SBE/RCUK: Relationship Strategies and the Stability of Interpersonal Security Over Time

与亲密的人建立牢固的关系对心理和身体健康都很重要。然而，人们在与他人建立安全关系的意愿和能力上是不同的。在亲密关系中获得更大安全感（“依恋安全感”）的人有更好的关系结果，在追求个人目标时更有信心，也能更好地应对挑战。虽然依恋不安全感通常是一种慢性疾病，但它可以随着新的经历而改变。这个项目利用了恋爱关系中的互动，这种互动唤起了对调节安全感有强大影响的体验。本研究介绍了关系策略，如加强信任或信心的沟通策略，以及有助于积极重新解释互动的感知练习，这些都可以调节依恋安全。因此，这项工作将阐明依恋研究和关系科学中的基本问题，例如，随着时间的推移，导致依恋安全性增加的人际过程是什么？具体来说，该研究将测试理论推导的途径，通过这些途径可以实现依恋过程的短期和长期变化。本研究考察的关系策略针对每种类型的不安全感，旨在将其纳入典型的夫妻互动和日常事件中。这些策略也可以在非浪漫的环境中被那些经历过负面人际经历的人所采用。这个项目的主要目标是确定一些机制，通过这些机制可以减少不安全的关系动态，并随着时间的推移增强依恋安全性。具体而言，研究将测试沟通策略是否在短期内调节这些过程；以及，心理模型（关于自我和他人的信念）的变化是否会导致依恋安全性的长期变化。在一系列随机实验中，夫妻们被分配了针对焦虑倾向或回避倾向的策略。第一个目的是测试沟通策略在缓解焦虑与回避中的中介作用。这种沟通可能会减少直接的关系紧张，但可能不足以导致依恋安全的持久变化。因此，第二个目标涉及到检查互动和感知，这些互动和感知可以增加焦虑个体之间的信心，增加回避个体之间的信任。将在较长时间内审查这些加强安全的战略与减轻不安全的通信相结合的效果。夫妻沟通模式和信仰的这些相对较小的变化，预计会对一般依恋安全产生更深刻的影响，这有利于关系，促进对社会福祉至关重要的有意义的活动。该提案是根据SBE-RCUK牵头机构协议授予的。

Strong relationships with close others are important for psychological and physical well-being. However, people differ in how willing and able they are to forge bonds in which they feel secure with others. People who achieve greater security in their close relationships ("attachment security") have better relationship outcomes, are more confident in pursuing personal goals and are better able to handle challenges. Although attachment insecurity is often a chronic condition, it can and does change with new experiences. This project capitalizes on interactions in romantic relationships, which evoke experiences that have powerful effects in regulating a sense of security. This research introduces relationship strategies, such as communication strategies that strengthen trust or confidence and perception exercises that aid in positive reinterpretations of interactions, that could regulate attachment security. This work will therefore shed light on fundamental questions in attachment research and relationship science, such as what are the interpersonal processes that lead to increased attachment security over time? Specifically, the research will test theoretically-derived pathways through which short- and long-term changes in attachment processes could be achieved. The relationship strategies examined in this research target each type of insecurity and are designed to be incorporated in typical couple interactions and daily events. These strategies may also be adopted in non-romantic settings by individuals who have endured negative interpersonal experiences.The primary goal of this project is to identify mechanisms through which insecure relational dynamics may be reduced, and attachment security enhanced, over time. Specifically, the research will test whether communication strategies mediate these processes in the short-term; and, whether changes in mental models (beliefs about the self and others) lead to longer-term shifts in attachment security. In a series of randomized experiments, couples are assigned to strategies to target anxious tendencies or avoidant tendencies. The first aim will test the mediating role that communication strategies play in mitigating anxiety versus avoidance. Such communication may reduce immediate relational tension but may not be sufficient to cause enduring changes in attachment security. The second aim, therefore, involves examining interactions and perceptions that can increase confidence among anxious individuals and increase trust among avoidant individuals. The effect of these security-enhancing strategies, combined with communication that mitigates insecurity, will be examined over an extended time. These relatively minor changes in couples' communication patterns and beliefs are expected to ripple into more profound changes in general attachment security, which benefits relationships and promotes meaningful activities that are fundamental to societal well-being. This proposal is awarded under the SBE-RCUK Lead Agency Agreement.