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Parental Divorce and Interparental Conflict: Spanish Young Adults’ Attachment and Relationship Expectations

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 October 2020

Klara Smith-Etxeberria ,
Amaia Eceiza ,
Chelsea Garneau-Rosner  and
Francesca Adler-Baeder
Klara Smith-Etxeberria*
Affiliation:
Universidad del País Vasco (Spain)
Amaia Eceiza
Affiliation:
Universidad del País Vasco (Spain)
Chelsea Garneau-Rosner
Affiliation:
University of Missouri (USA)
Francesca Adler-Baeder
Affiliation:
Auburn University (USA)
*
Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Klara Smith-Etxeberria. Departamento de Procesos Psicológicos Básicos y su Desarrollo. Avenida Tolosa, 70, Campus Gipuzkoa. 20018 Donostia (Spain). E-mail: klara.smith@ehu.eus
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Abstract

This study focused on the associations between parental divorce and interparental conflict with young adults’ current attachment-related anxiety and avoidance, and romantic relationship expectations. The moderating effect of attachment history was also investigated. Using a sample of 1,078 Spanish young adults (544 women, 518 men; average age 21.4 years), our results confirmed that parental divorce is not associated with young adult children’s higher attachment anxiety and avoidance nor poorer romantic relationship expectations. Moreover, interparental conflict is more strongly associated with attachment-related avoidance (p < .001) and romantic relationship expectations (p < .05) than parental divorce, yet depending on attachment history. In fact, in support of our hypothesis, a more secure attachment history with mother has a buffering effect on the association between high-unresolved interparental conflict and attachment avoidance (β = .17, p < .001). Findings add to the existing literature and promote a better understanding of the complex associations between parental divorce and conflict on adult children´s current attachment and relationship expectations.

Keywords

attachmentdivorceinterparental conflictrelationship expectationsyoung adulthood
Type
Research Article
Information
The Spanish Journal of Psychology , Volume 23 , 2020 , e42
Copyright
© Universidad Complutense de Madrid and Colegio Oficial de Psicólogos de Madrid 2020

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Footnotes

Conflicts of Interest: None.

Funding: This study was supported by the department of Education, Universities and Research of the Basque Government, through a predoctoral grant (BFI-2011-74).

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