The Heart of the Matter: Unveiling Whether Communication Styles, Personality Traits, and Attachment Styles Shape Romantic Relationship Satisfaction

Satisfying romantic relationships are among the most highly sought-after life experiences, valued for their positive impact on well-being and their intrinsic ability to fulfill a fundamental need for relatedness. For this reason, this study sought to identify potential predictors of this significant experience, specifically focusing on personality traits, communication styles, and adult attachment styles, as identifying these could potentially allow for the optimization of the quality and stability of one’s interpersonal relationships. Individuals between the ages of 18 and 52 years old (Mage = 20.3, SD = 18.61, ~67% Women, 62% White, n = 223) in romantic relationships (Mduration = 15.86, SD = 18.61) participated in an online survey that assessed their relationship satisfaction in relation to personality, communication, and attachment. While most hypotheses were unsupported in this study, support was found for the hypothesis that manipulative individuals tend to experience diminished romantic relationship satisfaction, controlling for narcissistic tendencies, potentially due to the internal clash between their authentic self and the image curated for their partner(s). Therefore, being authentic when conversing with one’s partner(s) might foster feelings of trust and emotional closeness rather than guilt, thereby contributing to more fulfilling and meaningful romantic relationships.