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Romantic Attachment and Adjustment to Separation: The Role of Forgiveness of the Former Partner

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Abstract

Objective

Despite there is evidence linking romantic attachment to adjustment to divorce and separation (ADS), the mechanisms explaining this association needs further exploration. Hence, the aim of the study was to examine the mediating role forgiveness of the former partner in this association.

Method

The sample was composed of 1008 divorced or separated individuals (55.5% women; M = 38.71, SD = 12.25) from Chile. Participants completed the Experiences in Close Relationships Scale to measure romantic attachment, the Questionnaire of Forgiveness in Divorce and Separation to evaluate forgiveness of the former partner, and the Psychological Adjustment to Separation Test to measure the adjustment to divorce and separation.

Results

Using structural equation modeling, mediational analyses revealed that attachment anxiety was both directly and indirectly associated to ADS through forgiveness (indirect effects: loneliness = 0.08, p < 0.001, 95% CI [0.029, 0.107]; attachment to the former partner = 0.06, p < 0.001, 95% CI [0.018, 0.104]), whereas attachment avoidance had only a direct effect on ADS. Multigroup analysis revealed that this pattern of relationships was invariant across gender.

Conclusions

These results highlight the role that attachment and forgiveness play in the process of adjusting to a relationship dissolution that may be useful for clinical work with separated individuals or parents.

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Acknowledgements

This research was funded by a research grant from the National Fund for Scientific and Technological Development of the Government of Chile (FONDECYT 1150044) to the first author.

Authors’ Contributions

M.G.-G. designed and executed the study, assisted with the data analyses, and wrote the paper. A.W. analyzed the data and wrote the results. P.C. collaborated in the writing of the paper and part of the discussion; D.R. collaborated in the writing of the paper and part of the discussion; L.G. collaborated in the writing and the editing of the final manuscript.

Funding

This research was funded by a research grant from the National Fund for Scientific and Technological Development of the Government of Chile (FONDECYT 1150044) to the first author.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Psychology, Universidad Católica del Norte, Antofagasta, Chile

    Mónica Guzmán-González, Anna Wlodarczyk & Paula Contreras

  2. School of Psychology, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile

    Diana Rivera-Ottenberger

  3. Department of Psychology, Universidad Católica del Maule, Talca, Chile

    Lusmenia Garrido

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  1. Mónica Guzmán-González
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Correspondence to Mónica Guzmán-González.

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Guzmán-González, M., Wlodarczyk, A., Contreras, P. et al. Romantic Attachment and Adjustment to Separation: The Role of Forgiveness of the Former Partner. J Child Fam Stud 28, 3011–3021 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-019-01476-8

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