Extending the four-category model of adult attachment

Relationships among adult friendship attachment styles and levels of hope, self-disclosure, relationship satisfaction, and trust were studied to assess their validity as explanatory factors in friendship attachments in a cross-section of 268 undergraduate students at a small, private university. Significant relationships were found between attachment styles and hope, self-disclosure, and relationship satisfaction. Specifically, securely attached individuals showed significantly more hope, self-disclosure, and relationship satisfaction than individuals with fearful attachment styles. In addition, individuals with fearful attachment styles showed significantly less hope, self-disclosure, and relationship satisfaction than individuals with secure, dismissing, or preoccupied attachment styles.