Security-enhancement Processes within Group Settings: Revising Insecure Working Models of Attachment During Playful Group Interactions

Abstract

ABSTRACT According to attachment theory and research, a supportive social or therapeutic group can assuage relational worries and promote members’ sense of attachment security (or felt security, confidence that others will be supportive when needed), which is crucial for sustaining goal pursuit, social relations, and mental health. As yet, however, little is known about the group provisions that move attachment-insecure members toward greater security. In this article, we propose that the Attachment Security Enhancement Model, which was originally developed to explain attachment processes within couples, can also explain security enhancement in group settings. Within this framework, we first conceptualize the specific group provisions that are critical for fostering security among attachment-insecure members. We then discuss how a particular kind of group interactions—playful ones—might facilitate security-enhancement processes, and we present a clinical vignette illustrating the therapeutic value of such interactions.