Investigation of the relationship between attachment styles, relationship beliefs and marital satisfaction in married individuals

In this study, relationship between attachment styles, relationship beliefs, and marital satisfaction of married individuals was investigated. The participants of the study were consisted of married individuals dwelling in Malatya Province. Administration of the instruments was done individually on a voluntary basis in different state or private institutions in random fashion. Total of 220 married individuals of whom 120 (54.5%) were women and 100 (45.5%) were men took place in the research.The instruments of the research were the Experiences in Close Relationships Inventory-II, the Relationship Belief Inventory and Marital Life Scale. In order to analyze the data obtained, Pearson correlation coefficient analysis, one-way multivariate analysis of variance and multiple regression methods were employed. Results of the research indicated significant negative correlations between attachment styles, relationship beliefs and marital satisfaction. The highest correlations were obtained between ?avoidant attachment style? (r=-.43), ?partners don?t change? (r=-.43) subscale of the Relationship Beliefs Inventory, and marital satisfaction.The subjects with high and low marital satisfaction differed in terms of attachment styles and relationship beliefs according one-way MANOVA results. Results indicated that the subjects with low level of marital satisfaction tended to display more avoidant and anxious attachment styles and hold more irrational relationship beliefs more than those with high level of marital satisfaction. Therefore, only ?partners don?t change? beliefs and ?avoidant attachment style? had a predictive power to explain total variance in marital satisfaction scores. As the effects of ?partners don?t change? beliefs were controlled, ?avoidant attachment style? still made a significant contribution to the prediction equation.