KMAN Publication Inc. (KMANPUB) Applied Family Therapy Journal (AFTJ) 3041-8798 In Press 2027 05 01 The Mediating Role of Emotion Regulation in the Relationship Between Attachment Insecurity, Perceived Partner Responsiveness, and Marital Satisfaction Among Female Student-Teachers at Farhangian University The Mediating Role of Emotion Regulation in the Relationship Between Attachment Insecurity, Perceived Partner Responsiveness, and Marital Satisfaction Among Female Student-Teachers at Farhangian University 1 18 EN Journal Article 2026 06 08 <p><strong>Objective:</strong> This study aimed to investigate the mediating role of emotion regulation in the relationships between attachment insecurity, perceived partner responsiveness, and marital satisfaction among female student-teachers at Farhangian University.</p> <p><strong>Methods and Materials:</strong> The present study employed a descriptive-correlational, cross-sectional design using structural equation modeling. The statistical population consisted of married female student-teachers enrolled at Farhangian University campuses in Tehran during the 2025–2026 academic year. A total of 320 participants were selected through a multistage convenience sampling procedure. Data were collected using the Experiences in Close Relationships-Revised Questionnaire, the Perceived Partner Responsiveness Scale, the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale, and the ENRICH Marital Satisfaction Scale. Data analysis was conducted using IBM SPSS Statistics and AMOS. Pearson correlation coefficients were used to examine bivariate relationships among the study variables, and structural equation modeling was applied to assess direct and indirect effects. The significance of mediation effects was evaluated using a bootstrap procedure with 5,000 resamples and 95% confidence intervals.</p> <p><strong>Findings:</strong> Attachment insecurity had a significant positive effect on emotion regulation difficulties (β = .56, p &lt; .001) and a significant negative effect on marital satisfaction (β = -.24, p &lt; .001). Perceived partner responsiveness significantly predicted lower emotion regulation difficulties (β = -.31, p &lt; .001) and higher marital satisfaction (β = .39, p &lt; .001). Emotion regulation difficulties also significantly predicted lower marital satisfaction (β = -.32, p &lt; .001). Bootstrap analysis showed that emotion regulation difficulties significantly mediated the relationship between attachment insecurity and marital satisfaction (β = -.18, 95% CI [-.25, -.12]) and the relationship between perceived partner responsiveness and marital satisfaction (β = .10, 95% CI [.06, .15]). The model explained 52% of the variance in emotion regulation difficulties and 63% of the variance in marital satisfaction.</p> <p><strong>Conclusion:</strong> The findings indicate that emotion regulation is a significant partial mediator linking attachment insecurity and perceived partner responsiveness with marital satisfaction, suggesting that both attachment-related vulnerability and perceived relational responsiveness influence marital adjustment partly through emotional regulatory processes.</p> https://journals.kmanpub.com/index.php/aftj/article/download/6110/11960