This study aimed to explore the impact of attachment trauma—repeated and chronic emotional damage experienced in relationships with primary caregivers during childhood—on marital satisfaction in married men and women in adulthood. It also examined...
This study aimed to explore the impact of attachment trauma—repeated and chronic emotional damage experienced in relationships with primary caregivers during childhood—on marital satisfaction in married men and women in adulthood. It also examined the mediating effects of individual psychological resources, such as self-differentiation and self-compassion, on this relationship. Previous research has shown that attachment trauma can have long-term effects on the overall functioning of intimate relationships in adulthood, fostering difficulties in emotional regulation, interpersonal instability, and negative self-representations. These characteristics can lead to emotional distance, conflict avoidance, and negative interactions with spouses, thereby lowering marital satisfaction.
Meanwhile, individual psychological resources, such as self-differentiation and self-compassion, are gaining attention as protective factors that buffer the negative effects of attachment trauma and promote relationship adaptation. Self-differentiation refers to the ability to distinguish one's emotions and thoughts and maintain autonomy even under emotional pressure, while self-compassion refers to emotional self-care, embracing and accepting oneself in situations of failure or distress without blaming others.
To this end, this study conducted a self-report online survey with 335 married adults aged 25 to 59. Descriptive statistics and correlation analyses were performed on the collected data using SPSS 28.0. PROCESS Macro v4.2 (Model 4 and Model 6) was then used to examine the single and double mediation effects of self-differentiation and self-compassion.
The results of this study are as follows :
First, attachment trauma was found to have a significant negative effect on marital satisfaction. That is, higher attachment trauma tended to be associated with lower overall marital satisfaction.
Second, self-differentiation showed a significant mediating effect in the relationship between attachment trauma and marital satisfaction. Higher attachmentm trauma was associated with lower self-differentiation, which in turn acted as a pathway to reduced marital satisfaction.
Third, self-compassion also significantly mediated the relationship between attachment trauma and marital satisfaction. Higher attachment trauma was associated with lower self-compassion, which in turn led to lower marital satisfaction.
Fourth, self-differentiation and self-compassion significantly explained the relationship between attachment trauma and marital satisfaction through a dual mediating pathway. Specifically, a chain reaction was verified in which attachment trauma diminishes self-differentiation, which then weakens self-compassion, leading to decreased marital satisfaction.
These results suggest that the negative impact of attachment trauma on marital satisfaction can be mitigated by an individual's internal psychological resources. Specifically, self-differentiation and self-compassion were identified as key factors that moderate the long-term effects of attachment trauma and promote marital adjustment. This supports the importance of interventions that strengthen emotional regulation and self-acceptance in individual and couples counseling settings. This study offers theoretical and practical implications by elucidating the role of internal psychological protective factors in improving marital quality. It can also serve as a foundation for the development of future prevention and intervention programs for married adults.