LE3 .A278 2018

2018

Holmberg, Diane
Shields, Chris

Acadia University

Bachelor of Arts

Honours

Psychology

Psychology

Attachment styles, support processes, exercise behaviours and relationship wellbeing were examined within 61 patients-partner dyads. Participants were recruited from a 10-week cardiac rehabilitation program at Valley Regional Hospital. The current study sought to examine whether secure partners, in the cardiac rehabilitation context, would tailor support strategies (overprotection, protective buffering) to best suit the attachment style of the patients. Furthermore, if tailoring did occur, would the style of support offered by the partner predict the patient’s relationship well-being and exercise behaviours. Although no significant effects of support styles on relationship well-being or exercise behaviours were found, significant correlations were found to support hypotheses. Additionally, a significant interaction between partner attachment security and patient attachment anxiety, when predicting protective buffering was found. Securely attached partners used less protective buffering support when patients were low in attachment anxiety. The results did not support the idea that partners would tailor support to best suit patients’ attachment style, as hypothesized. However, training partners in optimal support strategies would be a desirable long-term goal in cardiac rehabilitation.

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https://scholar.acadiau.ca/islandora/object/theses:2615