“Digging in” or “Giving in”: Attachment‐related threat moderates the association between attachment orientation and reactions to conflict

MacDonald, Tara K.; Wood, Valerie; Fabrigar, Leandre R.

doi:10.1002/ejsp.2578

Cited by 8Attachment and Relationship DynamicsDeath Anxiety and Social ExclusionConflict Management and Negotiation

“Digging in” or “Giving in”: Attachment‐related threat moderates the association between attachment orientation and reactions to conflict

MacDonald, Tara K., Wood, Valerie, Fabrigar, Leandre R.·2019·European Journal of Social Psychology

DOI 10.1002/ejsp.2578

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Abstract

Prior research suggests that individuals higher in attachment anxiety react to conflict in a more hostile manner than those lower in attachment anxiety. Although less pronounced, there is also evidence that attachment anxiety is associated with submissive behavior in conflict. Thus, the literature presents a paradox, as attachment anxiety is associated with both domineering and submissive responses to relationship conflict. We proposed that attachment‐related threat moderates the effects of attachment orientations on conflict behavior, such that under conditions of low threat attachment anxiety would be associated with dominance, whereas under conditions of high threat attachment anxiety would be associated with submission. Further, we expected that this interaction between attachment anxiety and threat condition would be stronger for individuals lower in attachment avoidance, relative to those higher in avoidance. We found support for our hypotheses, such that attachment anxiety, attachment avoidance, and threat interacted to predict responses to relationship conflict.

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This study replicates past patterns of attachment insecurity predicting more negative conflict behaviors.
“This replicates past patterns of attachment insecurity predicting more negative conflict behaviors [14,15,16,17].”
From Being in the moment so you can keep moving forward: Mindfulness and rumination mediate the relationship between attachment orientations and negative conflict styles (2020) · cites this paper as [16]

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Authors: MacDonald, T. K., Wood, V., & Fabrigar, L. R.
Affiliations: Queen's University (CA)
Corresponding author: MacDonald, Tara K.
ORCID: MacDonald, Tara K.
Wood, Valerie
Venue: European Journal of Social Psychology
Publisher: Wiley
Published: 2019-04
Volume: 49
Issue: 6
Pages: 1237-1254
ISSN: 0046-2772 (ISSN-L)
1099-0992
DOI: 10.1002/ejsp.2578
OpenAlex: W2912256041
Cited by: 8
References: 41
Citations by year: 2026: 1 · 2025: 2 · 2024: 1 · 2022: 1 · 2021: 2 · 2020: 1
FWCI: 1.26
Type: journal article
Language: en
Open access: closed
Licence: onlinelibrary.wiley.com/termsAndConditions#vor (vor)
Locations: European Journal of Social Psychology (publishedVersion)
Funders: Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (410‐2010‐2118, 410‐2010‐1374)
Topics: Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Attachment and Relationship Dynamics
Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Death Anxiety and Social Exclusion
Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Conflict Management and Negotiation
Keywords: attachment anxiety, attachment avoidance, attachment orientation, relationship conflict, conflict response, threats, dominance, submission, hostility, moderated mediation

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“Digging in” or “Giving in”: Attachment‐related threat moderates the association between attachment orientation and reactions to conflict

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