Relationship between Attachment Styles and Regulation of Emotions among Malaysian Single Early Adults

Regulation of emotions has been a focus of many psychology researchers interested in investigating how individuals manage their emotions. This study examines the relationship between attachment styles and the regulation of emotions among single Malaysians in the early adulthood lifespan stage. This study used the convenience sampling method, using social media platforms, namely Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, to recruit respondents. A total of 435 respondents who were Malaysian singles and in the early adulthood stage of their lifespan volunteered to participate in this study and completed Google Forms questionnaire. Respondents who were eligible for this study agreed to informed consent before proceeding to complete the questionnaires. Questions relating to personal background, attachment styles, and emotional regulation were distributed to respondents. Overall, results showed that there is a significant negative relationship between attachment styles, specifically avoidant attachment style (r = -.15**, p<.001) and anxious attachment style (r = -.160**, p<.001) with cognitive reappraisal regulation of emotion. However, there was only a significant positive relationship between avoidant attachment style and expression suppression regulation of emotion (r=.327**, p<.001). Findings indicated the important relationship between attachment styles and emotional regulation. This suggests the importance of identifying attachment styles in helping individuals develop emotional regulation techniques. There are two basic implications for the field of psychology and practice. Findings indicated the importance of expanding research on attachment styles and emotion regulation. Besides that, findings can be beneficial for helping professionals such as counsellors, therapists, and social workers dealing with empowering clients with emotion regulation strategies. Therefore, future research needs to investigate and explore further the importance of attachment styles and the strategies for regulation of emotions in empowering individuals.