Goal Pursuits in Romantic Relationships: Does Attachment Moderate the Effect of Relationship Satisfaction?

The current research investigated how attachment orientation moderates the effect of relationship satisfaction on the pursuit of goals. Study one examined the extent to which attachment orientation moderated the effect of relationship satisfaction on the pursuit of short-term goals. Unfortunately, attachment orientation appeared not to be a significant moderator for this association, possibly due to the trivial nature of the identified short-term goals. Study two addressed this issue of goal triviality, as well as assessed whether increases and decreases in relationship satisfaction facilitated and inhibited goal pursuit, respectively. The results indicated that attachment anxiety was a significant moderator for this link as decreases in relationship satisfaction significantly reduced goal focus, perceived partner support, and goal motivation for those with low attachment anxiety. Overall, this research suggests that relationship satisfaction may be important to supporting the pursuit of long-term goals.Keywords:attachment; goal pursuit; relationship satisfaction; romantic relationships.