Adult attachment and relationship satisfaction among young adults: the mediating role of perceived partner responsiveness
- 1School of Health, Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine , ,
Abstract
Previous research has established that insecure attachment is negatively associated with intimate relationship satisfaction. However, the psychological mechanisms underlying these associations, particularly in young adults, warrant further investigation. Guided by attachment theory, the present study investigated the mediating role of perceived partner responsiveness (PPR) in the relationship between adult attachment dimensions (avoidance and anxiety) and intimate relationship satisfaction among Chinese college students. In a cross-sectional design, 404 college students currently involved in romantic relationships completed online questionnaires assessing attachment styles, PPR, and relationship satisfaction. Attachment avoidance and anxiety were examined simultaneously to estimate their unique associations while accounting for their shared variance. The findings suggest distinct relational patterns for the two attachment dimensions among young adults: PPR accounted for only part of the association between avoidance and relationship satisfaction, whereas the unique association involving anxiety was primarily indirect through PPR. Future research could compare different developmental stages to examine whether perceived partner responsiveness is particularly salient for relationship satisfaction during young adulthood.
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BibTeX
@article{wang2026adult,
title = {{Adult attachment and relationship satisfaction among young adults: the mediating role of perceived partner responsiveness}},
author = {Siqi Alice Wang and Junqing Wang},
journal = {Frontiers in psychology},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.3389/fpsyg.2026.1880927},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/PMC/PMC13724380},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Adult attachment and relationship satisfaction among young adults: the mediating role of perceived partner responsiveness
AU - Siqi Alice Wang
AU - Junqing Wang
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/19
JO - Frontiers in psychology
DO - 10.3389/fpsyg.2026.1880927
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/PMC/PMC13724380
AB - Previous research has established that insecure attachment is negatively associated with intimate relationship satisfaction. However, the psychological mechanisms underlying these associations, particularly in young adults, warrant further investigation. Guided by attachment theory, the present study investigated the mediating role of perceived partner responsiveness (PPR) in the relationship between adult attachment dimensions (avoidance and anxiety) and intimate relationship satisfaction among Chinese college students. In a cross-sectional design, 404 college students currently involved in romantic relationships completed online questionnaires assessing attachment styles, PPR, and relationship satisfaction. Attachment avoidance and anxiety were examined simultaneously to estimate their unique associations while accounting for their shared variance. The findings suggest distinct relational patterns for the two attachment dimensions among young adults: PPR accounted for only part of the association between avoidance and relationship satisfaction, whereas the unique association involving anxiety was primarily indirect through PPR. Future research could compare different developmental stages to examine whether perceived partner responsiveness is particularly salient for relationship satisfaction during young adulthood.
SN - 1664-1078
ER -