Evaluations of Supportive Messages Provided by Friends and Romantic Partners: An Attachment Theory Approach

摘要

In a questionnaire study of 270 college students we investigated relationships of adult attachment-style dimensions and perceptions of comforting messages received from friends and romantic partners. We found that comfort with closeness, preoccupied with relationships, and fear of intimacy all associated with factors developed by Bippus (2001) on evaluations of comforting communication. These same three attachment-style dimensions were significantly related with perceptions of social support, further supporting the link between adult attachment orientations and feelings about others' supportiveness. Gender differences in evaluations of comforting messages were also examined. These findings will be discussed in terms of attachment theory.