The Role of Gratitude in the Association Between Adult Attachment Styles and Relational Hope

This study examines associations among adult attachment styles, gratitude, and relational hope in the friendship and romantic domains. Specifically, we investigate whether gratitude accounts for variance in the relationship between attachment styles and relational hope. A sample of 157 adults from 38 U.S. states completed questionnaires assessing attachment, gratitude, and hope. Insecure attachment styles were negatively associated with hope in the friendship and romantic domains, while secure attachment was positively associated with hope in both domains. As hypothesized, gratitude significantly accounted for variance in these associations. Exploratory reversed analyses indicated that relational hope also accounted for substantial variance in the associations between attachment styles and gratitude. Although cross-sectional design limits causal inferences, results align with broaden-and-build theory, suggesting that gratitude and relational hope may function as mutually reinforcing processes emerging from attachment security. Future research should explore these relationships experimentally.