Examining the relationship satisfaction of mothers returning to work or study: the impact of attachment, commitment and conflict

The main aim of the present study was to examine the mediational effects of commitment and level of conflict on the relationship between attachment and relationship satisfaction of mothers who had recently returned to work or study. It also explored the relationship between attachment and commitment in the prediction of conflict resolution styles. The sample comprised 96 women aged from 29 to 46 years who were currently in a marital relationship and had two or more children with their current partner. Participants completed a self-report questionnaire which measured their scores on the two higher-order attachment factors (anxiety and avoidance), commitment, level of conflict, satisfaction, conflict resolution styles (voice, neglect, loyalty and exit) and social desirability bias. As predicted, commitment and level of conflict were generally found to mediate the relationship between attachment and satisfaction. It was also found that avoidance, but not anxiety was a significant predictor of three of the four conflict resolution styles. Commitment was found to be a significant predictor of exit only. The present findings have important implications for the development of intervention strategies for marital therapy.