• 408-01 - Dimensions of Attachment and Commitment Over the Transition to Parenthood
  Presented by: Megan M. Ferriby, Claire M. Kamp Dush, Sarah J. Schoppe-Sullivan
• 408-02  - Attachment and Marital Beliefs: Working Models of Marriage
  Presented by: Scott Hall
• 408-03 - Couple Boundaries for Social Networking: Impact of Trust and Satisfaction
  Presented by: Aaron Norton, Joyce Baptist

Abstracts

Dimensions of Attachment and Commitment Over the Transition to Parenthood

Presented by: Megan M. Ferriby, Claire M. Kamp Dush, Sarah J. Schoppe-Sullivan

Adult attachment styles have been linked to the quality of intimate relationships, but a few studies have examined associations between attachment and commitment. Our study looks at the relationship between adult attachment and commitment during the stressful transition to parenthood. We found that at the transition to parenthood, mothers' avoidance was significantly negatively correlated with her dedication and confidence, but positively correlated with her constraint. Fathers' avoidance exhibited the same pattern with his variables of commitment. When examining change over time, fathers' anxiety was significantly negatively associated with change in mothers' confidence and positively associated with change in her constraint.

Attachment and Marital Beliefs: Working Models of Marriage

Presented by: Scott Hall

Working Models of Marriage (WMM) is a unique application of Attachment theory. It links the intertransmission of marital quality to both attachment-oriented processes and to beliefs about marriage. In a study of 1,490 unmarried students, regression equations for the dimensions of self and other revealed many significant predictor variables across a variety of domains, including family of origin characteristics, attachment styles, marital beliefs, and intimate relationship variables. Similarly, a MANOVA that utilize a four-category classification of WMM based on the two dimensions revealed many significant differences across variables that differed by attachment classification. Implications for research and practice are discussed.

Couple Boundaries for Social Networking: Impact of Trust and Satisfaction

Presented by: Aaron Norton, Joyce Baptist

The present study examined married individuals' boundaries and rules for online social networking and the relationship between these boundaries and relational trust and satisfaction. Participants included 205 married individuals (average of 27 years). Five specific boundaries were identified and tested using multiple sample structural equation modeling. Trusting one's partner, but not relationship satisfaction, contributed to behaviors that reflect sharing online social networking information, and decreased behaviors associated with online flirting and relationships with former romantic partners. These findings that indicate that the use of internet boundaries is highly related to marital trust support the development theory of trust.