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Dixon HC, Reynolds LM, Consedine NS. Containing Attachment Concerns: Does Trait Mindfulness Buffer the Links between Attachment Insecurity and Maladaptive Sexual Motivations? JOURNAL OF SEX RESEARCH 2023; 60:1126-1137. [PMID: 35230199 DOI: 10.1080/00224499.2022.2043229] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Individuals reporting greater insecure attachment are more likely to report maladaptive sexual motivations, such as sex to avoid negative relational and personal outcomes (e.g., conflict). Despite the costs of such sexual motivations, research is less clear regarding what might buffer the extent to which attachment insecurities manifest in such motives. The current study examined whether trait mindfulness moderates the links between attachment insecurity and maladaptive sexual motives. Participants (N = 194) completed measures of trait mindfulness, general sexual motivations, and attachment. As predicted, the links between attachment anxiety and having sex to cope and affirm the self were eliminated among individuals reporting higher levels of the acting with awareness facet of trait mindfulness. No such buffering effects were seen for attachment avoidance. Instead, acting with awareness mindfulness appeared to increase the extent to which more avoidantly attached individuals reported coping and self-affirmation-based sexual motives. These findings contribute to knowledge regarding the potential utility and limits of mindfulness in relational and sexual contexts, perhaps suggesting that mindfulness may help anxiously attached individuals manage the extent to which attachment concerns manifest in maladaptive sexual motivations. Findings of the study may inform both theory regarding mindfulness in interpersonal functioning and how mindfulness interventions might be deployed in sex therapy contexts.
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Affiliation(s)
- H C Dixon
- Department of Psychological Medicine, University of Auckland
| | - L M Reynolds
- Department of Psychological Medicine, University of Auckland
| | - N S Consedine
- Department of Psychological Medicine, University of Auckland
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2
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Georg AK, Meyerhöfer S, Taubner S, Volkert J. Is parental depression related to parental mentalizing? A systematic review and three-level meta-analysis. Clin Psychol Rev 2023; 104:102322. [PMID: 37572565 DOI: 10.1016/j.cpr.2023.102322] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2022] [Revised: 05/12/2023] [Accepted: 07/12/2023] [Indexed: 08/14/2023]
Abstract
This systematic review and meta-analysis is aimed to summarize the state of research on the relation between parental depression and parental mentalizing. To account for the multifaceted nature of parental mentalizing, several conceptualizations and measures were included and compared. The last database search was conducted on March 13, 2023. Using three-level meta-analytic modelling, we analyzed a total of 12,665 participants from 63 studies with 233 effect sizes. Taken together, higher depression was only weakly associated with lower mentalizing (r = -0.06). Specifically, parents with higher depression scored lower on questionnaire measures of parental reflective functioning (r = -0.11). No significant correlations were found for interview measures of parental reflective functioning, the observational and interview measure of mind-mindedness, or insightfulness. The data showed substantial heterogeneity. The mean effect size for self-reported pre-mentalizing (r = -0.23 for reverse-coded subscale scores) was significantly stronger compared to other self-report subscales. In studies including parents with diagnosis and controls, there was limited evidence suggesting a larger negative correlation between depression, mind-mindedness, and insightfulness. Therefore, more research is needed in clinical samples. Due to their correlational nature, our results do not allow causal inferences. Future studies should target moderators that explain variability (e.g., comorbid psychological problems, coparenting, child behavior).
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna K Georg
- Institute for Psychosocial Prevention, University Hospital Heidelberg, Germany.
| | | | - Svenja Taubner
- Institute for Psychosocial Prevention, University Hospital Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Jana Volkert
- Department of Psychology, MSB Medical School Berlin, Germany
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3
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Messina I, Spataro P, Sorella S, Grecucci A. "Holding in Anger" as a Mediator in the Relationship between Attachment Orientations and Borderline Personality Features. Brain Sci 2023; 13:878. [PMID: 37371358 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci13060878] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2023] [Revised: 05/19/2023] [Accepted: 05/20/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Insecure attachment and difficulties in regulating anger have both been put forward as possible explanations for emotional dysfunction in borderline personality (BP). This study aimed to test a model according to which the influence of attachment on BP features in a subclinical population is mediated by anger regulation. In a sample of 302 participants, BP features were assessed with the Borderline features scale of the Personality Assessment Inventory (PAI-BOR), attachment was measured with the Experiences in Close Relationships-12 (ECR-12), and trait anger and anger regulation were assessed with the State and Trait Anger Expression Inventory-2 (STAXI-2). The results indicated that anger suppression emerged as a significant mediator of the associations between both anxious and avoidant attachment and BP traits, while anger control resulted as a marginal mediator in the association between attachment avoidance and BP. Suppressing anger may reflect different forms of cognitive or behavioural avoidance of anger, which may differ on the basis of attachment orientations. We argue that these results may have important clinical implications: the promotion of anger regulation in BP should be considered a critical treatment goal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irene Messina
- Department of Economics, Mercatorum University, Piazza Mattei 10, 00186 Rome, Italy
- Department of Psychology and Cognitive Sciences, DipSCo, University of Trento and Centre for Medical Sciences, University of Trento, Bettini, 84, 38068 Rovereto, Italy
| | - Pietro Spataro
- Department of Economics, Mercatorum University, Piazza Mattei 10, 00186 Rome, Italy
| | - Sara Sorella
- Department of Psychology and Cognitive Sciences, DipSCo, University of Trento and Centre for Medical Sciences, University of Trento, Bettini, 84, 38068 Rovereto, Italy
| | - Alessandro Grecucci
- Department of Psychology and Cognitive Sciences, DipSCo, University of Trento and Centre for Medical Sciences, University of Trento, Bettini, 84, 38068 Rovereto, Italy
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4
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Gu S, Jiang Y, Liu M, Li Y, Liang Y, Feng R, Xu M, Wang F, Huang JH. Eye movements and ERP biomarkers for face processing problems in avoidant attachment-style individuals. Front Behav Neurosci 2023; 17:1135909. [PMID: 37273280 PMCID: PMC10235504 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2023.1135909] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2023] [Accepted: 05/03/2023] [Indexed: 06/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Avoidant attachment poses a serious risk to intimate relationships and offspring. However, there are few studies on the face-processing characteristics and impairments of avoidant individuals based on basic emotion theory. Therefore, this study investigated the issues of emotional processing and deactivation strategies in individuals with avoidant attachment. Methods Avoidant and secure individuals were recruited to participate in an eye-tracking experiment and a two-choice oddball task in which they had to distinguish facial expressions of basic emotions (sadness, anger, fear, disgust, and neutral). Eye fixation durations to various parts of the face, including the eyes, nose, and mouth, were measured, and three event-related potentials (ERP) components (P100, N170, and P300) were monitored. Results Avoidant individuals could not process facial expressions as easily as secure individuals. Avoidant individuals focused less on the eyes of angry faces when compared to secure individuals. They also exhibited a more positive P100 component and a less negative N170 component when processing faces and a larger amplitude of the P300 component than secure individuals when processing emotional expressions. Conclusion Avoidant individuals use deactivating strategies and exhibit specific characteristics at different stages, which are of great significance in social interaction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simeng Gu
- Department of Psychology, School of Medicine, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu, China
| | - Yao Jiang
- Institute of Brain and Psychological Science, Sichuan Normal University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Mei Liu
- Institute of Brain and Psychological Science, Sichuan Normal University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Yumeng Li
- Department of Psychology, School of Medicine, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu, China
| | - Yuan Liang
- Institute of Brain and Psychological Science, Sichuan Normal University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Rou Feng
- Institute of Brain and Psychological Science, Sichuan Normal University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Minghong Xu
- Department of Neurology, Lianyungang Hospital of Chinese Medicine, Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China
| | - Fushun Wang
- Institute of Brain and Psychological Science, Sichuan Normal University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Jason H. Huang
- Department of Neurosurgery, Baylor Scott & White Health Center, Temple, TX, United States
- Department of Surgery, Texas A&M University, Temple, TX, United States
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Crawford MT, Hammond MD, Marsh C. Holding on & letting go: romantic attachment and fading affect bias. THE JOURNAL OF SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY 2023; 163:1-18. [PMID: 34935589 DOI: 10.1080/00224545.2021.2017254] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
The current research examined the phenomenon of fading affect bias - the tendency for affect associated with negative events to fade more than affect associated with positive events - within the context of romantic relationships. Participants recalled and evaluated positive and negative relationship-specific and non-relationship autobiographical events. Participants also completed measures of attachment avoidance and anxiety. Multi-level modeling demonstrated fading affect bias for relationship and non-relationship events, but that affect fade was shaped by attachment orientations. Specifically, higher attachment anxiety, and lower attachment avoidance predicted greater importance of relationship events which predicted lower fading of affective intensity of memories. Thus, attachment anxiety sustained, while attachment avoidance suppressed the affect of relational memories. We discuss implications of these findings for relationship maintenance.
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Cheng W, Huang J, Xie J. Facades of conformity: a values-regulation strategy links employees’ insecure attachment styles and task performance. CURRENT PSYCHOLOGY 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s12144-022-04061-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
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7
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Attachment-related differences in dispositional anger and its experience and expression following an insult-based anger induction. PERSONALITY AND INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.paid.2022.111864] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
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Öner S, Gülgöz S. Adults’ recollection of the earliest memories: early parental elaboration mediated the link between attachment and remembering. CURRENT PSYCHOLOGY 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s12144-022-03811-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/02/2022]
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9
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Default defenses: the character defenses of attachment-anxiety and attachment-avoidance. CURRENT PSYCHOLOGY 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s12144-022-03919-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Contemporary attachment researchers claim that attachment-anxiety is associated with a hyperactivating defense strategy while attachment-avoidance is associated with a deactivating defense strategy. However, to date, no study has comprehensively examined the basic patterns of specific defense expression in the two dimensions of attachment insecurity (anxiety/avoidance). To address this research gap, the current study aimed to assess the character defenses associated with attachment-avoidance and attachment-anxiety, incorporating a broad spectrum of psychological defenses. The main objective was to understand what differentiates attachment-avoidance and attachment-anxiety in defensive functioning. In this study of online questionnaire design (N = 250), university undergraduates aged between 17 to 65 completed the Experiences in Close Relationship Scale (ECR) and the Defense Style Questionnaire (DSQ-60). The results show that the two dimensions of insecure attachment exhibit different defensive patterns. Regarding the main findings, attachment-avoidance uniquely predicted defensive isolation, and attachment-anxiety uniquely predicted the defenses splitting, projective identification, anticipation, acting out, passive-aggression, reaction formation, and undoing. Overall, the results indicate that attachment-anxiety is a significant predictor of global defensive functioning, over and above that of attachment-avoidance. One implication of this study is that the two-dimensional model of adult attachment may offer a promising framework for organizing psychological defenses. We discuss the significance of this concerning the future of the empirical study of psychological defenses. The discussion also considers the clinical application and relevance to attachment-based psychotherapy.
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Wang B, Peng X, Gao F, Zhang K, Zhang J, Wu L. Attachment Security Priming Delayed Negative Information-Related Attentional Disengagement Among Anxiously Attached Individuals: Evidence From Behavioral and Functional MRI Experiments. Front Psychol 2022; 13:913805. [PMID: 35756230 PMCID: PMC9218902 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.913805] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2022] [Accepted: 05/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Although attachment security has been found to attenuate people’s experience of unpleasant information, how it modulates the attentional process toward such information remains unknown. The present study examined this issue by employing the dot-probe task in functional MRI. After completing the Experiences in Close Relationships-Revised questionnaire (ECR-R), 39 participants were asked to complete the dot-probe task in two conditions: the attachment security priming condition and neutral priming condition. The behavioral results revealed that individuals with high level of attachment anxiety exhibited larger attention disengagement from negative traits in the security priming condition than in the control condition. Correspondingly, the brain regions involved in attention regulation and shifting, such as the posterior cingulate and bilateral parietal area, were less activated among high anxiously attached individuals in the security priming condition. These results suggest a role of attachment security priming in regulating the emotional response in anxiously attached individuals during the attentional stage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beiyi Wang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Xinyuan Peng
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Fei Gao
- Department of Radiology, Shandong Provincial Hospital, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, China.,Department of Radiology, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, China
| | - Kaihua Zhang
- School of Psychology, Shandong Normal University, Jinan, China
| | - Jianxin Zhang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Lili Wu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
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11
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Dugan KA, Khan F, Fraley RC. Dismissing Attachment and Global and Daily Indicators of Subjective Well-Being: An Experience Sampling Approach. PERSONALITY AND SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY BULLETIN 2022:1461672221089781. [PMID: 35652555 DOI: 10.1177/01461672221089781] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
The present research examined whether a dismissing attachment style (i.e., being high in attachment avoidance and low in attachment anxiety) is a risk factor for low subjective well-being (SWB). Specifically, we examined the associations between dismissing attachment and two indicators of SWB: global life satisfaction and daily affect. Self-reports of attachment and overall life satisfaction were collected from 257 adults at an initial lab session. Afterward, experience sampling methodology was used to gather repeated measures of positive and negative affect, as well as social context, from the sample for 8 days. Our findings indicate that, on average, dismissing people reported fairly modest levels of overall life satisfaction. Moreover, they experienced relatively low levels of both negative affect and positive affect across the 8-day study period. Overall, our results suggest that dismissing people have a "muted" or dull emotional life.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Faaiza Khan
- University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, USA
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12
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Attachment and grief in young adults after the loss of a close friend: a qualitative study. BMC Psychol 2022; 10:10. [PMID: 35033193 PMCID: PMC8760658 DOI: 10.1186/s40359-022-00717-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2021] [Accepted: 12/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Although many lose a close friend each year, they are seldom the focus of grief research. However, these losses often cause severe and long-lasting reactions. Deaths among adolescents and young adults are also often caused by traumatic events, e.g. from accidents, suicides, and homicides, placing them at significant risk for complicated grief reactions. The focus of this paper is bereaved friends after the shootings at Utøya, Norway in 2011, which is among a few studies that focus on bereaved friends, exploring how attachment affects the grief process after the loss of a close friend. Methods This paper explores qualitative data from in-depth interviews with thirteen bereaved friends, conducted about 28 months after the loss. The interview sample consisted of eight females and five males, aged 18–31 years. The interviews were semi-structured, with a theme guide of 14 questions, and the method used for analyses was systematic text condensation. Results Two main themes were identified from the analyses of the interviews: Friendship and Grief, with the subordinate themes: The importance of the friendship, Longing and remembrance, How the loss has affected other relationships, How the loss has affected the friend’s daily lives, Processing of the grief and Not being family. For most of the bereaved friends the loss and the grief had a profound effect on them and their overall lives, from daily functioning in school or at work, to changes in attitudes, and the way they were met as bereaved. Conclusions The support, intimacy, and feelings of togetherness we share with our friends are of great importance and value for all people, but maybe especially for young people. When adolescents and young adults experience losses, their reactions are often intense and long-lasting, and especially complicated grief reactions can affect school performance and concentration, health, result in emotional problems; and disrupt development (e.g. identity formation and social skills). We don’t know much about the grief of bereaved friends and how their reactions can be explained. Thus, we hope that these findings could shed light on their grief reactions, and provide new knowledge on the short- and long-term psychological impact of losses of friends.
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Dixon H, Reynolds LM, Consedine NS. Will I have sex to please you? Evaluating whether mindfulness buffers links between attachment and sexual motivations in daily life. JOURNAL OF SEX & MARITAL THERAPY 2021; 48:392-414. [PMID: 34766535 DOI: 10.1080/0092623x.2021.2000534] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Insecurely attached individuals are more likely to report more maladaptive sexual motivations that predict worse personal and interpersonal outcomes. Given that mindfulness has been linked with improved relationship and sexual experiences, and that these effects may be moderated by attachment, the current study examined the possible buffering role of trait mindfulness on the links between attachment insecurity and daily sexual motives. Participants from New Zealand (N = 70) took part in a daily diary study that overcame limitations associated with previous cross-sectional research in the area (e.g., recall and aggregation biases). Online measures of trait mindfulness and attachment were completed, before participants reported their sexual motivations on each day they had sex for the next 14 days. Results provided some evidence that trait mindfulness has a therapeutic effect among more anxiously attached persons insofar as it reduced the degree to which attachment concerns manifested in maladaptive daily sexual motivations. In contrast, trait mindfulness did not buffer (and in some cases intensified) the links between attachment avoidance and maladaptive sexual motives. No significant interactions were detected between attachment insecurity and mindfulness in the prediction of adaptive daily sexual motivations. These findings suggest that mindfulness may differentially affect the manifestations of anxious and avoidant attachment. Practical and theoretical implications of the findings are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Holly Dixon
- Department of Psychological Medicine, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Lisa M Reynolds
- Department of Psychological Medicine, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Nathan S Consedine
- Department of Psychological Medicine, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
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14
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Mellor RL, Psouni E. The Study of Security Priming on Avoidant Attentional Biases: Combining Microsaccadic Eye-Movement Measurement With a Dot-Probe Task. Front Psychol 2021; 12:726817. [PMID: 34744893 PMCID: PMC8566336 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.726817] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2021] [Accepted: 09/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Microsaccades are small fixational eye movements that have shown to index covert attentional shifts. The present experiment combined microsaccades with performance measures from a dot-probe task to study influences of attachment security priming on the attentional biases of individuals high in attachment avoidance. Security priming is an experimental manipulation aimed at boosting felt security. Using a randomized, mixed design, we measured differences in attentional vigilance toward angry and neutral faces as a function of priming (neutral vs. secure) and attachment avoidance. Individuals high in avoidance habitually tend to withdraw from, or otherwise dismiss, emotionally salient stimuli. Here, we operationalized attentional withdrawal based on both task performance in the dot-probe task and microsaccadic movements. In addition, unlike previous studies where priming salience for the individual participant has been unclear, we used a standardized narrative method for attachment script assessment, securing an indication of how strongly each participant was primed. Dot-probe data significantly captured the link between avoidance and attentional disengagement, though from all facial stimuli (angry and neutral). Although microsaccadic movements did not capture avoidant attentional disengagement, they positively correlated to dot-probe data suggesting measurement convergence. Avoidance was associated with weaker security priming and no overall effect of priming on attention was found, indicating a need for further exploration of suitable priming methods to bypass avoidant deactivation. Our results provide a first indication that, as an implicit looking measure, microsaccadic movements can potentially reveal where early attention is directed at the exact moment of stimulus presentation.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Elia Psouni
- Department of Psychology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
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15
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A relational account of low power: The role of the attachment system in reduced proactivity. ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOR AND HUMAN DECISION PROCESSES 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.obhdp.2021.06.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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Dagan O, Groh AM, Madigan S, Bernard K. A Lifespan Development Theory of Insecure Attachment and Internalizing Symptoms: Integrating Meta-Analytic Evidence via a Testable Evolutionary Mis/Match Hypothesis. Brain Sci 2021; 11:brainsci11091226. [PMID: 34573246 PMCID: PMC8469853 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci11091226] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2021] [Accepted: 09/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Attachment scholars have long argued that insecure attachment patterns are associated with vulnerability to internalizing symptoms, such as depression and anxiety symptoms. However, accumulating evidence from the past four decades, summarized in four large meta-analyses evaluating the link between insecure attachment subtypes and internalizing symptoms, provide divergent evidence for this claim. This divergent evidence may be accounted for, at least in part, by the developmental period under examination. Specifically, children with histories of deactivating (i.e., insecure/avoidant) but not hyperactivating (i.e., insecure/resistant) attachment patterns in infancy and early childhood showed elevated internalizing symptoms. In contrast, adolescents and adults with hyperactivating (i.e., insecure/preoccupied) but not deactivating (i.e., insecure/dismissing) attachment classifications showed elevated internalizing symptoms. In this paper, we summarize findings from four large meta-analyses and highlight the divergent meta-analytic findings that emerge across different developmental periods. We first present several potential methodological issues that may have contributed to these divergent findings. Then, we leverage clinical, developmental, and evolutionary perspectives to propose a testable lifespan development theory of attachment and internalizing symptoms that integrates findings across meta-analyses. According to this theory, subtypes of insecure attachment patterns may be differentially linked to internalizing symptoms depending on their mis/match with the developmentally appropriate orientation tendency toward caregivers (in childhood) or away from them (i.e., toward greater independence in post-childhood). Lastly, we offer future research directions to test this theory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Or Dagan
- Department of Psychology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA;
- Correspondence:
| | - Ashley M. Groh
- Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Missouri-Columbia, Columbia, MO 65211, USA;
| | - Sheri Madigan
- Department of Psychology, Alberta Children’s Hospital Research Institute, Alberta Children’s Hospital, Calgary, AB T3B 6A8, Canada;
| | - Kristin Bernard
- Department of Psychology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA;
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Maestre-Lorén F, Castillo-Garayoa JA, López-I-Martín X, Sarquella-Geli J, Andrés A, Cifre I. Psychological Distress in Erectile Dysfunction: The Moderating Role of Attachment. Sex Med 2021; 9:100436. [PMID: 34517209 PMCID: PMC8498960 DOI: 10.1016/j.esxm.2021.100436] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2021] [Revised: 07/27/2021] [Accepted: 08/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction In clinical consultations, men with erectile dysfunction do not always express personal, sexual, and interpersonal concerns. Aim We explore whether the attenuated impact of erectile dysfunction may be explained by a regulation of negative affect that causes activation of the attachment system. Methods The study sample consisted of 69 men diagnosed with erectile dysfunction, mean (SD) age 56 (10.83) years. Participants completed self-reported questionnaires to assess erectile dysfunction severity, attachment style, sexual satisfaction, relationship satisfaction, and psychological symptoms. Main Outcome Measure The moderating role of attachment between erectile dysfunction and sexual satisfaction, relationship satisfaction, and psychological distress was evaluated using multiple linear regression and moderation analysis. Results All men in the sample had high attachment avoidance, distributed between the dismissive-avoidant (69.6%) and fearful-avoidant (30.4%) substyles, but low levels of psychological symptoms. Despite their erectile dysfunction, 27 patients (39.1%) rated their sexual life as satisfactory, and 46 (66.7%) rated their relationship with their partner as satisfactory. Men with fearful-avoidant attachment reported feeling more sexual desire and less sexual satisfaction than men with dismissive-avoidant attachment. Multiple linear regression analysis showed that sexual satisfaction variance was explained by erectile dysfunction severity, attachment anxiety, and relationship satisfaction scores. Moderation analysis showed that attachment anxiety, but not relationship satisfaction, moderated the impact of erectile dysfunction on sexual satisfaction. Conclusion The avoidance dimension of attachment, which tends to be high in patients with erectile dysfunction, involves deactivation of the sexual system in an effort to minimize the emotional distress associated with erectile dysfunction, which damages sexual and relationship intimacy and delays the decision to obtain professional help. The presence of high attachment avoidance and the moderating value of attachment anxiety allow us to propose specific treatments for these men. Maestre-Lorén F, Castillo-Garayoa JA, López-i-Martín X, et al. Psychological Distress in Erectile Dysfunction: The Moderating Role of Attachment. Sex Med 2021;9:100436.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Ana Andrés
- FPCEE Blanquerna, Universitat Ramon Llull, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Ignacio Cifre
- FPCEE Blanquerna, Universitat Ramon Llull, Barcelona, Spain
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Predictors of Initial Status and Change in Self-Control During the College Transition. JOURNAL OF APPLIED DEVELOPMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY 2021; 73. [PMID: 33551532 DOI: 10.1016/j.appdev.2020.101235] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Although self-control tends to increase through late adolescence, there are individual differences in patterns of growth. Latent growth modeling was used to investigate change in self-control across students' first year of college (N = 569, M age = 18.03; 70.3% female; 89.6% White), and whether attachment to parents predicted this change when controlling for personality and demographic variables. Self-control decreased linearly across five assessments, with significant heterogeneity in intercepts and slopes. Personality was associated with initial self-control, and greater avoidant attachment to mothers and openness to experience predicted greater declines. Overall, self-control changes across late adolescence, and attachment and personality explain individual differences in that change, indicating potential intervention targets during emerging adulthood.
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Spinelli M, Aureli T, Coppola G, Ponzetti S, Lionetti F, Scialpi V, Fasolo M. Verbal - prosodic association when narrating early caregiving experiences during the adult attachment interview: differences between secure and dismissing individuals. Attach Hum Dev 2020; 24:93-114. [PMID: 33346702 DOI: 10.1080/14616734.2020.1860348] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
Previous studies reported an inconsistency between verbal extracts and emotional physiological activation in dismissing individuals when narrating their early caregiving experience at the Adult Attachment Interview (AAI). This study aimed to explore this discrepancy by analyzing the degree of concordance between verbal content and prosodic characteristics, index of physiological activation, when dismissing and secure individuals discuss negative childhood memories during the AAI. Results showed that secure participants presented a high coherence between verbal content and emotional activation, as expressed by prosody, revealing a reprocess of negative experiences that is the core feature of the development of secure working models. In contrast, dismissing participants' prosodic characteristics were discrepant with the verbal content. These individuals downplayed the nature and impact of negative experiences and emotions, but used a prosody that revealed a high emotional arousal. The difference between the two groups was more evident for participants who had experienced more rejecting parents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Spinelli
- Department of Neurosciences, Imaging and Clinical Sciences, University G. D'Annunzio Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy
| | - Tiziana Aureli
- Department of Neurosciences, Imaging and Clinical Sciences, University G. D'Annunzio Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy
| | - Gabrielle Coppola
- Department of Education, Psychology, Communication, University of Bari Aldo Moro, Bari, Italy
| | - Silvia Ponzetti
- Department of Neurosciences, Imaging and Clinical Sciences, University G. D'Annunzio Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy
| | - Francesca Lionetti
- Department of Neurosciences, Imaging and Clinical Sciences, University G. D'Annunzio Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy
| | - Valentina Scialpi
- Department of Neurosciences, Imaging and Clinical Sciences, University G. D'Annunzio Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy
| | - Mirco Fasolo
- Department of Neurosciences, Imaging and Clinical Sciences, University G. D'Annunzio Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy
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Irak M, Soylu C, Güler B. Investigating the role of attachment orientation during emotional face recognition: An event-related potential study. Biol Psychol 2020; 156:107953. [PMID: 33002581 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2020.107953] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2020] [Revised: 09/04/2020] [Accepted: 09/11/2020] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
We recorded event-related potentials (ERPs) while anxious and avoidant participants performed an emotional face recognition task featuring happy and angry faces. The avoidant attachment individuals were more accurate on angry trials, whereas anxious attachment individuals were more accurate on happy trials. FN400 amplitude was larger in the anxious attachment group than in the avoidant attachment group. Both groups produced larger N170 amplitudes in response to angry faces. However, happy faces evoked shorter N170 latencies in the anxious attachment group while angry faces evoked shorter N170 latencies in the avoidant group. Our results demonstrate that the processing of emotional stimuli differs between individuals with anxious and avoidant attachment styles. These differences start at early stages of stimulus processing and yield perceptual biases in the two attachment orientations. This appears to underlie differences in the later stage of recognition of emotional stimuli.
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Affiliation(s)
- Metehan Irak
- Bahcesehir University, Department of Psychology Brain and Cognition Research Laboratory, Ciragan Cad. No. 4 Besiktas, 34353 İstanbul, Turkey.
| | - Can Soylu
- Bahcesehir University, Department of Psychology Brain and Cognition Research Laboratory, Ciragan Cad. No. 4 Besiktas, 34353 İstanbul, Turkey.
| | - Berna Güler
- Bahcesehir University, Department of Psychology Brain and Cognition Research Laboratory, Ciragan Cad. No. 4 Besiktas, 34353 İstanbul, Turkey.
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Rodriguez LM, Gius BK, Derrick JL, Leonard KE. A dyadic approach to attachment anxiety and avoidance, marital conflict, and drinking. JOURNAL OF SOCIAL AND PERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS 2020; 37:2386-2408. [PMID: 33746328 PMCID: PMC7978435 DOI: 10.1177/0265407520922612] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
In this research, we integrate attachment theory and dyadic methodology to examine how attachment anxiety and avoidance might interact with marital conflict to influence alcohol consumption, drinking motives, and alcohol-related problems in a sample of 280 married and cohabiting couples over 3 years. Both husband and wife attachment anxiety were related to higher levels of own drinking to cope and alcohol-related problems. Additionally, both husband and wife reports of marital conflict were associated with own alcohol-related problems. For wives, significant interactions between anxiety and marital conflict suggested that anxiety was more strongly associated with alcohol consumption, coping, and problems at higher levels of conflict. For husbands, significant interactions between avoidance and conflict indicated that avoidance was more strongly associated with coping and problems at lower levels of conflict. This research suggests two main patterns of attachment and alcohol use, both exacerbated by marital conflict and different for husbands and wives.
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The Psychometric Properties of a Portuguese Version of the Trait-Meta Mood Scale: an Attachment Framework. JOURNAL OF PSYCHOPATHOLOGY AND BEHAVIORAL ASSESSMENT 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s10862-020-09817-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
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23
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Attachment style and parental bonding: Relationships with fibromyalgia and alexithymia. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0231674. [PMID: 32287311 PMCID: PMC7156042 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0231674] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2020] [Accepted: 03/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Objectives Fibromyalgia (FM) is a chronic pain syndrome, and alexithymia, which is a condition that is characterised by deficits in emotional self-awareness, is highly prevalent among individuals with FM. Insecure attachment styles and inadequate parental care appear to play an important role in the onset and maintenance of both alexithymia and chronic pain. Therefore, the present study aimed to examine the associations between attachment styles, parental bonding, and alexithymia among patients with FM and healthy controls (HC). Methods All participants completed a battery of tests that assessed alexithymia, attachment styles, and parental bonding. Two logistic regression models were tested to examine whether these variables predict (a) group membership (i.e. patients with FM vs. HC) and (b) the likelihood of having alexithymia (i.e. among patients with FM and HC). Results Alexithymia (i.e. difficulty identifying and describing feelings subscales of the 20-item Toronto Alexithymia Scale) significantly predicted group membership (i.e. the likelihood of having FM). On the other hand, educational level and dismissive attachment (i.e. the discomfort with closeness and relationships as secondary subscales of the Attachment Style Questionnaire) were the only significant predictors of the likelihood of having alexithymia. Conclusions These findings highlight both the relevance of alexithymic traits to the definition of FM and centrality of an insecure attachment style to the manifestation of alexithymia.
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Zhou M, Chen X, Chen W, Bai X. Stimulating the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex improves the memory representation of threats among individuals with high avoidant attachment. Behav Brain Res 2019; 373:112073. [PMID: 31326509 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2019.112073] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2019] [Revised: 06/27/2019] [Accepted: 07/03/2019] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
Prior research has suggested that individuals with high avoidant attachment may demonstrate a vigilant attentional bias and selective attentional avoidance towards attachment-related negative information (threat information). Similarly, some evidence suggests that impairment of hot working memory (WM) or emotional-related WM occurs in highly avoidant individuals. Moreover, functional MRI studies have demonstrated that the less-activated left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (L-DLPFC) is related to the impairment of cognitive control for threat stimuli in individuals with high avoidant attachment. Therefore, in the present study, the causal role of the L-DLPFC on hot WM presentation was investigated by the high-definition transcranial direct current stimulation (HD-tDCS) technique, and cognitive control for internal mental representations in WM was measured by the Internal Shift Task (IST). The results showed that the highly avoidant participants performed faster on the emotional IST than low avoidant participants in the sham condition. In the emotional IST, highly avoidant participants were slower after receiving anodal HD-tDCS than in the sham condition. Moreover, the switching cost of the emotional IST was significantly smaller in the highly avoidant group than low avoidant group under the sham HD-tDCS condition. Interestingly, in the emotional IST, the switching cost of highly avoidant individuals was significantly greater in the anodal stimulation group than the sham stimulation group. Conversely, the switching cost of low avoidant individuals was significantly smaller with anodal stimulation than for sham stimulation. The findings indicate that anodal HD-tDCS over the L-DLPFC can effectively enhance the ability of memory representation towards threat information in highly avoidant individuals. This study extends causal research by showing that the L-DLPFC is an important brain region for hot WM representations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mi Zhou
- Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China; Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality, Ministry of Education, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Xu Chen
- Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China; Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality, Ministry of Education, Southwest University, Chongqing, China.
| | - Wanting Chen
- Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China; Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality, Ministry of Education, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Xujia Bai
- Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China; Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality, Ministry of Education, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
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Huang YC, Lee Y, Lin PY, Hung CF, Lee CY, Wang LJ. Anxiety comorbidities in patients with major depressive disorder: the role of attachment. Int J Psychiatry Clin Pract 2019; 23:286-292. [PMID: 31464550 DOI: 10.1080/13651501.2019.1638941] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
Objectives: Attachment connects mood expressions and is related to the psychopathology of depression and anxiety. However, whether insecure attachment can predict the risk of an increased number of anxiety comorbidities in patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) remains unclear.Methods: Sixty-six patients with MDD were recruited in this cross-sectional study. Depression, anxiety and insecure attachment among patients were assessed accordingly. Patients' disease characteristics and psychopathology were evaluated using a structured psychiatric MINI interview, the 17-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale, and the 21-item Beck Anxiety Inventory, while the attachment was assessed with the Chinese self-reporting version of the Attachment Style Questionnaire.Results: We found that 74.2% of MDD patients had at least one anxiety comorbidity, and 24.2% of MDD patients had multiple anxiety comorbidities. Common anxiety comorbidities included generalised anxiety disorder, panic disorder, agoraphobia, and post-traumatic stress disorder. The patients who had multiple anxiety comorbidities exhibited lower secure attachment levels and higher anxious/preoccupied and avoidant attachment levels.Conclusions: Anxious/preoccupied attachment is associated with an increased risk of multiple anxiety comorbidities in MDD patients. A longitudinal study with a larger sample size is needed to identify the causal relationship of anxious/preoccupied attachment and anxiety comorbidities during the course of MDD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu-Chi Huang
- Department of Psychiatry, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital and Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
| | - Yu Lee
- Department of Psychiatry, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital and Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
| | - Pao-Yen Lin
- Department of Psychiatry, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital and Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.,Institute for Translational Research in Biomedical Sciences, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
| | - Chi-Fa Hung
- Department of Psychiatry, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital and Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
| | - Chun-Yi Lee
- Department of Psychiatry, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital and Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
| | - Liang-Jen Wang
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital and Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
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Oldroyd K, Pasupathi M, Wainryb C. Social Antecedents to the Development of Interoception: Attachment Related Processes Are Associated With Interoception. Front Psychol 2019; 10:712. [PMID: 31068846 PMCID: PMC6491743 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2019.00712] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2018] [Accepted: 03/14/2019] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Current empirical work suggests that early social experiences could have a substantial impact on the areas of the brain responsible for representation of the body. In this context, one aspect of functioning that may be particularly susceptible to social experiences is interoception. Interoceptive functioning has been linked to several areas of the brain which show protracted post-natal development, thus leaving a substantial window of opportunity for environmental input to impact the development of the interoceptive network. In this paper we report findings from two existing datasets showing significant relationships between attachment related processes and interoception. In the first study, looking at a sample of healthy young adults (n = 132, 66 males), we assessed self-reported interoceptive awareness as assessed with the Multidimensional Assessment of Interoceptive Awareness (Mehling et al., 2012) and attachment style as assessed with the Experiences in Close Relationships Scale-Short (Wei et al., 2007). We found relationships between aspects of interoception and attachment style such that avoidant individuals reported lower interoceptive functioning across several dimensions [r's(130) = -0.20 to -0.26, p's < 0.05]. More anxious individuals, on the other hand, reported heightened interoceptive across several dimensions [r's(130) = 0.18 to 0.43, p's < 0.05]. In the second study, we examined the congruence between a youth's self-reported negative emotion and a measure of sympathetic nervous system arousal (SCL). The congruence score was positively associated with parental rejection of negative emotion. These results suggest that parenting style, as reported by the mother, are associated with a youth's ability to coordinate their self-reported emotional and physiological responding across a series of independent assessments, r(108) = -0.24, p < 0.05. In other words, the more maternal reported parental rejection of youth negative emotions, the less congruent a youth's self and physiological reports of distress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristina Oldroyd
- Social Development Laboratory, Department of Psychology, The University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, United States
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Simpson JA, Steven Rholes W. Adult Attachment, Stress, and Romantic Relationships. Curr Opin Psychol 2019; 13:19-24. [PMID: 27135049 DOI: 10.1016/j.copsyc.2016.04.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 91] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2016] [Revised: 03/21/2016] [Accepted: 04/06/2016] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
In this article, we discuss theory and research on how individuals who have insecure adult romantic attachment orientations typically think, feel, and behave when they or their romantic partners encounter certain types of chronic or acute stress. We first review basic principles of attachment theory and then discuss how two forms of attachment insecurity-anxiety and avoidance-are associated with unique patterns of emotion regulation in response to certain types of threatening/distressing situations. We then discuss a diathesis-stress process model that has guided our research, highlighting studies that provide support for certain pathways of the model.
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Smith MD, Meredith PJ, Chua SY. The experience of persistent pain and quality of life among women following treatment for breast cancer: An attachment perspective. Psychooncology 2018; 27:2442-2449. [PMID: 30067313 DOI: 10.1002/pon.4848] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2018] [Revised: 06/29/2018] [Accepted: 07/23/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES The aims of this study were to investigate associations between attachment and the presence of persistent pain in women following treatment for breast cancer and to investigate the relationship between attachment, pain, and quality of life (QOL) in women with persistent pain. METHODS Women (N = 335) previously diagnosed with primary non-metastatic breast cancer completed an online survey with measures of attachment, pain, QOL, demographics, and medical history. Variables were compared between women with (N = 128) and without (N = 207) persistent pain. For those reporting pain, regression analyses were conducted to investigate relationships between attachment, pain, and QOL. RESULTS Higher attachment anxiety, but not attachment avoidance, was related to the presence of persistent pain. Among women with persistent pain, associations between attachment anxiety and avoidance and greater pain intensity were lost when pain catastrophizing was considered in analysis. Significant associations between attachment and diminished QOL and perceived effectiveness of pain management were identified in multivariate analysis. CONCLUSIONS These findings extend the available literature regarding associations between pain and attachment insecurity. In women with pain after breast cancer treatment, attachment anxiety and avoidance were associated with negative pain and QOL outcomes. Further attention regarding the use of attachment-informed approaches in supporting women following breast cancer treatment is indicated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michelle D Smith
- School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Pamela J Meredith
- School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Siong Yin Chua
- School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
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Dagan O, Facompré CR, Bernard K. Adult attachment representations and depressive symptoms: A meta-analysis. J Affect Disord 2018; 236:274-290. [PMID: 29751243 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2018.04.091] [Citation(s) in RCA: 74] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2018] [Revised: 04/18/2018] [Accepted: 04/18/2018] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Attachment theory has long argued that insecure and disorganized attachment representations are associated with vulnerability to psychopathology in general, and depressive symptoms in particular. However, studies assessing the link between insecure and disorganized attachment and depressive symptoms report inconsistent results. The primary aim of this meta-analysis was to examine the extent to which adult attachment representations are associated with depressive symptoms. METHODS We conducted a literature search for published studies using PsycINFO, MEDLINE, and ProQuest in March 2017, identifying 55 samples (N = 4,386). Eligible studies assessed depression using a well-validated self-report or clinical diagnostic measure of depression and attachment using the Adult Attachment Interview. RESULTS Results demonstrated that insecure individuals had higher levels of depression than secure-autonomous individuals (d = 0.21, 95% CI [0.08-0.33]). Specifically, insecure-preoccupied individuals (d = 0.48, 95% CI [0.30-0.65]), but not insecure-dismissing individuals (d = 0.09, 95% CI [-0.03-0.22]), exhibited significantly more depressive symptoms than the secure-autonomous individuals. Additionally, unresolved adults had higher levels of depression than adults with organized attachment classifications (d = 0.29, 95% CI [0.13-0.44]). LIMITATIONS Due to the nature of the studies reviewed, causal inferences regarding the links found between adult attachment representations and depressive symptoms may not be drawn. Further, the aggregate effect sizes do not solely reflect the magnitude of the association between attachment representations and clinically-diagnosed major depressive disorder. CONCLUSIONS The results of this meta-analysis have important conceptual and practical implications for attachment-based prevention and intervention efforts, as they suggest that attachment representations, specifically insecure-preoccupied and unresolved, are associated with depressive symptoms in adulthood. Future research using longitudinal and intervention-based designs should examine the extent to which insecure-preoccupied and unresolved attachment lead to increased depressive symptoms, as well as the mechanisms by which these attachment patterns across the life span may increase vulnerability to depressive symptoms in adulthood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Or Dagan
- Department of Psychology, The New School for Social Research, New York, NY, United States.
| | - Christopher R Facompré
- Department of Psychology, New York University - Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
| | - Kristin Bernard
- Department of Psychology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, United States
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Karreman A, Vingerhoets AJJM, Bekker MHJ. Attachment styles and secure base priming in relation to emotional reactivity after frustration induction. Cogn Emot 2018; 33:428-441. [PMID: 29623747 DOI: 10.1080/02699931.2018.1458704] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
Abstract
In two experimental studies, we explored the role of attachment in predicting emotional reactivity after frustration induction. In the first study, using a cognitive frustration task, we examined in a college sample (N = 134) how attachment styles related to the experience and expression of emotions after frustration induction. In the second study, we investigated in college students (N = 198) the effect of conscious priming of the secure base schema on mood disturbance after the performance of a cognitive frustration task. Results showed that individuals experienced and expressed emotions after frustration induction independent of their attachment styles. Conscious priming of the secure base script attenuated self-reported emotional reactivity after frustration induction independent of individuals' attachment styles. These findings suggest that the mechanism of attachment-related emotional reactivity might not pertain to frustration during an unsolvable cognitive task, but that the activation of the sense of having a secure base is useful in reducing mood disturbance in the context of a frustrating performance task.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annemiek Karreman
- a Department of Medical and Clinical Psychology , Tilburg University , The Netherlands
| | - Ad J J M Vingerhoets
- a Department of Medical and Clinical Psychology , Tilburg University , The Netherlands
| | - Marrie H J Bekker
- a Department of Medical and Clinical Psychology , Tilburg University , The Netherlands
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Abstract
The present study investigates the relationship between the attachment dimensions (anxious vs. avoidance) and the cognitive performance of individuals, specifically whether the attachment dimensions would predict the working memory (WM) performance. In the n-back task, reflecting the WM capacity, both attachment related and non-attachment related words were used. Participants were randomly assigned into two groups that received either the secure or the neutral subliminal priming. In the secure priming condition, the aim was to induce sense of security by presenting secure attachment words prior to the n-back task performance. In neutral priming condition, neutral words that did not elicit sense of security were presented. Structural equation modeling revealed divergent patterns for attachment anxiety and avoidance dimensions under the different priming conditions. In neutral priming condition, WM performance declined in terms of capacity in the n-back task for individuals who rated higher levels of attachment anxiety. However in the secure priming condition, WM performance was boosted in the n-back task for individuals who rated higher levels of attachment anxiety. In other words, the subliminal priming of the security led to increased WM capacity of individuals who rated higher levels of attachment anxiety. This effect, however, was not observed for higher levels of attachment avoidance. Results are discussed along the lines of hyperactivation and deactivation strategies of the attachment system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ahu Gokce
- Department of Psychology, Kadir Has University, Istanbul, Turkey
- * E-mail:
| | - Mehmet Harma
- Department of Psychology, Kadir Has University, Istanbul, Turkey
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Cao X, Madore KP, Wang D, Schacter DL. Remembering the past and imagining the future: attachment effects on production of episodic details in close relationships. Memory 2018; 26:1140-1150. [PMID: 29400595 DOI: 10.1080/09658211.2018.1434800] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
Attachment theories and studies have shown that Internal Working Models (IWMs) can impact autobiographical memory and future-oriented information processing relevant to close relationships. According to the constructive episodic simulation hypothesis (CESH), both remembering the past and imagining the future rely on episodic memory. We hypothesised that one way IWMs may bridge past experiences and future adaptations is via episodic memory. The present study investigated the association between attachment and episodic specificity in attachment-relevant and attachment-irrelevant memory and imagination among young and older adults. We measured the attachment style of 37 young adults and 40 older adults, and then asked them to remember or imagine attachment-relevant and attachment-irrelevant events. Participants' narratives were coded for internal details (i.e., episodic) and external details (e.g., semantic, repetitions). The results showed that across age group, secure individuals generated more internal details and fewer external details in attachment-relevant tasks compared to attachment-irrelevant tasks; these differences were not observed in insecure individuals. These findings support the CESH and provide a new perspective to understand the function of IWMs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiancai Cao
- a Institute of Developmental Psychology , Beijing Normal University , Beijing , People's Republic of China
| | - Kevin P Madore
- b Department of Psychology , Stanford University , Stanford , CA , USA
| | - Dahua Wang
- a Institute of Developmental Psychology , Beijing Normal University , Beijing , People's Republic of China
| | - Daniel L Schacter
- c Department of Psychology , Harvard University , Cambridge , MA , USA
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Milojevich HM, Quas JA. Parental Attachment and Children's Memory for Attachment-Relevant Stories. APPLIED DEVELOPMENTAL SCIENCE 2018; 21:14-29. [PMID: 29308006 DOI: 10.1080/10888691.2016.1140577] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
Despite evidence that parents' attachment is associated with children's memory, less is known about the mechanisms underlying this association or the contexts in which the association is most meaningful. The present study examined whether parents' attachment predicted children's memory for stories about attachment-related topics, whether the cohesiveness of children's stories mediated the association between attachment and memory, and whether the association varied by interview support at retrieval. Five- to 6-year-olds completed attachment-relevant stories while parents provided information about their romantic attachment. Children's stories were coded for cohesiveness. A week later, children's memory for their stories was tested by either a supportive or non-supportive interviewer. When the interview was non-supportive, greater parental avoidance was associated with poorer memory, whereas when the interview was supportive, greater parental avoidance was associated with fewer errors. Findings provide insight into the context under which parents' attachment is most influential in shaping children's memory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Helen M Milojevich
- Department of Psychology and Social Behavior, University of California, Irvine
| | - Jodi A Quas
- Department of Psychology and Social Behavior, University of California, Irvine
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34
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Peñacoba C, Perez-Calvo S, Blanco S, Sanroman L. Attachment styles, pain intensity and emotional variables in women with fibromyalgia. Scand J Caring Sci 2017; 32:535-544. [PMID: 28885733 DOI: 10.1111/scs.12477] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2016] [Accepted: 04/05/2017] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
This study aims to explore the relations between attachment styles and pain intensity and certain emotional variables (anxiety, depression and alexithymia) in a sample of fibromyalgia patients, in comparison with healthy women. Data were collected from 146 women with fibromyalgia and 122 healthy women. The variables studied were attachment style, pain intensity, anxiety, depression and alexithymia dimensions. Patients with fibromyalgia showed lower percentages of secure attachment style (69.9% vs. 86%) whilst showing higher avoidant attachment (19.8% vs. 7.4%), as well as increased numbers of anxious-ambivalent attachment (10.3% vs. 6.6%) than healthy women (X2 = 9.915, p = .007). Also, fibromyalgia patients showed significantly higher scores in two of the insecure attachment factors (p < .000; p = .020) and lower scores on the secure attachment factor (p = .008) in comparison with healthy women. Higher scores of alexithymia were found in women showing anxious-ambivalent and avoidant attachment styles in comparison with those showing a secure attachment style, regardless of the group they belonged to. In fibromyalgia patients, higher anxiety (p = .005) was found among the women with anxious-ambivalent attachment styles (Mean = 15.15; SD = 1.15) in comparison with those with secure attachment style (Mean = 11.18; SD = .45). No relation was found between attachment style and pain intensity. Avoidant attachment seems to carry out a contradictory role and warrants further research. The results found seem to highlight the need for the Attachment-Diathesis Model of Chronic Pain to include attachment styles as a predictor of the emotional experience of pain in fibromyalgia patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cecilia Peñacoba
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, Public Health, Psychology and Immunology and Medical Microbiology, Rey Juan Carlos University, Madrid, Spain
| | - Soledad Perez-Calvo
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, Public Health, Psychology and Immunology and Medical Microbiology, Rey Juan Carlos University, Madrid, Spain
| | - Sheila Blanco
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, Public Health, Psychology and Immunology and Medical Microbiology, Rey Juan Carlos University, Madrid, Spain
| | - Lucía Sanroman
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, Public Health, Psychology and Immunology and Medical Microbiology, Rey Juan Carlos University, Madrid, Spain
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Movahed Abtahi M, Kerns KA. Attachment and emotion regulation in middle childhood: changes in affect and vagal tone during a social stress task. Attach Hum Dev 2017; 19:221-242. [PMID: 28277093 PMCID: PMC5536172 DOI: 10.1080/14616734.2017.1291696] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
In middle childhood, more securely attached children show better emotion regulation when assessed as general tendencies (e.g. coping style), but studies looking at emotion in response to specific stressors have revealed mixed results. This study examined how attachment security, avoidance, and ambivalence - assessed with a story stem task (99 children, 9-11 years old) - relate to dynamic indices of affective and autonomic responses (baseline, reactivity, recovery). Reports of positive and negative affect, and high-frequency heart rate variability (HF-HRV), were assessed during a social stressor task. Securely attached children did not show reactivity effects, although they did show greater recovery of positive affect after the task ended. Avoidant children showed both less reactivity and recovery of negative affect, suggesting a dampened emotional response. Ambivalent children showed more reactivity and more recovery of negative affect. Autonomic response changes were only evident for ambivalent children, who showed less suppression of HF-HRV variability under stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mahsa Movahed Abtahi
- a Department of Psychological Sciences , Kent State University , Kent , OH , United States
| | - Kathryn A Kerns
- a Department of Psychological Sciences , Kent State University , Kent , OH , United States
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36
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Tang Q, Chen X, Hu J, Liu Y. Priming the Secure Attachment Schema Affects the Emotional Face Processing Bias in Attachment Anxiety: An fMRI Research. Front Psychol 2017; 8:624. [PMID: 28473796 PMCID: PMC5398122 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2017.00624] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2016] [Accepted: 04/04/2017] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Our study explored how priming with a secure base schema affects the processing of emotional facial stimuli in individuals with attachment anxiety. We enrolled 42 undergraduate students between 18 and 27 years of age, and divided them into two groups: attachment anxiety and attachment secure. All participants were primed under two conditions, the secure priming using references to the partner, and neutral priming using neutral references. We performed repeated attachment security priming combined with a dual-task paradigm and functional magnetic resonance imaging. Participants’ reaction times in terms of responding to the facial stimuli were also measured. Attachment security priming can facilitate an individual’s processing of positive emotional faces; for instance, the presentation of the partner’s name was associated with stronger activities in a wide range of brain regions and faster reaction times for positive facial expressions in the subjects. The current finding of higher activity in the left-hemisphere regions for secure priming rather than neutral priming is consistent with the prediction that attachment security priming triggers the spread of the activation of a positive emotional state. However, the difference in brain activity during processing of both, positive and negative emotional facial stimuli between the two priming conditions appeared in the attachment anxiety group alone. This study indicates that the effect of attachment secure priming on the processing of emotional facial stimuli could be mediated by chronic attachment anxiety. In addition, it highlights the association between higher-order processes of the attachment system (secure attachment schema priming) and early-stage information processing system (attention), given the increased attention toward the effects of secure base schema on the processing of emotion- and attachment-related information among the insecure population. Thus, the following study has applications in providing directions for clinical treatment of mood disorders in attachment anxiety.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qingting Tang
- School of Psychology, Southwest UniversityChongqing, China
| | - Xu Chen
- School of Psychology, Southwest UniversityChongqing, China
| | - Jia Hu
- School of Psychology, Southwest UniversityChongqing, China
| | - Ying Liu
- School of Psychology, Southwest UniversityChongqing, China
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The processing of body expressions during emotional scenes: the modulation role of attachment styles. Sci Rep 2017; 7:44740. [PMID: 28303949 PMCID: PMC5356188 DOI: 10.1038/srep44740] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2016] [Accepted: 02/13/2017] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
There is broad evidence indicating that contextual information influence the processing of emotional stimuli. However, attachment theory suggests that attachment styles contribute to the ways in which people perceive emotional events. To shed light on whether the processing of body expressions during different emotional scenes is modulated by attachment styles, attachment-related electrophysiological differences were measured using event-related potentials. For avoidantly attached group, our results suggested that larger N170 amplitudes were educed by neutral bodies than angry bodies, which was found only in neutral scene. Moreover, significant differences were found in P300 amplitudes in response to angry bodies compared with neutral ones only during angry scene. However, securely and anxiously attached individuals were associated with larger P300 amplitudes in response to angry bodies versus neutral ones in both emotional scenes. The current study highlights the characteristics of cognitive processing of attachment styles on body expressions during different emotional scenes, with the variation of N170 and P300 amplitude in different emotional scenes as the best example.
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Zhai J, Chen X, Ma J, Yang Q, Liu Y. The vigilance-avoidance model of avoidant recognition: An ERP study under threat priming. Psychiatry Res 2016; 246:379-386. [PMID: 27788456 DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2016.10.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2015] [Revised: 10/10/2016] [Accepted: 10/13/2016] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Our study examined attachment-related electrophysiological differences in recognition using event-related potentials (ERPs) measured during a study-test paradigm after threat priming. We identified ERP correlates of recognition by comparing the ERPs of attachment-related positive and negative images between avoidant and secure attachment orientations. Our results revealed that the distribution of early old/new effects was broader in avoidant individuals than in secure individuals, and an early parietal old/new effect was observed in avoidant individuals, which reflected their implicit memory. The late old/new effect was found only in secure individuals when evoked by negative pictures, and was not observed in avoidant individuals. The results suggest that avoidant individuals adopt the "vigilance-avoidance" dual-process model to recognize both positive and negative attachment-related stimuli and carry out preferential familiarity matching at the automatic level and avoidant retrieval at the controlled-processing level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Zhai
- Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chong Qing, China; Hubei tianmen high school, Hu Bei, China
| | - Xu Chen
- Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chong Qing, China.
| | - Jianling Ma
- Institute of Education, Chongqing University of Posts and Telecommunications, Chong Qing, China
| | - Qingqing Yang
- Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chong Qing, China
| | - Ying Liu
- Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chong Qing, China
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Newman MG, Shin KE, Zuellig AR. Developmental risk factors in generalized anxiety disorder and panic disorder. J Affect Disord 2016; 206:94-102. [PMID: 27466747 PMCID: PMC5077703 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2016.07.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2016] [Accepted: 07/02/2016] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND There is a lack of clarity regarding specific risk factors discriminating generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) from panic disorder (PD). GOAL This study investigated whether GAD and PD could be discriminated through differences in developmental etiological factors including childhood parental loss/separation, psychological disorders, and maternal and paternal attachment. METHOD Twenty people with adult generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), 20 with adult panic disorder (PD), 11 with adult comorbid GAD and PD, and 21 adult non-anxious controls completed diagnostic interviews to assess symptoms of mental disorders in adulthood and childhood. Participants also reported on parental attachment, loss and separation. RESULTS Childhood diagnoses of GAD and PD differentiated clinical groups from controls as well as from each other, suggesting greater likelihood for homotypic over heterotypic continuity. Compared to controls, specific phobia was associated with all three clinical groups, and childhood depression, social phobia, and PTSD were uniquely associated with adult GAD. Both maternal and paternal attachment also differentiated clinical groups from controls. However, higher levels of subscales reflecting maternal insecure avoidant attachment (e.g., no memory of early childhood experiences and balancing/forgiving current state of mind) emerged as more predictive of GAD relative to PD. There were no group differences in parental loss or separation. CONCLUSIONS These results support differentiation of GAD and PD based on developmental risk factors. Recommendations for future research and implications of the findings for understanding the etiology and symptomatology of GAD and PD are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michelle G Newman
- Department of Psychology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, United States.
| | - Ki Eun Shin
- Department of Psychology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, United States
| | - Andrea R Zuellig
- Park Nicollet Melrose Center, Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States
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Abstract
Abstract. The relation between self-esteem and romantic relationships has been the focus of many research studies. In this article, we review theoretical perspectives and available evidence on (a) the effect of people’s self-esteem on the quality of their romantic relationships, (b) the effect of self-esteem similarity between partners on relationship quality, and (c) the psychological mechanisms that might account for the link between self-esteem and relationship quality. Overall, the evidence suggests that high self-esteem is beneficial in romantic relationships. Furthermore, research using data from both partners of couples suggests that high self-esteem has a positive effect also on the partner’s happiness with the relationship. However, research indicates that the degree of self-esteem similarity between partners does not influence the couple’s relationship satisfaction. Although evidence suggests that perceived regard and secure attachment between the partners explains why self-esteem is beneficial in romantic relationships, future research is needed to examine in more detail the mechanisms through which self-esteem contributes to a happy relationship.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ulrich Orth
- Department of Psychology, University of Bern, Switzerland
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41
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Carvallo M, Gabriel S. No Man Is an Island: The Need to Belong and Dismissing Avoidant Attachment Style. PERSONALITY AND SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY BULLETIN 2016; 32:697-709. [PMID: 16702161 DOI: 10.1177/0146167205285451] [Citation(s) in RCA: 81] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
The need to belong theory proposes that all human beings need social connections. However, dismissive avoidant individuals claim to be comfortable without close relationships and appear to be indifferent to how other people think of them. The current studies examined the association between dismissing avoidant attachment and the desire to feel accepted by others. In Study 1, high-dismissive participants reported experiencing higher than average levels of positive affect and state self-esteem after learning that other participants accepted them. In Study 2, high-dismissive participants felt better about themselves and experienced higher levels of positive affect after learning that in the future they would be successful in interpersonal relative to independent domains or controls. The results of these studies suggest that dismissive avoidants do not represent a counterexample to the hypothesis that all human beings have a fundamental need and desire to belong.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mauricio Carvallo
- Department of Psychology, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY 14260, USA.
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42
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Birgegard A, Granqvist P. The Correspondence between Attachment to Parents and God: Three Experiments Using Subliminal Separation Cues. PERSONALITY AND SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY BULLETIN 2016; 30:1122-35. [PMID: 15359016 DOI: 10.1177/0146167204264266] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Attachment theoretical studies have increased our understanding of the socioemotional foundations for religious development. However, because these studies have been correlational and based on self-reports, they are vulnerable to concerns of self-presentation bias and lack of basis for causal inference. Three subliminal stimulation experiments were therefore performed, where activation of the attachment system was attempted by way of unconsciously administered separation stimuli. In Experiments 1 and 3 (N = 29 and 89), the separation stimulus alluded to God, and in Experiment 2 (N = 47), it alluded to mother. Responses were moderated by perceived attachment history with parents in all experiments. Participants with secure histories increased in religious attachment behaviors, whereas those with insecure histories decreased following attachment system activation compared with control stimulation. There also were suggestions of experimental group increase in proximity seeking in relation to God. The main conclusion supports correspondence between internal working models of parents and God.
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43
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Edelstein RS, Ghetti S, Quas JA, Goodman GS, Alexander KW, Redlich AD, Cordón IM. Individual Differences in Emotional Memory: Adult Attachment and Long-Term Memory for Child Sexual Abuse. PERSONALITY AND SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY BULLETIN 2016; 31:1537-48. [PMID: 16207772 DOI: 10.1177/0146167205277095] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
In the present study, attachment-related differences in long-term memory for a highly emotional life event, child sexual abuse (CSA), were investigated. Participants were 102 documented CSA victims whose cases were referred for prosecution approximately 14 years earlier. Consistent with the proposal that avoidant individuals defensively regulate the processing of potentially distressing information (Bowlby, 1980), attachment avoidance was negatively associated with memory for particularly severe CSA incidents. This finding was not mediated by the extent to which participants reported talking about the abuse after it occurred, although postabuse discussion did enhance long-term memory. In addition, accuracy was positively associated with maternal support following the abuse and extent of CSA-related legal involvement. Attachment anxiety was unrelated to memory accuracy, regardless of abuse severity. Implications of the findings for theories of avoidant defensive strategies and emotional memory are discussed.
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44
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Rholes WS, Simpson JA, Tran S, Martin AM, Friedman M. Attachment and Information Seeking in Romantic Relationships. PERSONALITY AND SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY BULLETIN 2016; 33:422-38. [PMID: 17312322 DOI: 10.1177/0146167206296302] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Testing predictions derived from attachment theory, this research investigated how adult attachment orientations are associated with selective exposure to information about the self, one's partner, and one's relationship. The results of two studies revealed that (a) more avoidantly attached individuals have limited interest in knowing their partner's intimate thoughts and feelings, (b) more anxiously attached individuals selectively prefer information on intimate topics pertaining to their partner and relationship and focus on information that highlights their own as well as their partner's shortcomings, and (c) regardless of attachment orientation, individuals express interest in learning about the negative relationship behaviors and characteristics of their insecurely attached partners. These findings suggest that selective information seeking may have important effects on relationships and may help explain how attachment orientations affect important relationship outcomes.
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45
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Harris ML, Byles JE, Townsend N, Loxton D. Perceptions of coping with non-disease-related life stress for women with osteoarthritis: a qualitative analysis. BMJ Open 2016; 6:e010630. [PMID: 27188808 PMCID: PMC4874169 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2015-010630] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Coping with arthritis-related stress has been extensively studied. However, limited evidence exists regarding coping with stress extraneous to the disease (life stress). This study explored life stress and coping in a subset of older women with osteoarthritis from a larger longitudinal study. SETTING An Australian regional university. DESIGN This qualitative study involved semistructured telephone interviews. Potential participants were mailed a letter of invitation/participant information statement by the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health (ALSWH). Invitations were sent out in small batches (primarily 10). Interviews were conducted until data saturation was achieved using a systematic process (n=19). Digitally recorded interviews were transcribed verbatim and deidentified. Data were thematically analysed. PARTICIPANTS Women who indicated being diagnosed or treated for arthritis in the previous 3 years in the fifth survey of the ALSWH (conducted in 2007) provided the sampling frame. Potential participants were randomly sampled by a blinded data manager using a random number generator. RESULTS Coping with life stress involved both attitudinal coping processes developed early in life (ie, stoicism) and transient cognitive and support-based responses. Women also described a dualistic process involving a reduction in the ability to cope with ongoing stress over time, coupled with personal growth. CONCLUSIONS This is the first study to examine how individuals cope with non-arthritis-related stress. The findings add to the current understanding of stress and coping, and have implications regarding the prevention of arthritis in women. Importantly, this study highlighted the potential detrimental impact of persistent coping patterns developed early in life. Public health campaigns aimed at stress mitigation and facilitation of adaptive coping mechanisms in childhood and adolescence may assist with arthritis prevention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melissa L Harris
- Faculty of Health and Medicine, Research Centre for Generational, Health and Ageing, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Julie E Byles
- Faculty of Health and Medicine, Research Centre for Generational, Health and Ageing, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Natalie Townsend
- Faculty of Health and Medicine, Research Centre for Generational, Health and Ageing, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Deborah Loxton
- Faculty of Health and Medicine, Research Centre for Generational, Health and Ageing, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, New South Wales, Australia
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46
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De Rubeis J, Sütterlin S, Lange D, Pawelzik M, van Randenborgh A, Victor D, Vögele C. Attachment Status Affects Heart Rate Responses to Experimental Ostracism in Inpatients with Depression. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0150375. [PMID: 26943924 PMCID: PMC4778981 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0150375] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2015] [Accepted: 02/12/2016] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Depression is assumed to be both a risk factor for rejection and a result of it, and as such constitutes an important factor in rejection research. Attachment theory has been applied to understand psychological disorders, such as depression, and can explain individual differences in responses to rejection. Research on autonomic nervous system activity to rejection experiences has been contradictory, with opposing strings of argumentation (activating vs. numbing). We investigated autonomic nervous system-mediated peripheral physiological responses (heart rate) to experimentally manipulated ostracism (Cyberball) in 97 depressed patients with organized (n = 52) and disorganized attachment status (n = 45). Controlling for baseline mean heart rate levels, depressed patients with disorganized attachment status responded to ostracism with significantly higher increases in heart rate than depressed patients with organized attachment status (p = .029; ηp2 = .051). These results suggest that attachment status may be a useful indicator of autonomic responses to perceived social threat, which in turn may affect the therapeutic process and the patient-therapist relationship.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jannika De Rubeis
- Eos-Klinik für Psychotherapie, Alexianer GmbH, Münster, Germany.,Institute for Health and Behaviour, Research Unit INSIDE, University of Luxembourg, Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg
| | - Stefan Sütterlin
- Department of Psychology, Lillehammer University College, Lillehammer, Norway.,Department of Psychosomatic Medicine, Division of Surgery and Clinical Neuroscience, Oslo University Hospital, Rikshospitalet, Norway
| | - Diane Lange
- Eos-Klinik für Psychotherapie, Alexianer GmbH, Münster, Germany
| | - Markus Pawelzik
- Eos-Klinik für Psychotherapie, Alexianer GmbH, Münster, Germany
| | | | - Daniela Victor
- Eos-Klinik für Psychotherapie, Alexianer GmbH, Münster, Germany
| | - Claus Vögele
- Institute for Health and Behaviour, Research Unit INSIDE, University of Luxembourg, Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg.,Research Group on Health Psychology, University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
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47
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Gallagher HC, Richardson J, Forbes D, Harms L, Gibbs L, Alkemade N, MacDougall C, Waters E, Block K, Lusher D, Baker E, Bryant RA. Mental Health Following Separation in a Disaster: The Role of Attachment. J Trauma Stress 2016; 29:56-64. [PMID: 26749321 DOI: 10.1002/jts.22071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
Short-term separation from close family members during a disaster is a highly salient event for those involved. Yet, its subsequent impact on mental health has received little empirical attention. One relevant factor may be attachment style, which influences patterns of support-seeking under threatening conditions. Individuals (N = 914) affected by the 2009 Victorian bushfires in southeastern Australia were assessed for disaster experiences, depression, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, and attachment style 3-4 years after the fires. Using multigroup structural equation modelling, individuals who reported separation from close family members during the bushfires (n = 471) were compared to those who reported no separation (n = 443). Cross-sectional results indicated that separated individuals had higher levels of PTSD symptoms. Furthermore, attachment anxiety was more strongly positively associated with depression among separated (b = 0.62) versus not separated individuals (b = 0.32). Unexpectedly, among separated individuals, attachment avoidance had a statistically weaker association with depression (b = 0.17 vs. b = 0.35) and with PTSD symptoms (b = 0.06 vs. b = 0.22). These results suggest that attachment anxiety amplifies a negative reaction to separation; meanwhile, for avoidant individuals, separation in times of danger may facilitate defensive cognitive processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- H Colin Gallagher
- Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
| | - John Richardson
- Emergency Services, Australian Red Cross, Melbourne, Australia.,Jack Brockhoff Child Health and Wellbeing Program, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
| | - David Forbes
- Phoenix Australia: Centre for Posttraumatic Mental Health, Department of Psychiatry, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Louise Harms
- Department of Social Work, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Lisa Gibbs
- Jack Brockhoff Child Health and Wellbeing Program, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Nathan Alkemade
- Phoenix Australia: Centre for Posttraumatic Mental Health, Department of Psychiatry, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Colin MacDougall
- Jack Brockhoff Child Health and Wellbeing Program, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia.,Southgate Institute for Health, Society and Equity and School of Medicine, Flinders University, Adelaide, Australia
| | - Elizabeth Waters
- Jack Brockhoff Child Health and Wellbeing Program, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Karen Block
- Jack Brockhoff Child Health and Wellbeing Program, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Dean Lusher
- Centre for Transformative Innovation, Swinburne University of Technology, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Elyse Baker
- Jack Brockhoff Child Health and Wellbeing Program, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Richard A Bryant
- Emergency Services, Australian Red Cross, Melbourne, Australia.,School of Psychology, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
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48
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Kho Y, Kane RT, Priddis L, Hudson J. The Nature of Attachment Relationships and Grief Responses in Older Adults: An Attachment Path Model of Grief. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0133703. [PMID: 26462062 PMCID: PMC4603668 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0133703] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2014] [Accepted: 06/30/2015] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Various researchers have theorized that bereaved adults who report non-secure attachment are at higher risk of pathological grief. Yet past findings on avoidant attachment representations and grief have yielded limited and contradictory outcomes. Little research has been conducted with older adults to identify the psychological processes that mediate between self-reported attachment representations and the patterns of grief. Objective To examine the impacts of avoidant attachment and anxious attachment dimensions on emotion and non-acceptance, in response to the loss of a conjugal partner, and the mediating effect of yearning thoughts. Design Men (N = 21) and women (N = 68) aged 60 years and above who had lost a partner within the last 12 to 72 months were invited to participate. Participants rated their levels of yearning thoughts about the deceased, emotions and non-acceptance on the Texas Revised Inventory of Grief (TRIG-Present), and their type and level of general romantic attachment on the Experiences In Close Relationship questionnaire (ECR). Results Structural equation modelling (SEM) indicated that individuals who reported higher levels of avoidant attachment reported less emotional responses and less non-acceptance. SEM also showed that individuals who reported higher levels of anxious attachment reported greater emotional responses and greater non-acceptance. SEM further indicated that these relationships were mediated by yearning thoughts. Conclusion People adopt different grief coping patterns according to their self-reported attachment representations, with the nature of their yearning thoughts influencing the process. Grief therapy may be organized according to individual differences in attachment representations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan Kho
- School of Psychology and Speech Pathology, Curtin University, Bentley, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Robert T. Kane
- School of Psychology and Speech Pathology, Curtin University, Bentley, Western Australia, Australia
- * E-mail:
| | - Lynn Priddis
- School of Psychology and Speech Pathology, Curtin University, Bentley, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Josephine Hudson
- School of Psychology and Speech Pathology, Curtin University, Bentley, Western Australia, Australia
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49
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Calvo V, Bianco F. Influence of adult attachment insecurities on parenting self-esteem: the mediating role of dyadic adjustment. Front Psychol 2015; 6:1461. [PMID: 26441811 PMCID: PMC4585223 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2015.01461] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2015] [Accepted: 09/11/2015] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Parenting self-esteem includes two global components, parents' self-efficacy and satisfaction with their parental role, and has a crucial role in parent-child interactions. The purpose of this study was to develop an integrative model linking adult attachment insecurities, dyadic adjustment, and parenting self-esteem. METHODS The study involved 118 pairs (236 subjects) of heterosexual parents of a firstborn child aged 0-6 years. They were administered the Experiences in Close Relationships-Revised (ECR-R) questionnaire, the Dyadic Adjustment Scale, and the Parenting Sense of Competence Scale. RESULTS Path analysis was used to design and test a theoretical integrative model, achieving a good fit with the data. Findings showed that dyadic adjustment mediates the negative influence on parenting self-efficacy of both attachment anxiety and attachment avoidance. Parenting satisfaction is positively influenced by parenting self-efficacy and negatively affected by child's age. Attachment anxiety negatively influences parenting satisfaction. CONCLUSION Our findings are in line with the theoretical expectations and have promising implications for future research and intervention programs designed to improve parenting self-esteem.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vincenzo Calvo
- Department of Philosophy, Sociology, Pedagogy and Applied Psychology, University of Padova Padova, Italy
| | - Francesca Bianco
- Department of Philosophy, Sociology, Pedagogy and Applied Psychology, University of Padova Padova, Italy
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50
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Saleem M, Prot S, Cikara M, Lam BCP, Anderson CA, Jelic M. Cutting Gordian Knots: Reducing Prejudice Through Attachment Security. PERSONALITY AND SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY BULLETIN 2015; 41:1560-74. [PMID: 26338854 DOI: 10.1177/0146167215601829] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2015] [Accepted: 07/29/2015] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
The positive role of secure attachment in reducing intergroup biases has been suggested in prior studies. We extend this work by testing the effects of secure attachment primes on negative emotions and aggressive behaviors toward outgroup members across four experiments. Results from Studies 1A and 1B reveal that secure attachment prime, relative to neutral, can reduce negative outgroup emotions. In addition, Studies 1B and 3 results rule out positive mood increase as an alternative explanation for the observed effects. Results from Studies 2 and 3 reveal that secure attachment primes can reduce aggressive behavior toward an outgroup member. The effect of secure attachment primes on outgroup harm was found to be fully mediated by negative emotions in Studies 2 and 3. An interaction between secure attachment primes and ingroup identification in Study 2 indicated that the positive effects of secure attachment in reducing outgroup harm may be especially beneficial for highly identified ingroup members.
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