Date of Award

2025

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy in Clinical Psychology

Department

Psychology

Committee Chair and Members

Kevin Meehan, Chair

Sara Haden

Rachel Goldstein

Keywords

Attachment anxiety, Attachment avoidance, Daily diary study, Exclusion, Romantic couples, Technoference

Abstract

This study explored the role of attachment during covert rejection experiences. Specifically, the study examined exclusion by technology in romantic couples’ daily interactions. A partner’s retreat into their own technology device can create the experience of separation and provoke feelings of being ignored. Couples’ attachment styles were examined with daily ratings of perceived partner attention on technology (P-Tech), relationship conflict, and relationship satisfaction. Daily diary methodologies were employed in a sample of 125 cohabitating romantic couples (250 participants) over a two-week period. Multilevel modeling (MLM) revealed a significant negative within-person effect of P-Tech on daily relationship satisfaction. Relationship conflict and attachment anxiety—on their own—did not moderate the negative effect of P-Tech on relationship satisfaction. However, together, these contextual and personality-level factors contributed to lower daily relationship satisfaction. Exploratory analyses also revealed attachment avoidance to amplify the within-person associations observed. Findings summarize how couples with various attachment styles experience fluctuations in daily romantic satisfaction. Implications of the study are discussed in terms of actionable interventions to give couples, and their providers, a clearer sense of how to assess, navigate, and repair from covert rejection experiences.

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