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Obsessing about intimate-relationships: testing the double relationship-vulnerability hypothesis.

Guy Doron¹, Ohad Szepsenwol, Einat Karp

¹School of Psychology, Interdisciplinary Center (IDC) Herzliya, P.O. Box 167, Herzliya, 46150, Israel. gdoron@idc.ac.il

Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry

|June 25, 2013

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Individuals with double relationship-vulnerability, characterized by attachment anxiety and reliance on relationships for self-worth, are more prone to relationship-centered obsessions and compulsive behaviors.

Keywords:

Cognition Cognitive theory Obsessive compulsive disorder Relationship-centered obsessions Relationships

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Area of Science:

Psychology
Clinical Psychology
Social Psychology

Background:

Relationship obsessions and doubts can negatively impact romantic relationships and cause distress.
Double relationship-vulnerability combines attachment anxiety with overreliance on relationships for self-worth.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the link between double relationship-vulnerability and relationship-centered obsessions.
To examine how individuals with double relationship-vulnerability respond to threats to their relationship self-domain.

Main Methods:

Study 1 used a correlational design to assess the relationship between double relationship-vulnerability and relationship-centered obsessions.
Study 2 employed an experimental design to evaluate responses to subtle relationship threats in individuals with double relationship-vulnerability.

Main Results:

A significant link was found between double relationship-vulnerability and relationship-centered obsessions.
Individuals with double relationship-vulnerability experienced more distress and engaged in mitigating behaviors when facing subtle relationship threats.

Conclusions:

Double relationship-vulnerability may increase susceptibility to developing and maintaining relationship-centered obsessions and compulsions.
Findings were based on non-clinical samples.