The Relationship between Attachment Styles and Emotional Intelligence and Locus of Control in Couples Applied for Divorce Compared with That of Non-divorcing Couples

The present research studied the relationship between attachment styles and emotional intelligence and locus of control in divorcing couples in comparison with that of non-divorcing couples. Statistic population of the research consisted of the all couples applied for divorce (who referred to the family court and filed for divorce, as well as the all couples who were not divorcing in Qazvin City. It was an Ex post facto study (correlation, causal). Convenient sampling method was employed for sampling. Since total statistic population of the study was not clear, 100 divorcing couples and 100 non-divorcing couples were selected as research sample. Attachment Inventory Hazen Shaver, Bar-On Emotional Intelligence-Inventory and Rotter's Locus of Control Scale were used as measuring instruments. Data analysis was done by using descriptive statistics (frequency, frequency percentage, standard deviation, mean) and inferential statistics (correlation tests, regression analysis and two-sample t-test). The results showed that secure attachment style and ambivalent attachment style had a significant relationship with locus of control and emotional intelligence at the significance level of below 0.05. In non-divorcing couples, secure attachment style and ambivalent attachment style had a significant relationship with locus of control –internal control and external control. In couples wanting divorce, there was a significant relationship between ambivalent attachment style and locus of control, internal control and external control. There was, also, a significant relationship between emotional intelligence and locus of control at the significance level of below 0.05. There was a significant relationship between emotional intelligence and locus of control (internal control and external control) in couples applied for divorce at the significance level of 0.01 and 0.05. Nevertheless, in non-divorcing couples, there was a significant relationship between emotional intelligence and locus of control and internal control. Divorcing couples and non-divorcing couples were not significantly different on locus of control.