The Relationship Between Attachment Style and Romantic Relationship Quality in Early Adulthood: A Systematic Review of the Literature
Year: 2026
Type: review
Study design: Systematic Review
Abstract: Romantic relationships are one of the important developmental tasks in early adulthood that are influenced by various psychological factors, one of which is attachment pattern. This study aims to systematically analyze the relationship between attachment style and the quality of romantic relationships in early adulthood through the empirical findings that have been listed. This study used the systematic literature review (SLR) method with PRISMA guidelines, where the literature search was conducted through Google Scholar, SINTA, which used keywords relevant to the publication range of the last 5 years (2021-2025), and of the 565 identified articles, there were 10 journals that met the inclusion criteria which were then analyzed narratively. The results of the study showed that secure attachment accumulated positively with satisfaction, intimacy, commitment and readiness for marriage. Conversely, insecure attachment from the dimensions of anxiety and avoidance negatively affected the quality of romantic relationships and increased the risk of maladaptive seizures and violence in dating, where the dimension of avoidance attachment had a negative effect compared to anxious attachment. Adverse childhood experiences such as violence, neglect, and parental divorce contribute to the formation of insecure attachment in early adulthood.
Authors: Nadya Arsyun Tovanirmala, Nova Lusiana
Institution: UIN Sunan Ampel Surabaya
Language: English
Subfield: Social Psychology
Field: Psychology
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W7224691881