Attachment Theory as a Lens to Explain Accommodation, Nonaccommodation, and Loneliness in Relationships between Middle-Aged Parents and Young Adult Children

ABSTRACT The role of individual differences in shaping family members’ experiences has only been sporadically examined in research on communication accommodation theory. This dyadic study (N = 126 middle-aged parents and 126 young adult children) investigated the relationship between parents’ and children’s attachment anxiety and avoidance and self-reported loneliness, and the roles of accommodation and nonaccommodation within that. Among other findings, parents’ attachment anxiety and avoidance positively predicted parents’ perceptions of receiving overaccommodation and underaccommodation, as well as children’s perceptions of receiving underaccommodation. Both parties’ perceptions of receiving underaccommodation positively predicted children’s loneliness. Post-hoc indirect associations suggested that children’s attachment anxiety and avoidance indirectly predicted both parties’ perceptions of receiving underaccommodation, via children’s loneliness. Findings are discussed in terms of the implications of attachment and loneliness for communication accommodation theory.