Attachment Orientations and Family Functioning: The Mediating Role of Emotion Regulation

Abstract

Attachment insecurity has been found to be associated with poor family functioning. The mechanisms underlying this link, however, are less explored. This study examines the potential mediating role of emotion regulation in the association between attachment orientations and family functioning. Self-report scales measuring attachment, family functioning, and emotion regulation were administered to 132 adults (58% women; 57.63 years). Results showed that both attachment anxiety and attachment avoidance were associated with poor family functioning. Furthermore, emotion suppression, but not positive reappraisal, was found to partially mediate the association between attachment insecurity (both anxiety and avoidance) and perceived family functioning. Findings suggest that emotion regulation seems to play a role in the impact that attachment orientations may have on family functioning.

Keywords:

• Attachment
• emotion regulation
• perceived family functioning

Disclosure statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Author notes

Tânia Brandão is associated with CIP, Departamento de Psicologia, Universidade Autónoma de Lisboa Luís de Camões, 1150-023 Lisboa, Portugal; Center for Psychology at University of Porto.

Rute Brites is associated with CIP, Departamento de Psicologia, Universidade Autónoma de Lisboa Luís de Camões, 1150-023 Lisboa, Portugal.

João Hipólito is associated with CIP, Departamento de Psicologia, Universidade Autónoma de Lisboa Luís de Camões, 1150-023 Lisboa, Portugal.

Odete Nunes is associated with CIP, Departamento de Psicologia, Universidade Autónoma de Lisboa Luís de Camões, 1150-023 Lisboa, Portugal.

Data availability statement

The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.

Additional information

Funding

This research has been partially funded by Portuguese national funds through FCT—Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology—as part of the project Center for Research in Psychology—UAL Ref^a UIDB/04345/2020.