Scientists have identified a trait that causes couples to argue and break up more often

Psychologists have discovered: people with insecure attachment cope worse with relationship conflicts

Conflicts are a natural part of romantic relationships, arising from differences in needs, values, and expectations. The strength and duration of the relationship largely depend on how partners handle disagreements: constructive disputes strengthen trust, while destructive ones undermine it.

Researchers from Northwestern University in the USA conducted a large-scale survey among 365 students who had been in relationships for at least six months. Study participants provided detailed accounts of their traumatic experiences, attachment type, and behavior during conflicts with their partner.

The results were impressive: 85% of surveyed students admitted that they had encountered interpersonal traumas of various types at least once in their lives - from emotional to physical and sexual abuse. However, the key factor determining behavior in conflicts turned out to be not the traumatic experience itself, but the formed attachment type.

Participants with insecure attachment types (avoidant or anxious) demonstrated notably less inclination toward compromise. Instead of seeking mutually beneficial solutions, they more often showed aggression, sought to dominate, or, conversely, took a subordinate position to avoid conflict. Additionally, they thought about the possibility of completely ending the relationship significantly more often.

"Our data show that experienced traumas are associated with the formation of insecure attachment, which, in turn, reduces willingness to compromise and intensifies conflict reactions," noted the authors of the study published in the respected journal Sexual and Relationship Therapy (SRT).