ABSTRACT Title of Thesis: PARTNER POSITIVE BEHAVIOR AND RECIPIENT SATISFACTION IN MILD TO MODERATELY ABUSIVE COUPLES AS MODERATED BYATTACHMENT STYLE

Title of Thesis: PARTNER POSITIVE BEHAVIOR AND RECIPIENT SATISFACTION IN MILD TO MODERATELY ABUSIVE COUPLES AS MODERATED BYATTACHMENT STYLE Laura M. Evans, MS, 2007 Thesis Directed By: Professor Norman B. Epstein, Department of Family Studies This study examined the degree to which individuals' secure, insecure/preoccupied, insecure/fearful or dismissive attachment styles moderated the relation between positive partner behaviors and the recipient's experienced pleasure and overall relationship satisfaction. Males with high insecure/preoccupied attachment styles experienced high levels of affection behavior as more pleasurable than low levels; those with low insecure/preoccupied attachment experienced little pleasure difference from high or low levels. Males and females with insecure/fearful or dismissive styles showed opposite patterns, in that males with low levels of insecure/fearful or dismissive attachment experienced high levels of positive instrumental behavior as more pleasurable than those with high levels of insecure/fearful or dismissive attachment, whereas females with high levels of insecure/fearful or dismissive attachment experienced more pleasure from high levels of instrumental behaviors than those with low insecure/fearful or dismissive attachment. Further, females with high insecure/fearful or dismissive attachment experienced higher levels of nurturing behavior as more pleasurable that those with low insecure/fearful or dismissive attachment. PARTNER POSITIVE BEHAVIOR AND RECIPIENT SATISFACTION IN MILD TO MODERATELY ABUSIVE COUPLES AS MODERATED BY ATTACHMENT STYLE