The relationship between adult romantic attachment and compliance

Abstract

Compliance has been mainly researched in the context of custodial interrogation and peer pressure to commit offences. In the present study compliance was studied in relation to adult romantic attachment. It was hypothesized that the relationship between compliance and romantic attachment would be strongest with maladaptive attachment and lowest with secure attachment. Three hundred and seventy seven pregnant women attending antenatal clinics at Primary Health Care Centres completed the Gudjonsson Compliance Scale (GCS), the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (DASS), the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, and the Multi-item measure of adult Romantic Attachment, which consisted of Anxious and Avoidant dimensions (and additional quadrant framework consisting of Secure, Preoccupied, Dismissing, and Fearful attachment types). Compliance was significantly related to both Anxious and Avoidant attachment after controlling for self-esteem, depression, anxiety, and stress. A further analysis showed that compliance was highest among the Fearful type and lowest among the Secure type. The findings suggest that compliance is an important factor in relation to maladaptive adult romantic attachment.