Let's talk about us: Attachment, relationship-focused disclosure, and relationship quality

This research tested whether attachment avoidance and anxiety were associated with couples’ (N = 59) disclosure during recorded discussions of recent events. The links between attachment and disclosure with relationship quality across 1 year were also assessed. Attachment was not associated with amount or intimacy of disclosure, but greater attachment anxiety was associated with more relationship-focused disclosure, whereas attachment avoidance was associated with less relationship-focused disclosure. Relationship-focused disclosure was also positively associated with relationship quality across time, whereas attachment avoidance predicted lower relationship quality. These findings indicate that spontaneous relationship-focused disclosure during routine conversations helps maintain relationships, but because people high in avoidance are less focused on sustaining closeness, their relationships tend to deteriorate over time. Prior research examining attachment anxiety and avoidance has focused primarily on the ways in which attachment insecurity leads to destructive responses during times of threat. Attachment anxiety is associated with greater distress, anger, and hostility during conflict and when partners fail to provide support, whereas attachment avoidance is associated with coldness and withdrawal during conflict and when partners seek support (e.g., Rholes, Simpson, & Ori˜ na, 1999; Simpson, Rholes, & Phillips, 1996). In contrast, very little attention has been paid to the impact of attachment insecurity in nonthreatening situations, despite the fact that behaviors enacted during these more routine relationship interactions should also influence