Self-forgiveness in romantic relationships: It matters to both of us.

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.

Aim: This study aimed to explore women’s prolonged grief experiences following the dissolution of their romantic relationships and to understand how they made sense of these experiences.Method: This study employed Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) based on semi-structured interviews conducted with five heterosexual women aged 19–33. Each interview lasted 40–60 minutes and was transcribed verbatim. Data were analyzed iteratively and ideographically, following IPA guidelines to ensure depth, rigor, and transparency. Themes were generated through repeated readings, line-by-line coding, and cross-case comparison, with analytic saturation achieved through convergence across participants.Results: The analysis revealed five superordinate themes with their subthemes: (1)From Loss to A New Self (2)Continuing Bonds After Breakup, (3)Post-Breakup Questioning, (4)About the Loss, and (5)After the Loss. The findings showed that the loss experienced after the breakup extended beyond the partner to include future dreams, sources of happiness, and aspects of self. Participants’ efforts to sustain the relationship, ongoing communication, idealization, and fantasies of reunion played a decisive role in prolonging the grief process.Conclusion: Romantic breakups were experienced as the loss not only of a partner but also of identity, future plans, and sources of happiness. Participants’ experiences related to the prolongation of their grief period as an ongoing experience rather than a clinical condition stemmed from participants’ inability to withdraw their investment, showing breakup as a continued bond rather than an ending. Clinically, healing requires transforming this investment and reconstructing meaning, rather than enforcing abrupt detachment.

هدف: هدف این پژوهش، بررسی تجربه‌های سوگ طولانی‌مدت زنان پس از پایان روابط عاشقانه و درک چگونگی معنابخشی آنان به این تجربه‌ها بود. روش: این پژوهش با استفاده از تحلیل پدیدارشناختی تفسیری (IPA) و بر اساس مصاحبه‌های نیمه‌ساختاریافته با پنج زن دگرجنس‌گرا در بازه سنی ۱۹ تا ۳۳ سال انجام شد. هر مصاحبه بین ۴۰ تا ۶۰ دقیقه به طول انجامید و به‌صورت کلمه‌به‌کلمه رونویسی شد. داده‌ها به‌صورت تکرارشونده و ایدیوگرافیک و بر اساس دستورالعمل‌های IPA به‌منظور تضمین عمق، دقت و شفافیت تحلیل شدند. مضامین از طریق خوانش‌های مکرر، کدگذاری خط‌به‌خط و مقایسه بین موارد استخراج شد و اشباع تحلیلی از طریق همگرایی بین مشارکت‌کنندگان حاصل گردید. یافته‌ها: تحلیل داده‌ها پنج مضمون فراگیر و زیرمضامین مربوطه را آشکار ساخت: (۱) از فقدان تا خود جدید، (۲) تداوم پیوند پس از جدایی، (۳) پرسش‌گری پس از جدایی، (۴) درباره فقدان، و (۵) پس از فقدان. یافته‌ها نشان داد که فقدان تجربه‌شده پس از جدایی، فراتر از شریک عاطفی بوده و شامل رؤیاهای آینده، منابع شادی و جنبه‌هایی از خود نیز می‌شود. تلاش‌های مشارکت‌کنندگان برای حفظ رابطه، ارتباط مستمر، آرمان‌سازی و خیال‌پردازی درباره بازگشت، نقش تعیین‌کننده‌ای در طولانی شدن فرایند سوگ ایفا کرد. نتیجه‌گیری: جدایی‌های عاشقانه نه تنها به‌عنوان فقدان شریک عاطفی، بلکه به‌عنوان از دست دادن هویت، برنامه‌های آینده و منابع شادی تجربه می‌شود. تجربه‌های مشارکت‌کنندگان در ارتباط با طولانی شدن دوره سوگ، به‌عنوان تجربه‌ای مستمر و نه یک وضعیت بالینی، ناشی از ناتوانی آنان در بازپس‌گیری سرمایه‌گذاری عاطفی‌شان بود و جدایی را به‌عنوان پیوندی ادامه‌دار و نه پایانی مطلق نشان داد. از منظر بالینی، بهبود مستلزم دگرگونی این سرمایه‌گذاری و بازسازی معناست، نه تحمیل جدایی ناگهانی.