<b>SECURITY SPILLOVER: WHEN AND HOW DO PERSONAL ACCOMPLISHMENTS ENHANCE FELT RELATIONSHIP SECURITY?</b>

<p dir="ltr">Perceived partner validation, defined as the extent to which individuals perceive that their partner understands, supports, and affirms their personal accomplishments, has been theorized to enhance individuals’ model of self and felt relationship security. The present research examined whether perceiving greater levels of partner validation predicts a relatively more positive model of self and greater felt relationship security, and whether these associations are stronger among individuals who experience chronic attachment anxiety. Study 1 (N = 378 individuals, cross-sectional) showed that perceived partner validation partially mediated the positive association between personal accomplishments and a more secure model of self, and completely mediated the association between personal accomplishments and greater felt relationship security. Both mediations were moderated by chronic attachment anxiety, such that individuals with higher chronic attachment anxiety experienced less perceived partner validation from personal accomplishments. Study 2 (N = 149 individuals, longitudinal) tested these associations concurrently and longitudinally and yielded mixed results: perceived partner validation was concurrently associated with a more secure model of self and greater felt relationship security, but this association did not hold up in longitudinal analyses, nor was there robust evidence of moderation by chronic attachment anxiety in either concurrent or longitudinal associations. These findings highlight perceived partner validation as an important relational mechanism that fosters a secure model of self and felt relationship security in the moment, particularly for individuals high in chronic attachment anxiety, while pointing to complexities in promoting longer-term change.</p>