Abstract

This study aimed to examine the mediating effect of negative emotion and behavior expression and the moderated mediating effect of relationship length in the link between adult attachment and relationship satisfaction. We hypothesized that attachment anxiety and attachment avoidance would have negative effects on relationship satisfaction through negative emotion and behavior expression and this mediating effect would be moderated by relationship length. Using the Actor-Partner Interdependence Model (APIM) we analyzed 274 heterosexual dating couple data. We found that woman’s attachment anxiety predicted her own and her partner’s relationship dissatisfaction through her negative emotion and behavior expression. Man’s attachment anxiety predicted his partner’s relationship dissatisfaction through her negative emotion and behavior expression. Furthermore, man’s mediating effect of negative emotion and behavior expression in the link between own attachment anxiety and own relationship satisfaction was moderated by relationship length. That is, the mediating effect of negative emotion and behavior expression was stronger as he stayed longer in his relationship. This study found that adult attachment as a trait and relationship schema can explain couple’s relationship satisfaction through negative emotion and behavioral expression, and how relationship length moderated this mediating effect.