The Relationships between Insecure Adult Attachment and Midlife Crisis: Mediating Roles of Emotional Clarity and Meaning in Life
This study aimed to examine the mediating effects of emotional clarity and meaning in life on the relationship between ...
The Relationships between Insecure Adult Attachment and Midlife Crisis: Mediating Roles of Emotional Clarity and Meaning in Life
This study aimed to examine the mediating effects of emotional clarity and meaning in life on the relationship between insecure adult attachment and midlife crisis among 317 middle-aged adults (aged 40–59) across Korea. To measure the major variables, the Experiences in Close Relationships-Revised (ECR-R), the Trait Meta-Mood Scale (TMMS), the Meaning in Life Questionnaire (MLQ), and the Midlife Crisis Scale (MLCS) were utilized, and data were collected through online self-report surveys. The collected data were verified for correlation analysis and mediating effects using SPSS 30.0 and PROCESS macro 4.0. The results of this study are as follows:
First, correlation analysis revealed significant correlations among insecure adult attachment, emotional clarity, meaning in life, and midlife crisis. Second, meaning in life was found to partially mediate the relationship between insecure adult attachment and midlife crisis. Third, the dual mediating effect of emotional clarity and meaning in life was significant in the relationship between insecure adult attachment and midlife crisis.
In this study, it was found that meaning in life had a positive effect on midlife crisis. This suggests that because the internal working model of insecure adult attachment involves negative representations of oneself and others, individuals may experience existential emptiness during the process of seeking and discovering meaning in life. Furthermore, midlife crisis may increase due to rumination on negative events and regret regarding a task-oriented pursuit of meaning.
Finally, based on these findings, the significance and implications of the study were discussed, followed by limitations and suggestions for future research.
Keywords: Insecure adult attachment, Midlife crisis, Emotional clarity, Meaning in life