Who’s the boss? How and when process power moderates partner regulation of attachment defenses

Abstract

Emerging theories suggest that interpersonal power may moderate partner regulation of attachment-related defenses. This study tested whether partner negative engagement (attack, blame, and criticism) and process power (direction and control of conflict resolution) interacted to predict avoidant and anxious targets’ behavioral and physiological responses to conflict. We expected the greatest dysregulation when avoidant targets’ autonomy concerns were maximally threatened (i.e., when partners directed conflict using highly negative tactics) and when anxious targets’ abandonment concerns were maximally threatened (i.e., when highly negative partners disengaged from conflict). Results indicated that highly anxious people recovered poorly from conflict regardless of partner negative engagement and process power but showed greatest heart rate reactivity (HRR) to conflict when partners used strong negative engagement but did not direct conflict. Highly avoidant individuals’ HRR did not differ based on partner negative engagement or process power. As expected, however, they recovered the worst from conflict when highly negative partners directed conflict discussions and recovered best when partners directed conflict without using blame or criticism. Findings suggest that the meaning and consequences of process power may differ for avoidant versus anxious targets and underscore the need to integrate multiple conceptualizations of interpersonal power into future research on partner regulation.