4-month postpartum, and relationship satisfaction at 12-month postpartum. Results from structural equation modeling indicated that prenatal attachment insecurities predicted a higher use of conflict engagement, compliance, and withdrawal and a lower use of positive problem-solving conflict resolution styles in both partners at the actor and partner levels. Bearing mothers' lower relationship satisfaction was explained by their own and their partners' attachment insecurities through their lower use of positive problem solving and by their partners' higher use of conflict engagement. Partners' lower relationship satisfaction was explained by their own and the bearing mothers' attachment insecurities through their own compliance and withdrawal styles, as well as the bearing mother's conflict engagement. When partners perceived a high level of intimacy, their withdrawal and compliance were related to a higher level of relationship satisfaction. Implications of these findings are discussed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved).