Abstract

Emerging adulthood is a developmental period where romantic relationships become more important in an individual's life. Attachment style and self-esteem have previously been found to impact romantic relationships and the satisfaction within them. The development of attachment style and self-esteem have also been linked to the quality of parent-child connections and parenting styles. Therefore, the loss of a caregiver may impact the relationships between these variables. The current study investigates how caregiver loss moderates the relationship between attachment style, self-esteem, and romantic relationship satisfaction in emerging adults. Of 94 participants, the average age was 25.81 years (SD = 2.67) with 64.9% having experienced caregiver loss and 79.8% being insecurely attached. The results suggest that emerging adults with a secure attachment style are more satisfied in their romantic relationships compared to those with an insecure attachment style. Similarly, emerging adults with better self-esteem are more satisfied in their romantic relationships compared to those with worse self-esteem. There were no differences in romantic relationship satisfaction based on attachment style and self-esteem, regardless of whether they had lost a caregiver or not. These results may suggest the loss of a caregiver does not further impact romantic relationship satisfaction for those who may have an insecure attachment style or worse self-esteem. Shifting the focus from caregiver loss may encourage therapeutic practices to prioritize attachment security and address self-esteem issues to promote relational satisfaction within romantic relationships.

Advisor

Clark, Alyssa

Department

Psychology

Disciplines

Developmental Psychology | Social Psychology

Keywords

emerging adulthood, attachment style, self-esteem, romantic relationship satisfaction, caregiver loss, non-normative event

Publication Date

2025

Degree Granted

Bachelor of Arts

Document Type

Senior Independent Study Thesis

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