Can we use smart-phones to increase physical affection, intimacy and security in couples? Preliminary support from an attachment perspective

Kerem Besim Durbin; Anik Debrot; Johan Karremans; R.C. van der Wal

doi:10.1177/0265407520970278

Can we use smart-phones to increase physical affection, intimacy and security in couples? Preliminary support from an attachment perspective

Kerem Besim Durbin, Anik Debrot, Johan Karremans, R.C. van der Wal

Radboud University Nijmegen

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Academic › peer-review

Abstract

This study investigated whether physical affection is causally associated with momentary intimacy and security by manipulating physical affection. We used a GPS-based smart-phone application as ecological momentary intervention that prompted participants to show physical affection to their partner when they were in the same location. We also investigated whether attachment style and attachment functioning moderated the effects of the manipulation. Thirty-nine couples were assigned to experimental (N = 20) and control (N = 19) groups for 2 weeks. Multilevel dyadic data analysis revealed significantly higher momentary intimacy in the experimental group, even when spontaneous physical affection was controlled; there was no significant change for momentary security. While attachment style did not moderate the effect of manipulation for either outcome, attachment functioning significantly moderated the effect on security. This is the first study to show evidence that physical affection, when instructed by a device, is causally linked to increased momentary intimacy in daily life.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	1035-1045
Number of pages	11
Journal	Journal of Social and Personal Relationships
Volume	38
Issue number	3
Early online date	3 Nov 2020
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1177/0265407520970278
Publication status	Published - 1 Mar 2021

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
The author(s) disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: This research was funded by Leiden University Clinical Psychology Department.

Funding Information:
I am grateful to Doruk Kilitçioğlu for developing the application and helping me design it, despite his very busy schedule. Nothing would have been possible without him. I am thankful to Marieke Tollenaar for the support she has provided while I conducted my research, and to the Unit of Clinical Psychology of Leiden University for funding the research.

Publisher Copyright:
© The Author(s) 2020.

Keywords

Attachment
ecological momentary intervention
intimacy
physical affection
romantic relationships
security
touch

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10.1177/0265407520970278Licence: CC BY-NC

0265407520970278Final published version, 398 KBLicence: CC BY-NC

Cite this

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abstract = "This study investigated whether physical affection is causally associated with momentary intimacy and security by manipulating physical affection. We used a GPS-based smart-phone application as ecological momentary intervention that prompted participants to show physical affection to their partner when they were in the same location. We also investigated whether attachment style and attachment functioning moderated the effects of the manipulation. Thirty-nine couples were assigned to experimental (N = 20) and control (N = 19) groups for 2 weeks. Multilevel dyadic data analysis revealed significantly higher momentary intimacy in the experimental group, even when spontaneous physical affection was controlled; there was no significant change for momentary security. While attachment style did not moderate the effect of manipulation for either outcome, attachment functioning significantly moderated the effect on security. This is the first study to show evidence that physical affection, when instructed by a device, is causally linked to increased momentary intimacy in daily life.",

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Can we use smart-phones to increase physical affection, intimacy and security in couples? Preliminary support from an attachment perspective. / Durbin, Kerem Besim; Debrot, Anik; Karremans, Johan et al.
In: Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, Vol. 38, No. 3, 01.03.2021, p. 1035-1045.

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Academic › peer-review

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Can we use smart-phones to increase physical affection, intimacy and security in couples? Preliminary support from an attachment perspective

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