Abstract
Using an affective priming procedure, two experiments examined the effects of non-verbal cues on activating attachment styles. In Study 1, the secure attachment group, which was primed non-verbally, showed higher levels of self-esteem, interpersonal competence, and positive affect than the insecure attachment group, which was also primed non-verbally. In contrast, no significant difference was found between the two attachment groups that were primed verbally. In Study 2, using a different priming method and adding a neutral group, similar interactions between priming modality (non-verbal or verbal cues) and attachment styles were found: the differences in self-esteem, interpersonal competence, and positive affect between the secure attachment group, neutral group, and insecure attachment group were greater when primed non-verbally than when primed verbally. Finally, the limitations of the research and recommendations for follow-up study are discussed.
Highlights
We communicate with others everyday using numerous verbal and non-verbal cues
Self-Esteem The 2 × 2 ANOVA for self-esteem showed that there were no main effects of priming modality, F < 1.97, p = 0.17, η2 = 0.02, and attachment style, F < 1, p = 0.36, η2 = 0.01
Participants in the group in which secure attachment was primed by non-verbal cues (M = 3.60, SD = 0.86) showed greater self-esteem than those in the group in which insecure attachment was primed (M = 3.04, SD = 0.70)
Summary
We communicate with others everyday using numerous verbal and non-verbal cues. Words are the most effective means for conveying messages that contain factual information (Chaiken and Eagly, 1976), but this may not be the case for emotional messages. In an attempt to offer consolation to distressed others, for example, a simple touch on the shoulder can be more effective than words (Ditzen et al, 2007). This is because emotion tends to be expressed and perceived through nonverbal channels, such as facial expression, voice tone, and posture, rather than verbally (Ekman and Friesen, 1975; Pally, 2008; App et al, 2011). Based on the role non-verbal cues play in emotional communication, we aimed to examine how non-verbal cues relate to the fundamental basis of human emotional development: attachment (Thompson, 1994; Tucker and Anders, 1998; Riggio, 2006)
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