Holding On to What Has Ended: Women’s Experiences of Grief After Romantic Breakups

This study examines adult romantic attachment among university students, focusing on attachment anxiety and attachment avoidance. A quantitative, descriptive, cross-sectional design was used, involving 50 students aged 18 to 28 years. Data were collected through an online questionnaire using the 12-item Experiences in Close Relationships?Short Form (ECR-S). The results showed moderate attachment anxiety (M = 3.78, SD = 1.03) and low-to-moderate attachment avoidance (M = 3.16, SD = 0.90). A weak positive correlation was observed between the two dimensions (r = .16, p = .264), but the relationship was not statistically significant. Exploratory analysis identified a statistically significant difference in attachment avoidance across years of study, while the observed gender difference in attachment anxiety was not statistically significant. These demographic findings require cautious interpretation because of the small subgroup sizes. Overall, participants reported greater concern about rejection than discomfort with emotional closeness. The findings support examining attachment anxiety and avoidance as distinct dimensions of romantic attachment. However, the small convenience sample, reliance on self-reported responses, and cross-sectional design limit the generalisability of the results. Further research involving larger and more diverse student populations is recommended to examine attachment patterns and their relationship with demographic and interpersonal factors.

This study examined the influence of attachment style on fear of intimacy among emerging adults aged 18–25 years. A quantitative approach involved 152 participants who were currently or had previously been in romantic relationships, recruited through convenience sampling. Data were collected using the Experiences in Close Relationships–Revised (ECR-R) and Fear of Intimacy Scale (FIS). Linear regression analysis showed that insecure attachment significantly predicted fear of intimacy (β = 0.570, p < .001). Both attachment avoidance (β = 0.432, p < .001) and attachment anxiety (β = 0.368, p < .001) were significant predictors, with avoidance showing a stronger association. These findings suggest that discomfort with emotional closeness and anxiety in romantic relationships are associated with greater fear of intimacy. The results highlight the potential value of psychological interventions that support emerging adults in developing safer and healthier romantic relationships.

Background. Emotional adversities and social context may influence romantic relationships and psychological well-being, especially within the LGBTQ+ community. However, the present study does not directly measure stigmatization. Aim. The study aimed to evaluate the interplay between attachment styles, relationship satisfaction, and psychological well-being, while considering the distinctions between LGBTQ+ individuals and their heterosexual counterparts. Methods. A quantitative correlational methodology was employed for the study, utilizing a stratified sample of 100 participants: 40 LGBTQ+ individuals and 60 heterosexuals. Standardized instruments were utilized to assess attachment styles, relationship satisfaction, and psychological well-being (ECR-S, RSI, PWB). Statistical processing included MANOVA, correlation and regression analysis. Results. The findings revealed significant disparities in the distribution of attachment styles between groups. The LGBTQ+ group showed higher rates of anxious attachment (35% vs. 23%; p=0.046) compared to the heterosexual group. Secure attachment was positively correlated with both relationship satisfaction (r=0.72) and well-being (r=0.65), whereas avoidant and anxious-avoidant styles exerted a detrimental effect on these indicators. Discussion. The obtained results underscore the critical importance of secure attachment in fostering emotional stability and harmony within relationships. This is kept but moved slightly later and presented as a cautious interpretation, not a finding. Conclusion. The study emphasizes the significance of cultivating a secure attachment style by ensuring emotional safety and adaptive strategies in relationships. The findings contribute to the enhancement of psychological support programs aimed at enhancing relationship quality and well-being across diverse social groups.

Introduction Digital romantic media may shape young adults' beliefs about intimacy, yet existing measures rarely assess relationship beliefs that jointly address autonomy, non-coercion, equality, and mutual growth. This study developed and validated the Sustainable Intimate Relationship Beliefs Scale (SIRBS) among Chinese college students. Methods An online survey yielded a final analytic sample of 2,008 participants, which was randomly divided for exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses. Reliability, factor-level convergent and discriminant evidence, measurement invariance, criterion-related associations, mediation, and moderation were also examined. Results The final 12-item scale comprised three correlated but conceptually distinct dimensions: Non-materialistic Relationship Beliefs, Low Control Tolerance, and Egalitarian Growth Beliefs. Confirmatory factor analysis supported the correlated three-factor model (CFI = 0.995, TLI = 0.993, RMSEA = 0.036, SRMR = 0.026). Internal consistency was satisfactory (Cronbach's alpha = 0.845; McDonald's omega total = 0.91), and composite reliability ranged from 0.878 to 0.967. Omega hierarchical (0.59) and explained common variance (0.39) indicated limited saturation by a single general factor. Approximate measurement invariance was supported across male-female gender groups and romantic relationship experience groups. SIRBS scores were positively associated with media literacy and negatively associated with unsustainable romantic-script internalization. Discussion The findings support the three subscale scores as the primary basis for construct-specific interpretation. The total score may be used as a secondary broad composite but should not be interpreted as a strictly unidimensional trait.

Relationship quality is typically assessed using self-report questionnaires, which are time-consuming and may not fully capture interpersonal processes during interaction. Automated facial expression analysis provides an opportunity to study nonverbal behavior during naturalistic interactions in a more objective and continuous manner. We characterize dyadic facial synchrony from video-based facial action unit time series and examine its association with marital relationship quality. Specifically, dyadic coordination is quantified using zero-lag cross-correlations between partners’ facial behaviors across multiple action units. Computed over successive temporal windows, these synchrony measures form a multidimensional synchrony profile, termed the S-matrix. We evaluate the proposed method using an iMotions dataset comprising video recordings of in-person conversations, frame-level facial expression estimates, and Quality of Marriage Index (QMI) survey responses from 27 married couples. Results from an unsupervised clustering analysis demonstrate that the proposed synchrony representation provides better separation between couples with high and low marital relationship quality than conventional statistical feature baselines.

کیفیت رابطه معمولاً با استفاده از پرسشنامه‌های خودگزارشی ارزیابی می‌شود که زمان‌بر بوده و ممکن است فرایندهای بین‌فردی را در طول تعامل به طور کامل منعکس نکند. تحلیل خودکار حالات چهره این امکان را فراهم می‌کند تا رفتارهای غیرکلامی در تعاملات طبیعی به شیوه‌ای عینی و پیوسته مورد مطالعه قرار گیرد. در این پژوهش، هم‌زمانی چهره‌ای دوتایی بر اساس سری‌های زمانی واحدهای کنشی چهره مبتنی بر ویدئو توصیف شده و ارتباط آن با کیفیت رابطه زناشویی بررسی می‌شود. به طور مشخص، هماهنگی دوتایی با استفاده از همبستگی‌های متقاطع بدون تأخیر میان رفتارهای چهره‌ای زوجین در چندین واحد کنشی کمی‌سازی می‌شود. این شاخص‌های هم‌زمانی که در پنجره‌های زمانی متوالی محاسبه می‌شوند، یک نمایه هم‌زمانی چندبُعدی به نام ماتریس S را تشکیل می‌دهند. روش پیشنهادی با استفاده از مجموعه داده iMotions شامل ضبط ویدئویی مکالمات حضوری، برآوردهای حالت چهره در سطح فریم و پاسخ‌های پرسشنامه Quality of Marriage Index (QMI) از ۲۷ زوج متأهل ارزیابی شده است. نتایج تحلیل خوشه‌بندی بدون ناظر نشان می‌دهد که نمایش هم‌زمانی پیشنهادی، جداسازی بهتری میان زوج‌های دارای کیفیت رابطه زناشویی بالا و پایین نسبت به ویژگی‌های آماری متداول فراهم می‌کند.