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Savidge LE, Bales KL. An Animal Model for Mammalian Attachment: Infant Titi Monkey ( Plecturocebus cupreus) Attachment Behavior Is Associated With Their Social Behavior as Adults. Front Psychol 2020; 11:25. [PMID: 32047459 PMCID: PMC6997438 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.00025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2019] [Accepted: 01/07/2020] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Close social bonds are integral for good health and longevity in humans and non-human primates (NHPs), yet we have very little understanding of the neurobiological differences between healthy and unhealthy relationships. Our current understanding of social bonding is grounded in Bowlby’s theory of attachment. Work done with human infants and adult couples has suggested that attachment behavior developed in infancy remains stable through development into adulthood. Unfortunately, knowledge of the neurobiological correlates of attachment behavior has been limited due to a lack of animal models with both infant and adult attachments similar to humans. To address this, we measured behavioral responses to separation from their primary attachment figure in infant and adult titi monkeys (Plecturocebus cupreus). In Experiment 1, we tested for a linear relationship between the subject’s response to separation as an infant and their response to separation as an adult. We found greater decreases in infant locomotor behavior in the presence, as opposed to absence, of their primary attachment figure to be indicative of decreased anxiety-like behavior in the presence, as opposed to absence, of their adult pair mates during a novelty response task. In Experiment 2, we increased our sample size, accounted for adverse early experience, and tested a different outcome measure, adult affiliative behavior. We hypothesized that the level of intensity of an infant’s response to separation would explain affiliative behavior with their mate as an adult, but adverse early experience could change this relationship. When we compared infant response to separation to adult affiliative behavior during the first 6 months of their first adult pair bond, we observed a linear relationship for infants with typical early experience, but not for infants with adverse early experience. Infants with a greater change in locomotive behavior between the father and alone conditions were more affiliative with their first adult pair mate. These data support the use of titi monkeys as an appropriate animal model for further investigation of the neurobiology underlying attachment behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Logan E Savidge
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States.,Psychology Graduate Group, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States.,California National Primate Research Center, Davis, CA, United States
| | - Karen L Bales
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States.,California National Primate Research Center, Davis, CA, United States
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2
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Sim S, Shin JE, Sohn YW. Effects of Non-verbal Priming on Attachment-Style Activation. Front Psychol 2019; 10:684. [PMID: 31024376 PMCID: PMC6459896 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2019.00684] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2018] [Accepted: 03/12/2019] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Using an affective priming procedure, two experiments examined the effects of non-verbal cues on activating attachment styles. In Study 1, the secure attachment group, which was primed non-verbally, showed higher levels of self-esteem, interpersonal competence, and positive affect than the insecure attachment group, which was also primed non-verbally. In contrast, no significant difference was found between the two attachment groups that were primed verbally. In Study 2, using a different priming method and adding a neutral group, similar interactions between priming modality (non-verbal or verbal cues) and attachment styles were found: the differences in self-esteem, interpersonal competence, and positive affect between the secure attachment group, neutral group, and insecure attachment group were greater when primed non-verbally than when primed verbally. Finally, the limitations of the research and recommendations for follow-up study are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suhyung Sim
- Department of Psychology, Yonsei University, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Ji-eun Shin
- Department of Psychology, Chonnam National University, Gwangju, South Korea
| | - Young Woo Sohn
- Department of Psychology, Yonsei University, Seoul, South Korea
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3
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Kent de Grey RG, Uchino BN, Pietromonaco PR, Hogan JN, Smith TW, Cronan S, Trettevik R. Strained Bedfellows: An Actor-Partner Analysis of Spousal Attachment Insecurity and Sleep Quality. Ann Behav Med 2019; 53:115-125. [PMID: 29788062 DOI: 10.1093/abm/kay037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Background The quality of interpersonal ties-especially closer relationships-appears to be associated with physical health outcomes. Sleep is one pathway through which relationships and health appear to be linked, but this has been inadequately investigated in the context of dyadic attachment. Purpose The present study examined links between relationship-specific attachment anxiety (which can involve preoccupation with one's partner, negative relationship cognitions, and fear of abandonment) and avoidance (e.g., low emotional investment or intimacy) and sleep quality. Methods Attachment, assessed using the Experience in Close Relationship (ECR), was used to predict Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Inventory (PSQI)-assessed sleep quality in 92 married heterosexual couples via actor-partner interdependence models. Depression was examined as a potential mediator of this association. Results Consistent with hypotheses, actors' anxious attachment predicted diminished quality of their own sleep, whereas actors' avoidant attachment was unrelated to their own sleep quality. Results further suggested that couples in which both spouses were higher in attachment anxiety experience better sleep quality (b = -0.74, SE = 0.28, p = .0082, 95% CI [-1.287, -0.196]). Conversely, couples in which both spouses were higher in attachment avoidance showed poorer sleep quality (b = 0.56, SE = 0.23, p = .0188, 95% CI [0.095, 1.016]). These effects were found to be independent of marital satisfaction and depression. Some evidence was also consistent with mediation of links between attachment and sleep quality via depression. Conclusions Results suggest adult romantic attachment and sleep are associated in complex ways, highlighting the importance of dyadic approaches to the study of relationships, sleep, and health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert G Kent de Grey
- Department of Psychology and Health Psychology Program, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA.,Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Bert N Uchino
- Department of Psychology and Health Psychology Program, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Paula R Pietromonaco
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Massachusetts at Amherst, Amherst, MA, USA
| | - Jasara N Hogan
- Department of Psychology and Health Psychology Program, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Timothy W Smith
- Department of Psychology and Health Psychology Program, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Sierra Cronan
- Department of Psychology and Health Psychology Program, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Ryan Trettevik
- Department of Psychology and Health Psychology Program, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
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4
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Ehrlich KB, Stern JA, Eccles J, Dinh JV, Hopper EA, Kemeny M, Adam EK, Cassidy J. A preliminary investigation of attachment style and inflammation in African-American young adults. Attach Hum Dev 2019; 21:57-69. [PMID: 30406721 PMCID: PMC6369696 DOI: 10.1080/14616734.2018.1541516] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Individuals' social experiences are associated with their mental health, physical health, and even mortality. Over the last 30 years, researchers have examined the ways in which these social experiences might be associated with chronic inflammation - a component underlying many of the chronic diseases of aging. Little research, however, has examined the role of adults' attachment style as a specific social component that might be associated with inflammation. In the present study, we utilized data from a sample of 59 African-American adults from the Maryland Adolescent Development in Context Study (MADICS) to examine the links between attachment avoidance and attachment anxiety and C-reactive protein (CRP) and interleukin (IL)-6. After controlling for demographic characteristics, body mass index, and depressive symptoms, attachment avoidance and anxiety were associated with IL-6 but not CRP. This study adds to the growing body of research identifying the wide range of social experiences associated with inflammation and further suggests that attachment relationship experiences may have implications for biological processes relevant to many chronic diseases of aging.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Julie V. Dinh
- Department of Psychological Sciences, Rice University
| | | | - Margaret Kemeny
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Francisco
| | - Emma K. Adam
- School of Education and Social Policy and Institute for Policy Research, Northwestern University
| | - Jude Cassidy
- Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, College Park
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5
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Ünübol H, Hızlı Sayar G. Psychological factors associated with smoking and quitting: addiction map of Turkey study. Neuropsychiatr Dis Treat 2019; 15:1971-1982. [PMID: 31371970 PMCID: PMC6628967 DOI: 10.2147/ndt.s204167] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2019] [Accepted: 06/20/2019] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Smoking is the most important modifiable factor in increased morbidity and premature mortality. This study aims to examine the psychological factors associated with smoking and quitting in a broad, nationally representative sample. PARTICIPANTS AND METHODS The sample included a total of 24.494 adult individuals. Participants were divided into three groups as smokers, non-smokers, and "ex-smokers" who had stopped smoking since at least last one year. For the current smokers, cigarettes per day also noted. Brief Symptom Inventory, Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS), Personal Well-Being Index Adult Form, Positive and Negative Affect Schedule, Experiences in Close Relationships-Revised Scales were used. RESULTS 43.6% (n=10,672) of the participants were smokers; 5.7% (1386) were ex-smokers; 50.7% (n=12,414) were non-smokers. A higher number of daily smoked cigarettes was related to all subscales of Brief Symptom Inventory, TAS - Difficulty in Recognition of emotions, TAS - Difficulty in Expressing Emotions, Positive Affect Score, Negative Affect Score, Avoidance and Anxious Attachment scores (p<0.05). Externally oriented thinking is found to be significantly higher among ex-smokers than current smokers and non-smokers (p<0.05). CONCLUSION The results of the present study indicate that smokers have more psychopathological characteristics in the psychometric evaluation, whereas ex-smokers are found to have similar scores to non-smokers. The higher percentage of externally oriented-thinking style in ex-smokers may suggest that this alexithymic characteristic can help the individual to deal with psychological addiction throughout quitting. On the other hand this result could also be related that stopping smoking leads to greater externally orientated thinking and other changes in psychological characteristics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hüseyin Ünübol
- Üsküdar University, Institute of Social Sciences, Department of Applied Psychology, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Gökben Hızlı Sayar
- Üsküdar University, Institute of Social Sciences, Department of Clinical Psychology, Istanbul, Turkey
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6
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Renzi C, Perinel G, Arnaboldi P, Gandini S, Vadilonga V, Rotmensz N, Tagini A, Didier F, Pravettoni G. Memories of paternal relations are associated with coping and defense mechanisms in breast cancer patients: an observational study. BMC Psychol 2017; 5:37. [PMID: 29122005 PMCID: PMC5679357 DOI: 10.1186/s40359-017-0206-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2016] [Accepted: 10/30/2017] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Breast cancer diagnosis and treatment represent stressful events that demand emotional adjustment, thus recruiting coping strategies and defense mechanisms. As parental relations were shown to influence emotion regulation patterns and adaptive processes in adulthood, the present study investigated whether they are specifically associated to coping and defense mechanisms in patients with breast cancer. METHODS One hundred and ten women hospitalized for breast cancer surgery were administered questionnaires assessing coping with cancer, defense mechanisms, and memories of parental bonding in childhood. RESULTS High levels of paternal overprotection were associated with less mature defenses, withdrawal and fantasy and less adaptive coping mechanisms, such as hopelessness/helplessness. Low levels of paternal care were associated with a greater use of repression. No association was found between maternal care, overprotection, coping and defense mechanisms. Immature defenses correlated positively with less adaptive coping styles, while mature defenses were positively associated to a fighting spirit and to fatalism, and inversely related to less adaptive coping styles. CONCLUSIONS These data suggest that paternal relations in childhood are associated with emotional, cognitive, and behavioral regulation in adjusting to cancer immediately after surgery. Early experiences of bonding may constitute a relevant index for adaptation to cancer, indicating which patients are at risk and should be considered for psychological interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chiara Renzi
- Applied Research Division for Cognitive and Psychological Science, European Institute of Oncology, Via Ripamonti 435, 20141, Milan, Italy.
| | - Giada Perinel
- Applied Research Division for Cognitive and Psychological Science, European Institute of Oncology, Via Ripamonti 435, 20141, Milan, Italy
| | - Paola Arnaboldi
- Applied Research Division for Cognitive and Psychological Science, European Institute of Oncology, Via Ripamonti 435, 20141, Milan, Italy
| | - Sara Gandini
- Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, European Institute of Oncology, Via Ripamonti 435, 20141, Milan, Italy
| | - Valeria Vadilonga
- Applied Research Division for Cognitive and Psychological Science, European Institute of Oncology, Via Ripamonti 435, 20141, Milan, Italy
| | - Nicole Rotmensz
- Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, European Institute of Oncology, Via Ripamonti 435, 20141, Milan, Italy
| | - Angela Tagini
- Department of Psychology, University of Milano-Bicocca, Piazza dell'Ateneo Nuovo 1, Milan, Italy
| | - Florence Didier
- Applied Research Division for Cognitive and Psychological Science, European Institute of Oncology, Via Ripamonti 435, 20141, Milan, Italy
| | - Gabriella Pravettoni
- Applied Research Division for Cognitive and Psychological Science, European Institute of Oncology, Via Ripamonti 435, 20141, Milan, Italy.,Department of Oncology and Onco-Hematology, University of Milano, Via Festa del Perdono 7, Milan, Italy
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7
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Maister L, Hodossy L, Tsakiris M. You Fill My Heart: Looking at One's Partner Increases Interoceptive Accuracy. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2017. [PMID: 28649576 PMCID: PMC5472092 DOI: 10.1037/cns0000110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The integration of external and internal bodily signals provides a coherent, multisensory experience of one’s own body. The ability to accurately detect internal bodily sensations is referred to as interoceptive accuracy (IAcc). Previous studies found that IAcc can be increased when people with low IAcc engage in self-processing such as when looking in the mirror or at a photograph of one’s own face. However, the way the self is represented changes depending on the context. Specifically, in social situations, the self is experienced in relation to significant others and not as an isolated individual. Intriguingly, in a relational context romantic partners can be used as social mirrors for one’s self. We here investigated whether directing one’s attention to romantic partners would enhance one’s IAcc, similar to the effect of self-face observation when the self is processed in isolation. During a heartbeat counting task, both concurrent self-face and partner-face observation improved accuracy in those with initially low IAcc; however, this improvement was significantly greater for the partner’s face. These results suggest that significant others may play an important role in determining the quality of one’s self-awareness. Given that high interoceptive awareness is linked to better emotion regulation, increased IAcc during partner observation is likely to have an adaptive role in maintaining stable and secure romantic relationships through greater emotion regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lara Maister
- Department of Psychology, Royal Holloway, University of London
| | - Lilla Hodossy
- Department of Psychology, Royal Holloway, University of London
| | - Manos Tsakiris
- Department of Psychology, Royal Holloway, University of London
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8
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Mercado E, Hibel LC. I love you from the bottom of my hypothalamus: The role of stress physiology in romantic pair bond formation and maintenance. SOCIAL AND PERSONALITY PSYCHOLOGY COMPASS 2017; 11:e12298. [PMID: 30220909 PMCID: PMC6135532 DOI: 10.1111/spc3.12298] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2016] [Accepted: 11/07/2016] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
Monogamous pair bonds helped solve ancestral problems pertinent to our survival as a species. In order for these pair bonds to succeed, biological systems were co-opted to support and reinforce attachment bonds through feelings of pleasure and reward. One of the major biological systems that may play an important role in the formation of romantic attachments is the stress response system (autonomic nervous system and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis). Research suggests attraction, mate preference, and emotional connectedness may be supported by the activation or inhibition of the stress response system. Further, as romantic relationships progress, new findings suggest partners' physiological patterns coalesce, potentially serving a regulatory function that reinforces the pair bond and affects overall well-being. Based on this evidence, the current paper puts forth the Physiology of Romantic Pair Bond Initiation and Maintenance Model, which will provide researchers with a new perspective on the function of the stress response system in romantic relationships.
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9
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Balint EM, Gander M, Pokorny D, Funk A, Waller C, Buchheim A. High Prevalence of Insecure Attachment in Patients with Primary Hypertension. Front Psychol 2016; 7:1087. [PMID: 27536255 PMCID: PMC4971030 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2016.01087] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2016] [Accepted: 07/04/2016] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Hypertension is a major cardiovascular (CV) risk factor and is predicted by heightened CV reactivity to stress in healthy individuals. Patients with hypertension also show an altered stress response, while insecure attachment is linked to a heightened stress reactivity as well. This is the first study aiming to assess attachment representations in patients with primary hypertension and to investigate their CV responses when their attachment system is activated. We studied 50 patients (38 men, 12 women) with primary hypertension. The Adult Attachment Projective Picture System (AAP), a widely used and validated interview, was performed to measure the patients' attachment representations, and to activate their attachment system. Blood pressure and heart rate were measured after 10 min at rest prior to and directly after the AAP interview. Mood and state anxiety were assessed using the Multidimensional Mood State Questionnaire (MDBF) and the State Trait Anxiety Inventory-State (STAI-S) before and after the experiment. The prevalence of insecure attachment (dismissing, preoccupied, unresolved) in hypertensive patients was predominant (88%), while in non-clinical populations, only about 50% of individuals had insecure attachment patterns. Blood pressure (p < 0.001), heart rate (p = 0.016), and rate pressure product (p < 0.001) significantly increased in response to the attachment interview. Secure attached patients showed the highest rise in systolic blood pressure (p = 0.020) and the lowest heart rate compared to the other attachment groups (p = 0.043). However, attachment representation showed no significant group or interaction effects on diastolic blood pressure (DBP) and rate pressure product. Insecure attachment was highly over-represented in our sample of patients with primary hypertension. Additionally, a robust CV response to the attachment-activating stimulus was observed. Our data suggest that insecure attachment is significantly linked to primary hypertension, which implies the need for further investigations to evaluate attachment insecurity as a possible risk factor for hypertension.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisabeth M Balint
- Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Ulm, Germany
| | - Manuela Gander
- Institute of Psychology, University of Innsbruck Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Dan Pokorny
- Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Ulm, Germany
| | - Alexandra Funk
- Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Ulm, Germany
| | - Christiane Waller
- Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Ulm, Germany
| | - Anna Buchheim
- Institute of Psychology, University of Innsbruck Innsbruck, Austria
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10
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Nash K, Prentice M, Hirsh J, McGregor I, Inzlicht M. Muted neural response to distress among securely attached people. Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci 2014; 9:1239-45. [PMID: 23887815 PMCID: PMC4127024 DOI: 10.1093/scan/nst099] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2012] [Revised: 04/15/2013] [Accepted: 07/16/2013] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Neural processes that support individual differences in attachment security and affect regulation are currently unclear. Using electroencephalography, we examined whether securely attached individuals, compared with insecure individuals, would show a muted neural response to experimentally manipulated distress. Participants completed a reaction time task that elicits error commission and the error-related negativity (ERN)-a neural signal sensitive to error-related distress-both before and after a distressing insecurity threat. Despite similar pre-threat levels, secure participants showed a stable ERN, whereas insecure participants showed a post-threat increase in ERN amplitude. These results suggest a neural mechanism that allows securely attached people to regulate distress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyle Nash
- Department of Psychology, York University, Toronto, ON M3J 1P3, Canada, Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211-2500, USA, Rotman School of Management, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 3E6, Canada, and Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Scarborough, Toronto, ON M1C 1A4, Canada
| | - Mike Prentice
- Department of Psychology, York University, Toronto, ON M3J 1P3, Canada, Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211-2500, USA, Rotman School of Management, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 3E6, Canada, and Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Scarborough, Toronto, ON M1C 1A4, Canada
| | - Jacob Hirsh
- Department of Psychology, York University, Toronto, ON M3J 1P3, Canada, Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211-2500, USA, Rotman School of Management, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 3E6, Canada, and Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Scarborough, Toronto, ON M1C 1A4, Canada
| | - Ian McGregor
- Department of Psychology, York University, Toronto, ON M3J 1P3, Canada, Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211-2500, USA, Rotman School of Management, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 3E6, Canada, and Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Scarborough, Toronto, ON M1C 1A4, Canada
| | - Michael Inzlicht
- Department of Psychology, York University, Toronto, ON M3J 1P3, Canada, Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211-2500, USA, Rotman School of Management, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 3E6, Canada, and Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Scarborough, Toronto, ON M1C 1A4, Canada
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11
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Stanton SCE, Campbell L. Perceived social support moderates the link between attachment anxiety and health outcomes. PLoS One 2014; 9:e95358. [PMID: 24736729 PMCID: PMC3988242 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0095358] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/24/2013] [Accepted: 03/26/2014] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Two literatures have explored some of the effects intimate relationships can have on physical and mental health outcomes. Research investigating health through the lens of attachment theory has demonstrated that more anxiously attached individuals in particular consistently report poorer health. Separate research on perceived social support (e.g., partner or spousal support) suggests that higher support has salutary influences on various health outcomes. Little to no research, however, has explored the interaction of attachment anxiety and perceived social support on health outcomes. The present study examined the attachment-health link and the moderating role of perceived social support in a community sample of married couples. Results revealed that more anxious persons reported poorer overall physical and mental health, more bodily pain, more medical symptoms, and impaired daily functioning, even after controlling for age, relationship length, neuroticism, and marital quality. Additionally, perceived social support interacted with attachment anxiety to influence health; more anxious individuals' health was poorer even when perceived social support was high, whereas less anxious individuals' health benefited from high support. Possible mechanisms underlying these findings and the importance of considering attachment anxiety in future studies of poor health in adulthood are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah C. E. Stanton
- Department of Psychology, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
- * E-mail:
| | - Lorne Campbell
- Department of Psychology, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
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12
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Beck LA, Pietromonaco PR, DeBuse CJ, Powers SI, Sayer AG. Spouses' attachment pairings predict neuroendocrine, behavioral, and psychological responses to marital conflict. J Pers Soc Psychol 2013; 105:388-424. [PMID: 23773048 DOI: 10.1037/a0033056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
This research investigated how spouses' attachment styles jointly contributed to their stress responses. Newlywed couples discussed relationship conflicts. Salivary cortisol indexed physiological stress; observer-rated behaviors indexed behavioral stress; self-reported distress indexed psychological stress. Multilevel modeling tested predictions that couples including 1 anxious and 1 avoidant partner or 2 anxious partners would show distinctive stress responses. As predicted, couples with anxious wives and avoidant husbands showed physiological reactivity in anticipation of conflict: Both spouses showed sharp increases in cortisol, followed by rapid declines. These couples also showed distinctive behaviors during conflict: Anxious wives had difficulty recognizing avoidant husbands' distress, and avoidant husbands had difficulty approaching anxious wives for support. Contrary to predictions, couples including 2 anxious partners did not show distinctive stress responses. Findings suggest that the fit between partners' attachment styles can improve understanding of relationships by specifying conditions under which partners' attachment characteristics jointly influence individual and relationship outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lindsey A Beck
- Department of Psychology, University of Massachusetts, 135Hicks Way, Tobin Hall, Amherst, MA 01003, USA.
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13
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Lenzi D, Trentini C, Pantano P, Macaluso E, Lenzi GL, Ammaniti M. Attachment models affect brain responses in areas related to emotions and empathy in nulliparous women. Hum Brain Mapp 2012; 34:1399-414. [PMID: 22359374 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.21520] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2011] [Revised: 10/04/2011] [Accepted: 10/21/2011] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The attachment model, as assessed by means of the Adult Attachment Interview (AAI), is crucial for understanding emotion regulation and feelings of security in human interactions as well as for the construction of the caregiving system. The caregiving system is a set of representations about affiliative behaviors, guided by sensitivity and empathy, and is fully mature in young-adulthood. Here, we examine how different attachment models influence brain responses in areas related to empathy and emotions in young-adult subjects with secure and dismissing attachment models. METHODS By means of AAI, we selected 11 nulliparous young-adult females with a secure model and 12 with a dismissing model. Subjects underwent functional magnetic resonance, whereas imitating or observing and empathizing with infant facial expressions. Subjects were tested for alexithymia and reflective functioning. RESULTS Dismissing subjects activated motor, mirror, and limbic brain areas to a significantly greater extent, but deactivated the medial orbitofrontal cortex (mOFC) and the perigenual anterior cingulated cortex (pACC). During emotional faces, increased activity in dismissing women was seen in the right temporal pole. Furthermore, greater alexithymia was correlated with greater activity in the entorhinal cortex and greater deactivation in the pACC/mOFC. CONCLUSIONS These findings provide evidence of how the attachment model influences brain responses during a task eliciting attachment. In particular, hyperactivation of limbic and mirror areas may reflect emotional dysregulation of infantile experiences of rejection and lack of protection, whereas increased deactivation of fronto-medial areas may be the expression of the inhibition of attachment behaviors, which is a typical aspect of dismissing attachment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Delia Lenzi
- Department of Neurology and Psychiatry, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
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14
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Laurent H, Powers S. Emotion regulation in emerging adult couples: temperament, attachment, and HPA response to conflict. Biol Psychol 2007; 76:61-71. [PMID: 17681662 PMCID: PMC2041804 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2007.06.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 74] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2007] [Revised: 06/13/2007] [Accepted: 06/20/2007] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Difficulty managing the stress of conflict in close relationships can lead to mental and physical health problems, possibly through dysregulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, the neuroendocrine stress response system. Temperament, an individual characteristic, and attachment, a dyadic characteristic, have both been implicated in emotion regulation processes and physiological reactivity, yet there is no clear consensus on how the two work together to influence the stress response, especially after childhood. The present study investigated the ways in which temperament and attachment together predict HPA response in emerging adult couples. Analyses using multilevel modeling (HLM) found that partners' dyadic fit on attachment avoidance impacted females' cortisol response patterns, and attachment avoidance further moderated the effect of males' emotionality on both their own and their partners' cortisol. Results are discussed in terms of emotional coregulation processes in romantic attachment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heidemarie Laurent
- Department of Psychology, Tobin Hall, 135 Hicks Way, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Amherst, MA 01003, USA.
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Machatschke IH, Wallner B, Schams D, Dittami J. Social Environment Affects Peripheral Oxytocin and Cortisol during Stress Responses in Guinea-Pigs. Ethology 2004. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1439-0310.2004.00966.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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Wautier G, Balter Blume L. The Effects of Ego Identity, Gender Role, and Attachment on Depression and Anxiety in Young Adults. IDENTITY-AN INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF THEORY AND RESEARCH 2004. [DOI: 10.1207/s1532706xid0401_4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/31/2022]
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