Exploring Psychosocial Factors Influencing Maladaptive Behaviors Following The Break-Ups of Romantic Relationship


Abstract views: 14 / PDF downloads: 0

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.31039/plic.2024.11.268

Keywords:

Romantic relationships, break-ups, maladaptive behaviors, insecure attachment, distress intolerance

Abstract

This study aimed to develop a comprehensive scale for assessing maladaptive behaviors following romantic break-ups and examine the experiences of university students in this context regarding psychological and relational factors with particular emphasis on the theoretical framework of Attachment Theory.

A total of 512 university students aged 18-25, who experienced a break-up within the past year, participated in the study. Measures included the Perceived Relationship Quality Components, Attachment-Based Mental Representation Scale (ABMRS), Distress Intolerance Index (DII), and Complicated Grief Inventory- Relation and Post Break-up Maladaptive Behaviors Scale (PBMBS) explicitly developed within this study. The collected data were analyzed using various statistical techniques, including explanatory factor analysis (EFA), regression analysis, and mediation analysis.

Results from the EFA revealed that the final version of the PBMBS consisted of 21 items across four constructs: Aggression Over Others, Dating and Sexual Act, Boundary Violation and Harassment, and Inclination to Pleasure and Denial with a Cronbach's alpha coefficient of .83. Hierarchical regression analysis demonstrated that the increased elapsed time since the breakup, the higher scores of insecure attachment, and the Inventory of Complicated Grief, the lower scores of the Distress Intolerance Index, significantly predicted maladaptive behaviors following break-ups. Furthermore, the mediation analysis indicated a significant relationship between insecure attachment and post-break-up maladaptive behaviors, with distress tolerance mediating in this relationship. Overall, the study enhances understanding of post-break-up dynamics. The findings and implications were discussed concerning existing literature.

References

Agnew, C. R., Loving, T. J., & Drigotas, S. M. (2001). Substituting the forest for the strees: Social networks and the prediction of romantic relationship state and fate. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 81, 1042–1057.

Ainsworth, M. D. S., Blehar, M. C., Waters, E., & Wall, S. (1978). Patterns of attachment: A psychological study of the strange situation. Lawrence Erlbaum.

Bakermans-Kranenburg, M. J., & van IJzendoora, M. H. (1997). Adult Attachment and the Break-Up of Romantic Relationships. Journal of Divorce & Remarriage, 27(3–4), 121–139. https://doi.org/10.1300/j087v27n03_08

Bartholomew, K., & Horowitz, L. M. (1991). Attachment styles among young adults: A test of a four-category model. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 61(2), 226–244.

Barutcu, Yıldırım, F., & Demir, A. (2015). Breakup adjustment in young adulthood. Journal of Counseling & Development, 93, 38–44.

Boelen, P. A., & Reijntjes, A. (2009). Negative cognitions in emotional problems following romantic relationship break-ups. Stress Health 25: 11–19. https://doi.org/10.1002/smi.1219

Boelen, P. A., & van den Hout, M. A. (2010). Inclusion of Other in the Self and Breakup-Related Grief Following Relationship Dissolution. Journal of Loss and Trauma, 15(6), 534–547. https://doi.org/10.1080/15325024.2010.519274

Boss P. (2007). Ambiguous loss theory: Challenges for scholars and practitioners. Family Relations, 56, 105–111.

Bowlby, J. (1973). Attachment and loss: Separation, anxiety, and anger. New York: Basic Books.

Bowlby, J. (1980). Attachment and loss: Vol. 3. Loss: Sadness and depression. New York: Basic Books.

Bowlby, J. (1980). Attachment and loss: Attachment (rev. ed.). New York: Basic Books. (Original work published 1969)

Bowlby, J. (1988). A secure base. New York: Basic Books.

Braithwaite, S. R., Delevi , R., & Fincham, F. D. (2010). Romantic relationships and the physical and mental health of college students. Personal Relationships, 17(1), 1–12. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1475-6811.2010.01248.x

Bravo, V., Connolly, J., & McIsaac, C. (2017). Why Did It End? Breakup Reasons of Youth of Different Gender, Dating Stages, and Ages. Emerging adulthood, 5(4), 230–240. https://doi.org/10.1177/2167696817700261

Brennan, K. A., & Shaver, P. R. (1995). Dimensions of adult attachment, affect regulation, and romantic relationship functioning. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 21, 267–283.

Brennan, K. A., Clark, C. L., & Shaver, P. R. (1998). Self-report measurement of adult attachment: An integrative overview. In J. Simpson & W. S. Rholes (Eds.), Attachment theory and close relationships (pp. 46–76). New York: Guilford.

Bronfman, G., Ladd-Luthringshauser, H., Goodman, L. R., & Sockol, L. E. (2016). Predictors of Breakup Distress Among Residential College Students. College Student Affairs Journal, 34(3), 3–12. https://doi.org/10.1353/csj.2016.0015

Buckner, J. D.,Keough,M.E., &Schmidt, N. B. (2007). Problematicalcohol and cannabis use among young adults: The roles ofdepression and discomfort and distress tolerance. Addictive Behavior, 32, 1957–1963. doi:10.1016/j.addbeh.2006.12.019

Carter, K. R., Knox, D., & Hall, S. S. (2018, November 17). Romantic Breakup: Difficult Loss for Some but Not for Others. Journal of Loss and Trauma, 23(8), 698–714. https://doi.org/10.1080/15325024.2018.1502523

Cassidy, J., & Kobak, R. R. (1988). Avoidance and its relationship with other defensive processes. In J. Belsky and T. Nezworski (eds.), Clinical Implications of Attachment, pp. 300–323. Hillsdale, N.J.: Erlbaum.

Cate, R. M., Levin, L. A., & Richmond, L. S. (2002). Premarital relationship stability: A review of recent research. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 19, 261–284.

Choo, Patricia, Timothy Levine, and Elaine Hatfield. 1996. Gender, love schemas, and reactions to romantic break-ups. Journal of Social Behavior and Personality 11,143–60.

Chung, M. C., Farmer, S., Grant, K., Newton, R., Payne, S., Perry, M., Saunders, J., Smith, C. & Stone, N. (2002). Gender differences in love styles and post traumatic reactions following relationship dissolution. European Journal of Psychiatry, 16(4), 210-220.

Cooley, E., Toray, T., & Roscoe, L. (2010). Reactions to loss scale: Assessing grief in college students. Journal of Death and Dying, 61(1), 25–51. https://doi.org/10.2190/

Downloads

Published

2024-12-16

How to Cite

Izgi, F. D., & Ekrem Culfa. (2024). Exploring Psychosocial Factors Influencing Maladaptive Behaviors Following The Break-Ups of Romantic Relationship. Proceedings of London International Conferences, (11), 253–264. https://doi.org/10.31039/plic.2024.11.268

Issue

No. 11 (2024): Proceedings of London International Conference

Section

Articles

License

Copyright (c) 2024 Ferah Diba Izgi, Ekrem Culfa

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

You are free to:

Share: copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format. The licensor cannot revoke these freedoms as long as you follow the license terms. Under the following terms: Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives-No additional restrictions.

Authors retain copyright and agree to license their articles with a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives (CC BY-NC-ND) 4.0 License.