The role of attachment styles in shaping proactive behaviour: An intra‐individual analysis

Abstract

Focusing on the intra‐individual variation of proactive behaviour, the authors propose that curiosity, core self‐evaluations (CSE), and future orientation are states that influence proactive behaviour at a given time at the within‐individual level, and these within‐individual associations are moderated by attachment styles at the between‐individual level. For a sample of Taiwanese students (N= 58), the results showed that monthly curiosity, CSE, and future orientation positively predicted monthly proactive behaviour, but these within‐individual associations were different depending on an individual's relationship anxiety in attachment. People high in relationship anxiety tend to behave proactively to approach future goals at a given time, but cannot rely on their self‐evaluations to foster the proactive action at the same time, revealing an ambivalent attitude towards proactive behaviour.Practitioner Points Strengthening an individual's states of curiosity, positive self‐evaluations, and future orientation can help to enhance his/her proactive behaviour at a given time. People who worry about their social relationships are reluctant to rely on their positive self‐evaluation at a given time to engage in proactive behaviour at that time. Cultivating a positive social environment is helpful to enhance an individual's proactive behaviour, especially for people who worry about their social relationships.