ABSTRACT
Whether ongoing attachment to the former spouse affects postdivorce relationships has been a source of debate and controversy for several years. The purpose of this study was to further explore post-divorce attachment by examining the influence of both friendly and dependent types of attachment on the coparenting relationship. The sample consisted of 95 respondents (54 women and 41 men) who were divorced and not remarried. Results indicated that friendlier attachment is not only conducive to a more supportive and shared coparenting relationship, but also decreases conflict around childrearing. The predicted inverse relationship between dependent attachment and shared and supportive coparenting was not found. Instead, dependent attachment was positively related to supportive and shared coparenting, but only for women. There were no gender differences on the attachment and coparenting variables. Custodial status did not differentiate the respondents on the dependent variables. Discussion centered on the implications of types of 110attachment for continuing coparenting relationships between divorced parents.
