LE3 .A278 2016

2016

Holmberg, Diane

Acadia University

Bachelor of Arts

Honours

Psychology

Psychology

The current study examines the relationship between support styles (active engagement, overprotection and protective buffering) and physical and relationship well-being in cardiac rehabilitation patients, as well as the potential moderating effects of adult attachment styles in this relationship. Twenty-four participants involved in two separate cardiac rehabilitation programs participated. Six hierarchical multiple regression analyses were completed, three with relational well-being as the dependent variable and three with physical well-being as the dependent variable. As predicted, perceived active engagement was related to increased relationship satisfaction (β=.651, p=.001); however, it was not significant once avoidant and anxious attachment styles were accounted for(β=.120, p=.471). This pattern suggests that perceptions of support and attachment styles may overlap, and attachment styles are the better predictor of relationship well-being. There was also a marginally significant interaction between protective buffering and attachment anxiety, when predicting relationship well-being (β=-.459, p=.096). As predicted, high levels of protective buffering were particularly predictive of lower relationship well-being for those who scored higher, as compared to lower, on attachment anxiety. Those high in attachment anxiety are hyper-sensitive to abandonment cues; they may, therefore, be more likely to interpret their partners’ attempts to ignore their health problems as their partner being unresponsive to them in their time of need.

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https://scholar.acadiau.ca/islandora/object/theses:1445