Disengagement and Avoidance in Marriage 10

Supplemental materials to be included online to accompany

“Don’t Stand So Close to Me”: An Attachment Perspective of

Disengagement and Avoidance in Marriage

Robin A. Barry

University of Maryland Baltimore County

Erika Lawrence

University of Iowa

Disengagement and Avoidance in Marriage 10

Correlations among Attachment Dimensions and Behavior Observed during Conflict and Support Discussions at Time 1

1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7 / 8 / 9 / 10
1 Attachment
Avoidance / .02 / .36** / .06 / .06 / .13 / .07 / -.16 / .00 / .31* / .32*
2 Attachment
Anxiety / .31** / .05 / -.11 / .05 / .18 / -.10 / -.06 / -.06 / .13 / .09
3 HT Conflict NA / .14 / -.03 / .30** / .67** / .20 / .21 / .08 / .18 / .22 / -.02
4 WT Conflict NA / -.07 / .02 / .19+ / .07 / .47** / .26* / .01 / .00 / .34** / .12
5 HT Support NA / -.32* / .02 / -.14 / -.04 / .38** / .42** / .04 / .07 / .23 / .14
6 WT Support NA / -.10 / -.04 / .20 / .54** / .26* / .04 / .05 / -.06 / .10 / .07
7 HT Conflict DIS / .07 / -.02 / .21* / -.04 / .01 / .09 / .01 / .44** / .06 / .10
8 WT Conflict DIS / .12 / .10 / -.03 / -.01 / .04 / -.01 / .12 / .23* / .23 / .17
9 HT Support DIS / -.04 / .00 / .00 / .18 / .22+ / -.01 / -.11 / .13 / .16 / .42**
10 WT Support DIS / -.14 / -.11 / -.11 / -.06 / .26* / -.30 / .11 / .01 / .26* / .39**

Note. Correlations among measures of husbands’ variables are above the diagonal and correlations among measures of wives’ variables are below the diagonal. Correlations between husbands’ and wives’ measures of the same construct are on the diagonal in bold. HT = Husbands’ Topic, WT = Wives Topic, NA = Negative Affect (note that Negative Affect was operationalized differently in Conflict and Support Discussions), DIS = Disengagement.

+ p < .10. * p < .05. ** p < .01.

Disengagement and Avoidance in Marriage 10

Correlations among Attachment Dimensions and Conflict Avoidance and Perceived Conflict Unconstructiveness across Time

Time 1 / Time 2 / Time 3 / Time 4 / Time 5
1 /
2 /
3 / 4 /
5 / 6 / 7 / 8 /
9 / 10 / 11
Time 1
1 Attachment Avoidance / .02 / .36** / .17 / .26** / .03 / .07 / .22 / .25* / .17 / .04 / .14
2 Attachment Anxiety / .31** / .05 / .16 / .21* / -.03 / .25* / .06 / .22 / .04 / .06 / .12
3 Perceptions of Conflict / .32** / .16 / .33** / .35** / .64** / .35** / .53** / .16 / .55** / .60** / .21
4 Conflict Avoidance / .15 / .08 / .16 / .15 / .12 / .48** / .18 / .47** / .19 / .20 / .38**
Time 2
5 Perceptions of Conflict / .38** / .21 / .65** / .06 / .40** / .32** / .80** / .11 / .81** / .69** / .22
6 Conflict Avoidance / .29** / .30** / .14 / .50** / .15 / -.17 / .15 / .52** / .25* / .28* / .42**
Time 3
7 Perceptions of Conflict / .39** / .11 / .56** / .10 / .72** / .18 / .31** / .28* / .80** / .71** / .22
8 Conflict Avoidance / .04 / .21 / .22* / .36** / .15 / .54** / .30** / -.06 / .31** / .41** / .48**
Time 4
9 Perceptions of Conflict / .40** / .26* / .57** / -.02 / .65** / .14 / .71** / .29* / .48** / .73** / .26*
Time 5
10 Perceptions of Conflict / .23 / .23 / .50** / .10 / .74** / .23 / .59** / .15 / .69** / .19 / .28*
11 Conflict Avoidance / .28* / .23 / .20 / .21 / .17 / .44** / .11 / .35** / .21 / .29* / .02

Note. Correlations among measures of husbands’ variables are above the diagonal and correlations among measures of wives’ variables are below the diagonal. Correlations between husbands’ and wives’ measures of the same construct are on the diagonal in bold. Perceptions of Conflict = Perceptions of Conflict as Unconstructive.

* p < .05. ** p < .01.

Disengagement and Avoidance in Marriage 10

Do Spouses’ Attachment Dimensions Moderate the Effects of the Partners’ Negative Affect on Spouses’ Behavioral Disengagement During Conflict Discussions?

Level 1 Model Predicting Spouses’ Behavioral Disengagement During Conflict Discussions
Husbands’ Disengagement / Wives’ Disengagement
Coefficient / Standard Error / Coefficient / Standard Error
H Negative Affect / -.001 / .003 / .002 / .004
W Negative Affect / .004* / .002 / .003 / .002
Level 2 Model Predicting Spouses’ Behavioral Disengagement Intercepts During Conflict Discussions
Husbands’ Disengagement / Wives’ Disengagement
Coefficient / Standard Error / Coefficient / Standard Error
H Attachment Avoidance / .021* / .009 / -.002 / .008
H Attachment Anxiety / -.004 / .012 / -.004 / .011
H Avoidance X H Anxiety / .002 / .002 / .004** / .001
W Attachment Avoidance / .006 / .010 / .001 / .010
W Attachment Anxiety / .008 / .014 / -.001 / .017
W Avoidance X W Anxiety / .001 / .003 / .007 / .004
Level 2 Model Predicting Link between Partners’ Negative Affect and Spouses’ Behavioral Disengagement During Conflict Discussions
Wives’ Negative Affect à Husbands’ Disengagement / Husbands’ Negative Affect à Wives’ Disengagement
Coefficient / Standard Error / Coefficient / Standard Error
H Attachment Avoidance / .0020*** / .0005 / .0002 / .0007
H Attachment Anxiety / -.0003 / .0010 / .0018 / .0013
H Avoidance X H Anxiety / -.0001 / .0001 / .0018 / .0036
W Attachment Avoidance / .0000 / .0006 / .0010+ / .0008
W Attachment Anxiety / -.0021 / .0011 / .0014 / .0016
W Avoidance X W Anxiety / .0000 / .0002 / .0005 / .0004

Note. H = Husband, W = Wife.

+p < .10. *p .05. ** p .01. *** p .001.

Do Spouses’ Attachment Dimensions Moderate the Effects of the Partners’ Negative Support Behavior on Spouses’ Behavioral Disengagement During Support Discussions?

Level 1 Model Predicting Spouses’ Behavioral Disengagement During Support Discussions
Husbands’ Disengagement / Wives’ Disengagement
Coefficient / Standard Error / Coefficient / Standard Error
H Negative Affect / .007 / .100 / .013 / .020
W Negative Affect / -.018 / .024 / .008 / .010
Level 2 Model Predicting Spouses’ Behavioral Disengagement Intercepts During Support Discussions
Husbands’ Disengagement / Wives’ Disengagement
Coefficient / Standard Error / Coefficient / Standard Error
H Attachment Avoidance / .031* / .011 / -.018 / .012
H Attachment Anxiety / -.016 / .016 / -.001 / .018
H Avoidance X H Anxiety / -.002 / .003 / .002 / .004
W Attachment Avoidance / -.009 / .013 / -.007 / .010
W Attachment Anxiety / -.007 / .018 / .020 / .021
W Avoidance X W Anxiety / .005 / .003 / .001 / .002
Level 2 Model Predicting Link between Partners’ Negative Affect and Spouses’ Behavioral Disengagement During Support Discussions
Wives’ Negative Behavior à Husbands’ Disengagement / Husbands’ Negative Behavior à Wives’ Disengagement
Coefficient / Standard Error / Coefficient / Standard Error
H Attachment Avoidance / .002* / .001 / .001 / .001
H Attachment Anxiety / -.002* / .001 / .000 / .001
H Avoidance X H Anxiety / -.002 / .002 / .000 / .000
W Attachment Avoidance / -.002 / .002 / .000 / .001
W Attachment Anxiety / -.001 / .002 / .001 / .002
W Avoidance X W Anxiety / .001 / .000 / -.001 / .001

Note. H = Husband, W = Wife.

*p .05. ** p .01. *** p .001.

Do Spouses’ Attachment Dimensions Moderate the Effects of Spouses Perceptions of Couple Conflict as Unconstructive on Spouses’ Conflict Avoidance?

Level 1 Model Predicting Spouses’ Conflict Avoidance
Husbands’ Conflict Avoidance / Wives’ Conflict Avoidance
Coefficient / Standard Error / Coefficient / Standard Error
H Perceptions of Conflict / 1.19* / .50 / -.14 / .10
W Perceptions of Conflict / -.05 / .09 / .10 / .40
Level 2 Model Predicting Spouses’ Conflict Avoidance
Husbands’ Conflict Avoidance / Wives’ Conflict Avoidance
Coefficient / Standard Error / Coefficient / Standard Error
H Attachment Avoidance / 1.69* / .76 / .67 / .57
H Attachment Anxiety / -.33* / .16 / .03 / .37
H Avoidance X H Anxiety / -.00 / .10 / .08 / .06
W Attachment Avoidance / .43 / .38 / 1.14* / .53
W Attachment Anxiety / .16 / .51 / -.21 / .58
W Avoidance X W Anxiety / .25 / .38 / -.14 / .10
Level 2 Model Predicting Link between Perceptions of Conflict and Conflict Avoidance
Husbands’ Perceptions of Conflictà
Husbands’ Conflict Avoidance / Wives’ Perceptions of Conflict à Wives’ Conflict Avoidance
Coefficient / Standard Error / Coefficient / Standard Error
H Attachment Avoidance / .01** / .003 / .003 / .015
H Attachment Anxiety / .02 / .03 / .041 / .052
H Avoidance X H Anxiety / -.001 / .004 / -.002 / .002
W Attachment Avoidance / -.013 / .014 / .005+ / .002
W Attachment Anxiety / .001 / .020 / .016 / .023
W Avoidance X W Anxiety / .011 / .009 / .005 / .004

Note. H = Husband, W = Wife.

+p < .10. *p .05. ** p .01. *** p .001.

Do Spouses’ Attachment Dimensions Moderate the Effects of the Partner’s Negative Affect on Spouses’ Behavioral Disengagement During Conflict Discussions? Re-analyses restricted to data provided by the subsample of spouses who completed both Support and Conflict Discussions

Level 1 Model Predicting Spouses’ Behavioral Disengagement During Conflict Discussions
Husbands’ Disengagement / Wives’ Disengagement
Coefficient / Standard Error / Coefficient / Standard Error
H Negative Affect / .001 / .004 / -.001 / .031
W Negative Affect / .014+ / .007 / -.001 / .002
Level 2 Model Predicting Spouses’ Behavioral Disengagement Intercepts During Conflict Discussions
Husbands’ Disengagement / Wives’ Disengagement
Coefficient / Standard Error / Coefficient / Standard Error
H Attachment Avoidance / .019+ / .011 / .002 / .007
H Attachment Anxiety / -.014 / .010 / -.001 / .012
H Avoidance X H Anxiety / .003 / .010 / .002* / .001
W Attachment Avoidance / .003 / .012 / .001 / .011
W Attachment Anxiety / .011 / .014 / .007 / .020
W Avoidance X W Anxiety / -.001 / .003 / -.001 / .003
Level 2 Model Predicting Link between Partners’ Negative Affect and Spouses’ Behavioral Disengagement During Conflict Discussions
Wives’ Negative Affect à Husbands’ Disengagement / Husbands’ Negative Affect à Wives’ Disengagement
Coefficient / Standard Error / Coefficient / Standard Error
H Attachment Avoidance / .0023* / .0011 / -.0010 / .0013
H Attachment Anxiety / .0002 / .0011 / .0006 / .0005
H Avoidance X H Anxiety / -.0001 / .0002 / .0001 / .0017
W Attachment Avoidance / .0001 / .0008 / .0022** / .0008
W Attachment Anxiety / -.0021 / .0011 / .0013 / .0017
W Avoidance X W Anxiety / .0000 / .0002 / .0005 / .0005

Note. H = Husband, W = Wife.

+p < .10; *p .05; **p < .01; ***p < .001.

Figure 1. Conceptual depiction of the model testing influences of attachment dimensions and behaviorally observed negative affect on behaviorally observed conflict disengagement. Solid lines represent significant effects. Dashed lines represent nonsignificant effects.

Figure 2. Conceptual depiction of the model testing influences of attachment dimensions and behaviorally observed negative affect on behaviorally observed support disengagement. Solid lines represent significant effects. Dashed lines represent nonsignificant effects.

Figure 3. Conceptual depiction of the model testing influences of attachment dimensions and spouses’ perceptions of problem-solving as unconstructive on conflict avoidance. Solid lines represent significant effects. Dashed lines represent nonsignificant effects.