The mediating role of information seeking for the expartner in the relationship between adult attachment styles and post-breakup grief

When romantic relationships, which have become very important for young adults, end, individuals who experience loss may enter a period of grief after the breakup. In this study, the effects of adult attachment styles and information seeking regarding the ex-partner on this process were examined. The research sample consisted of 168 female and 43 male participants in Turkey, aged between 18 and 30. Participants completed the Socio-demographic Information Form, Information Seeking Survey Form, Post-Breakup Grief Scale, and Relationship Scales Questionnaire online, respectively. In this thesis study, post-breakup grief was found to be negatively correlated with secure attachment style and positively correlated with preoccupied attachment style and information seeking. Findings suggest that individuals who engage in more frequent information seeking behavior after breakup tend to have higher grief severity. However, mediator analyses indicated that information seeking did not mediate the relationship between attachment styles and post-breakup grief, even when controlling for time since breakup and relationship seriousness. Additionally, participants' experiences of the post-breakup process were examined with the help of thematic analysis through semi-structured interviews. Accordingly, it has been revealed that breakup is a significant event for young adults, the time since breakup and the seriousness of the relationship are determinative, adaptation takes time, the seek for information can negatively affect this adaptation, and the coping methods that the participants resort to during this process. The results of the qualitative and quantitative analyses were evaluated in the light of literature findings; the contributions and limitations of this study were discussed, and clinical implications and suggestions for future studies were presented.