Attachment Styles and Marital Satisfaction: A Comparative Study of North Cyprus and Saudi Arabia

This study employed a cross-sectional quantitative research design to explore the relationship between attachment styles and marital satisfaction among Turkish Cypriot and Saudi couples, with a focus on gender, type of marriage, and number of children. A total of 201 married individuals participated, selected through convenience sampling; 100 resided in Northern Cyprus, and 101 lived in Saudi Arabia. The majority of participants were university graduates aged 35-44. Data collection included the Experiences in Close Relationships–Revised (ECR-R), the Relationship Assessment Scale (RAS), and a personal information form developed by the researchers. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Spearman correlation, the Mann-Whitney U test, and multiple regression in SPSS version 29. The results indicated that both anxious (r = -0.688) and avoidant (r = -0.564) attachment styles were significantly and negatively associated with marital satisfaction in both samples. Additionally, Turkish Cypriots reported higher marital satisfaction than their Saudi counterparts. Among Saudi participants, those in monogamous marriages exhibited higher marital satisfaction than those in polygamous marriages. Importantly, no significant relationship between gender and marital satisfaction was identified in either group. Overall, the findings suggest that marital satisfaction is linked to the number of children, attachment styles, and the type of marriage. These results are intended to provide insights for family counselors, psychologists, and social workers. Furthermore, it is recommended that future research examine attachment styles and marital satisfaction across different populations and with various variables.