Attachment Style and Tolerance for Ambiguity Effects on Relational Repair Message Interpretation Among Remarrieds

Abstract

This study examined the role of the dispositional variables of attachment style and tolerance for ambiguity on the interpretation of relational repair messages. Respondents completed questionnaires that measured attachment style and tolerance for ambiguity and made interpretations of hypothetical repair messages from their spouses with varying levels of equivocation. The resulting interpretations were measured along the dimensions of honesty, competence, and politeness using Likert-type scales. Regression and multivariate analyses of variance (MANOVAs) demonstrated that both of the traits influenced the interpretation of repair messages, although in somewhat different ways and along different dimensions.

KEYWORDS:

• ambiguity tolerance
• attachment style
• equivocation
• message interpretation
• relational repair
• remarriage