Coflin, K., & Powell, D. N. (2024). Comparison of emerging adults’ bid responses based on their gender and attachment.Couple and Family Psychology: Research and Practice, 13(3), 224–236.https://doi.org/10.1037/cfp0000236
Key TakeawaysThe primary methods of studying bid responses in romantic relationships include using vignettes depicting hypothetical romantic interactions and self-report measures of attachment.Factors like romantic attachment style significantly affect emerging adults’ likelihood of using turning away bid responses in romantic interactions.The research, while enlightening, has certain limitations such as reliance on self-report measures and a sample with predominantly secure attachments.Understanding bid responses and their relationship to attachment is important for improving relationship education programs and therapeutic interventions for emerging adults.
Key Takeaways
Rationale
Previous research has demonstrated that how partners respond to each other’s bids for emotional connection contributes to romantic relationship quality and longevity (Gottman et al., 1998).
Three types of bid responses have been identified: turning toward, turning away, and turning against (Gottman & DeClaire, 2001).
These responses can significantly impact relationship quality and longevity. Turning toward is associated with relationship satisfaction, while turning away and turning against are linked to relationship dissatisfaction and potential dissolution.
While turning toward responses are associated with relationship satisfaction, turning away and turning against responses are linked to relationship dissatisfaction and dissolution (Gottman et al., 1998).
Additionally, the potential impact ofattachment styleson bid responses has been theorized (Smith, 2007) but not empirically examined. Given that emerging adulthood is a critical time for developing romantic relationship skills, understanding factors that influence bid responses could inform relationship education programs and interventions.
The researchers hypothesized that turning toward responses would be most common overall, that women would use more turning toward responses than men, and that securely attached individuals would use more turning toward responses compared to those with insecure attachments.
Method
Procedure
Participants completed an online survey containing:
Sample
Main study participants (N = 172) were emerging adults aged 18-25 (M = 22.04, SD = 2.40) recruited through Prolific. The sample was 43.6% women, 55.2% men, and 1.2% other genders. Racial/ethnic composition was 59.9% White/Caucasian, 14% Asian, 11% Black/African American, 6.4% Hispanic/Latino, 5.8% biracial, and 4% not disclosed.
Sexual orientation was 64% heterosexual, 25% bisexual, 9.3% gay/lesbian, and 1.7% asexual. Relationship statuses included 43.6% single, 5.8% talking, 6.4% dating casually, 41.9% dating seriously, and 2.3% engaged.
Measures
Statistical measures
Results
Hypothesis 1: Overall, participants will be significantly more likely to endorse turning toward responses than turning away or turning against responses.
Results: Supported. Participants were significantly more likely to endorse turning toward responses (M = 5.26, SD = .67) than turning away (M = 3.13, SD = .82) or turning against responses (M = 2.01, SD = .71).
Hypothesis 2: Female participants will be more likely to endorse turning toward responses than male participants, who will be more likely to endorse turning against responses more frequently than female participants.
Result: Not supported. There were no significant gender differences in likelihood of using turning toward, turning away, or turning against responses.
Hypothesis 3: Participants with asecure attachment stylewill be more likely to endorse turning toward bidding responses than those with other attachment styles.
Participants with aninsecure-avoidance attachmentstyle will be more likely to endorse turning away bidding responses than those with other attachment styles.
Result: Partially supported. There was a significant interaction between romantic partner attachment style and use of turning away responses. However, post-hoc comparisons did not reach significance, likely due to the small number of participants with insecure attachments.
Insight
The study’s findings support previous research showing that individuals generally prefer and intend to use turning toward responses in romantic interactions.
This suggests that emerging adults recognize the value of responding positively to their partner’s bids for connection, which is associated with relationship satisfaction and stability.
Contrary to expectations and some previous literature, no gender differences were found in bid response preferences. This aligns with more recent research showing similarities rather than differences in men’s and women’s communication styles in romantic relationships.
It suggests that contemporary emerging adults may be more egalitarian in their approach to romantic interactions than previous generations.
The partial support for attachment style differences in bid responses, specifically for turning away responses, extends previous theoretical work linking attachment to relationship behaviors.
While the results were not conclusive due to sample limitations, they provide initial empirical evidence that an individual’s romantic attachment style may influence their tendency to use turning away responses.
Future research could explore:
The study had many methodological strengths including:
Limitations
Implications
The results have significant implications for relationship education programs and clinical interventions targeting emerging adults.
The finding that emerging adults generally intend to use turning toward responses suggests that educational efforts should focus on helping individuals translate these intentions into actual behaviors in romantic interactions.
The lack of gender differences in bid responses implies that relationship education programs do not need to tailor their content differently for men and women regarding communication strategies. Instead, they can focus on universal skills for positive relationship interactions.
The potential influence of romantic attachment on turning away responses highlights the importance of addressing attachment issues in relationship interventions.
Clinicians and educators should consider assessing clients’ attachment styles and tailoring interventions to address specific attachment-related behaviors, particularly for those with insecure attachments who may be more prone to using turning away responses.
Variables that may influence the results and should be considered in future research include:
References
Primary reference
Other references
Arnett, J. J. (2007). Emerging adulthood: What is it, and what is it good for? Child Development Perspectives, 1(2), 68-73.
Gottman, J. M., Coan, J., Carrere, S., & Swanson, C. (1998). Predicting marital happiness and stability from newlywed interactions. Journal of Marriage and Family, 60(1), 5-22.
Gottman, J. M., & DeClaire, J. (2001).The relationship cure. Three Rivers Press.
Smith, W. B. (2007).Karen Horney and psychotherapy in the 21st century. Clinical Social Work Journal, 35(1), 57-66.
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Olivia Guy-Evans, MSc
BSc (Hons) Psychology, MSc Psychology of Education
Olivia Guy-Evans is a writer and associate editor for Simply Psychology. She has previously worked in healthcare and educational sectors.
Saul McLeod, PhD
BSc (Hons) Psychology, MRes, PhD, University of Manchester
Saul McLeod, PhD., is a qualified psychology teacher with over 18 years of experience in further and higher education. He has been published in peer-reviewed journals, including the Journal of Clinical Psychology.
