relationship of attachment styles and emotional intelligence with marital satisfaction

Background: the early relationships between infant and care takers are significant and the emotional interactions of these relationships play an important role in forming personality and adulthood relationships. objectives: the current study aimed to investigate the relationship of attachment styles (as) and emotional intelligence (ei) with marital satisfaction (ms). materials and methods: in this cross-sectional research, 450 married people (226 male, 224 female) were selected using multistage sampling method in mashhad, iran, in 2011. subjects completed the attachment styles questionnaire (asq), bar-on emotional quotient inventory (eq-i) and enrich marital satisfaction questionnaire. results: the results indicated that secure attachment style has positive significant relationship with marital satisfaction (r = 0.609, p < 0.001), also avoidant attachment style and ambivalent attachment style have negative significant relationship with marital satisfaction (r = -0.446, r = -0.564) (p < 0.001). also, attachment styles can significantly predict marital satisfaction (p < 0.001). therefore, emotional intelligence and its components have positive significant relationship with marital satisfaction; thus, emotional intelligence and intrapersonal, adaptability and general mood components can significantly predict marital satisfaction (p < 0.001). but, interpersonal and stress management components cannot significantly predict marital satisfaction (p > 0.05). conclusions: according to the obtained results, attachment styles and emotional intelligence are the key factors in marital satisfaction that decrease marital disagreement and increase the positive interactions of the couples.