What Language Does Your Internal Working Model of Attachment Speak?

Abstract

Nonnative English speakers are a growing population in the United States and United Kingdom, yet nothing is known about how second-language interviewing affects the assessment (or classification) of internal working models (IWM) of attachment. We suggest that these assessments may be subject to deleterious effects when conducted in an individual’s second language, because they (and the IWM structure itself) are linguistically bound, emotionally laden, and complicated by cultural loading. In this review, research regarding how the language of assessment broadly affects language production, interview content, emotional expression, and interviewee behavior is reviewed. We close with areas for future research and a table of existing attachment assessments by language in an effort to spur cross-cultural and bilingual research in this area. This review can therefore serve as a resource for clinicians wishing to assess attachment with linguistically diverse clients and researchers wishing to address the basic qu...