Abstract
Much research has shown strong relationships between attachment security and the development of emotion regulation (ER) and empathic abilities in childhood. However, less is known about how attachment styles influence ER and empathy in adulthood. The aim of this study was to examine how differences in attachment styles influence the relationships between ER and affective and cognitive empathy in adults. From a total sample of 870 participants, 168 individuals were selected according to their specific attachment style and completed self-reports of attachment styles, ER difficulties, and affective and cognitive empathy. Concerning empathic dimensions, anxious individuals reported higher personal distress and fantasy than secure and avoidant individuals. The results also revealed that individuals with anxious attachment had higher ER difficulties than secure and avoidant individuals. Furthermore, partial least square modeling highlighted that the mediating role of ER in the relationship between attachment and empathy varied according to the attachment styles and the dimensions of empathy. This study emphasizes the role of attachment profiles and ER competences in developing cognitive and affective empathic abilities in adults.
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