Psychology Today | 28.06.2026 00:05
Many interactive patterns or dynamics have been described that lead couples into negative or vicious interpersonal cycles (Johnson, 2019; Watzlawick et al., 1967). A well-described pattern involves one member of a couple who is obsessional and prone to emotional distance with a partner who is dependent and attention seeking (Barnett, 1971). The latter member’s expression of needs causes the obsessional partner to withdraw, intensifying the longings and frustrations of the dependent partner.
