Adult attachment orientations and subjective well-being: Emotional intelligence and self-esteem as moderators

We examined emotional intelligence (EI) and self-esteem as mediators of the relationship between adult attachment orientations and subjective well-being (SWB). A total of 585 undergraduates from 2 Chinese universities completed measures of the 4 variables. Bootstrap mediation analysis revealed that both EI and self-esteem acted as mediators of the relationship. In addition, a serial mediating role of EI via self-esteem was found. The findings are consistent with predictions derived from attachment theory, and expand on a growing body of research findings on the association between adult attachment orientations and SWB. Implications of the findings and limitations in the study are discussed.