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ZENODO
Article . 2025
License: CC BY
Data sources: ZENODO
ZENODO
Article . 2025
License: CC BY
Data sources: Datacite
ZENODO
Article . 2025
License: CC BY
Data sources: Datacite
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The Place of Attachment Styles, Communication Patterns, and Conflict Resolution Strategies in Sustaining Long-Term Marital Relationships

Authors: FAGBOLADE, Taofeeqah Aderoju; ODELEYE, Donald;

The Place of Attachment Styles, Communication Patterns, and Conflict Resolution Strategies in Sustaining Long-Term Marital Relationships

Abstract

This paper critically examines the interrelated roles of attachment styles, communication patterns, and conflict resolution strategies in sustaining long-term marital relationships. In a socio-cultural landscape where marital instability and divorce rates are rising, understanding the psychological and interpersonal foundations of enduring relationships is both timely and essential. Drawing from established psychological theories including Attachment Theory, Systems Theory, and the Gottman Model of marital interaction, the paper argues that these three dimensions form the core pillars of relational durability. Attachment styles, developed in early life and carried into adulthood, profoundly influence emotional security and relational behavior. Secure attachment tends to foster trust and resilience, while insecure patterns (anxious, avoidant, or disorganized) often undermine marital stability. Communication patterns, whether constructive or destructive, shape the day-to-day dynamics of the relationship, serving as either a conduit for intimacy or a trigger for misunderstanding. Conflict resolution strategies, meanwhile, determine how couples navigate inevitable disagreements, with adaptive strategies (compromise, empathy) promoting cohesion and maladaptive ones (avoidance, aggression) escalating relational distress. This paper adopts a desk-based approach, synthesizing empirical findings and theoretical models to assert that long-term marital success depends not on compatibility alone, but on the conscious cultivation of secure attachment behaviors, effective communication, and emotionally intelligent conflict resolution. The paper calls for a shift in marital counselling, premarital education, and relationship support programs to prioritize these three dimensions as central tools for relational sustainability.

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selected citations
These citations are derived from selected sources.
This is an alternative to the "Influence" indicator, which also reflects the overall/total impact of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network (diachronically).
BIP!Citations provided by BIP!
popularity
This indicator reflects the "current" impact/attention (the "hype") of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network.
BIP!Popularity provided by BIP!
influence
This indicator reflects the overall/total impact of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network (diachronically).
BIP!Influence provided by BIP!
impulse
This indicator reflects the initial momentum of an article directly after its publication, based on the underlying citation network.
BIP!Impulse provided by BIP!
0
Average
Average
Average
Green