Intimate Relationships of the Intellectually Gifted: Attachment Style, Conflict Style, and Relationship Satisfaction Among Members of the Mensa Society

ABSTRACT

To date relatively little is known about the intimate relationships of the intellectually gifted and the way they attach themselves to and handle conflicts with their intimate partner. The present study examined these issues by examining the relationship between attachment styles, conflict styles, and relationship quality in a sample of 196 adult members of the Mensa society. These results were compared with findings from a general community sample (n = 145). Results showed that, overall, Mensa members showed similar levels of relationship quality compared with the control sample but also tended to deal less constructively with conflicts and reported higher levels of fearful attachment. Analyses showed that the relations between relationship quality, conflict styles, and attachment were comparable in the two samples, with the exception of the role of fearful attachment in the relationship. Conflict styles mediated the relations between attachment and relationship quality in both samples. Results are discussed in light of the scarce knowledge on the intimate relationships of the gifted.

KEYWORDS:

• attachment style
• conflict style
• gifted adults
• Mensa
• relationship satisfaction

Notes

Because the two samples differed in their educational level, we also conducted an additional MANOVA in which educational level was entered as an additional between subjects variable. The multivariate main effect of educational level was not significant, nor was the sample × educational level interaction (Fs < 1.20, ps ≥ .139). We therefore only report the results that are not controlled for educational level.