Are couples w/at least one secure-attach person satisfied (buffering hypothesis)? Contrary to the author's expectations, secure partners do not “buffer” insecurely attached individuals

Dyadic effects of attachment and relationship functioning. Elizabeth B. Lozano et al. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, March 5, 2021. https://doi.org/10.1177/0265407521999443

Abstract: Some scholars have proposed that people in couples in which at least one person is secure are just as satisfied as people in which both members are secure (i.e., buffering hypothesis). The present investigation tested this hypothesis by examining how relationship satisfaction varies as a function of the attachment security of both dyad members. Secondary analyses were performed using data from two studies (Study 1: 172 couples; Study 2: 194 couples) in which heterosexual dating couples were asked to complete self-reports of their own attachment style and relationship satisfaction. To evaluate the buffering hypothesis, we fit a standard APIM using SEM and added an actor × partner interaction term to our model. Contrary to expectations, our results suggested that secure partners do not “buffer” insecurely attached individuals. Moreover, partner attachment did not explain satisfaction much above and beyond actor effects. This work addresses a gap in the literature with respect to the dynamic interplay of partner pairing, allowing scholars to better understand attachment processes in romantic relationships.

Keywords: APIM, attachment, dyadic data, romantic relationships, satisfaction