Adult Attachment Style Research Articles

Genetic and environmental contributions to adult attachment styles: Evidence from the Minnesota Twin Registry.

Attachment theory, as originally outlined by Bowlby (1973, 1980, 1969/1982), suggests that the ways people think, feel, and behave in close relationships are shaped by the dynamic interplay between their genes and their social environment. Research on adult attachment, however, has largely focused on the latter, providing only a partial picture of how attachment styles emerge and develop throughout life. The present research leveraged data from the Minnesota Twin Registry, a large sample of older adult twins (N = 1,377 twins; 678 pairs; Mage = 70.40 years, SD = 5.42), to examine the relative contributions of genetic and environmental factors to adult attachment styles. Participants reported on both their general attachment styles and relationship-specific attachments to their mothers, fathers, partners, and best friends. The results suggest that attachment styles are partly heritable (∼36%) and partly attributable to environmental factors that are not shared between twins (∼64%). Heritability estimates were somewhat higher for parent-specific attachment styles (∼51%), whereas nonshared environmental factors accounted for larger proportions of the variance in partner- and best friend-specific attachment styles. Using multivariate biometric models, we also examined the genetic and environmental factors underlying the covariation among people's relationship-specific attachment styles. The findings indicate that the similarities among people's avoidant tendencies in different relationships can be explained by a single, higher order latent factor (e.g., global avoidance). In contrast, the genetic and environmental factors underlying attachment anxiety appear to be more differentiated across specific close relationships. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

A cluster analysis of attachment styles in patients with borderline personality disorder, bipolar disorder and ADHD

BackgroundInsecure adult attachment has been associated with psychiatric disorders characterized by emotional dysregulation, such as borderline personality disorder (BPD), bipolar disorder (BD) and attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). However, little is known about the differences in attachment patterns between these diagnostic groups. The aim of this study was to identify clusters of adult attachment style in a cross-diagnostic group of patients with BDP and/or BD and/or ADHD and explore the characteristics of these clusters based on temperament profile, childhood trauma and psychiatric diagnoses.MethodsK-means cluster analysis was used to identify subgroups, based on the Attachment Style Questionnaire Short Form dimensions, in a clinical cohort of 150 young adults (113 women and 37 men, mean age ± SD = 23.3 ± 2.1) diagnosed with BPD, and/or BD, and/or ADHD.ResultsThree distinct clusters were identified: a secure, an insecure/avoidant-anxious and an insecure/avoidant cluster. These three clusters differed in temperament profile and related psychiatric diagnoses.ConclusionsThe three clusters of attachment in individuals with BPD, BD and/or ADHD could support differentiation between the disorders as well provide information usable for planning of treatment.

Adult insecure attachment styles and suicidality: A meta-analysis

Insecure attachment styles have been linked to an increased risk for suicidality, functioning as a distal risk factor for suicide behaviors in adulthood. Studies on the subject are numerous, but heterogeneous in methodology. This study aimed to sensibly group study findings and quantify the magnitude of this relationship. We performed a systematic literature search to select studies investigating insecure adult attachment styles and suicidal ideation and attempt, and present quantitative data that could be pooled into a meta-analysis. Six random-effect meta-analyses were performed, comprising 47 studies with 50,214 individuals. A small effect size association was found for the relationship between suicidal ideation and insecure attachment styles (anxious, avoidant, and fearful); similar findings were found for the relationship between suicide attempt and insecure attachment (Pearson’s r ranged from 0.16 to 0.26, all ps <0.05). The type of attachment measure moderated the association of suicidal ideation with anxious and avoidant attachment. This review has been preregistered at The International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO) – Registration number CRD42023401459.

Supplemental Material for Genetic and Environmental Contributions to Adult Attachment Styles: Evidence From the Minnesota Twin Registry

Supplemental Material for Genetic and Environmental Contributions to Adult Attachment Styles: Evidence From the Minnesota Twin Registry

Attachment Style, Interpersonal Dependency and Quality of Life Among Emerging Adult

An emerging adult typically is in a transitional phase from adolescence to full adulthood. Interpersonal dependency refers to a psychological state in which an individual relies heavily on others for emotional support, validation, and decision-making. Quality of life means an individual’s overall well-being and satisfaction with various aspects of their life. This study examines the connection between attachment style, interpersonal dependency and quality of life. 200 emerging adults of age 18-24 made up the sample, which include both males and females were collected from various colleges of Ernakulam and Kottayam district. Adult attachment style scale, Interpersonal dependency Inventory and WHO Quality of life brief scale were the instruments employed. The data was examined using the Spearman's correlation test, using SPSS version 28. In this present study there is a partial relationship between the subscales of attachment style, interpersonal dependency and quality of life. Some of the subscales of these variables are correlated and other subscales are non-correlated. There exists a positive correlation between some of the subscales of attachment style, interpersonal dependency and quality of life and the other subscales of attachment style, interpersonal dependency and quality of life was negatively correlated among emerging adults.

Attachment anxiety moderates the effect of social media posting on loneliness

ABSTRACT With the rapid development of the mobile Internet, people increasingly rely on social media posting to fulfill their needs for self-presentation. However, research on the association between social media posting and psychological outcomes has yielded inconsistent results. This study focused on the correlation between posting on WeChat/QQ and loneliness and explored the moderating effects of adult attachment styles based on 410 WeChat/QQ users (M age = 21.44). The results showed that posting was negatively associated with feelings of loneliness. More importantly, attachment anxiety moderates the association, with the negative association between social media posting and loneliness becoming progressively stronger as participants’ attachment anxiety increases. These findings provided practical implications for individuals with high attachment anxiety who are facing interpersonal dilemmas to alleviate loneliness.

Sharing Your Husband: Adult Attachment Styles and Emotional Responses of Israeli Bedouin-Arab Women to Potential Polygynous Marriage.

Polygynous marriage is prevalent among Israel's Bedouin-Arab community, despite being explicitly banned by state law. Cultural traditions and customs permit men to take multiple wives, and Islamic teachings do not prohibit the practice. The impact of polygyny is significant, affecting women, children, and society as a whole in various ways. We examined the connections that attachment anxiety and attachment avoidance had with hypothetical responses to the potential threat of polygynous marriages in a community sample of young unmarried Israeli Bedouin-Arab women (n = 306). Participants were randomly assigned to imagine either a high-threat scenario (i.e., finding that their husband decided to take a second wife; n = 151) or a low-threat scenario (i.e., their husband would not decide to take a second wife; n = 155) and report their anticipated responses to these scenarios. Results showed that attachment anxiety was positively associated with anticipated negative emotional responses in the high-threat condition but not in the low-threat condition. However, neither attachment anxiety nor attachment avoidance were associated with the perceived threat of polygyny to their marriage. The findings of this study suggest that attachment styles play a significant role in shaping women's perceptions and reactions to hypothetical polygynous marriages. Women with anxious attachment styles are more likely to experience intensified negative emotions regarding such marriages, while those with avoidant attachment styles may display greater tolerance toward polygyny. These results highlight the need for tailored interventions and support systems that take into account individual psychological profiles as well as the broader cultural context of Israeli Bedouin-Arab society.

Comparison of State-Trait Anxiety and Fear of Childbirth According to Attachment Styles of Pregnant Women.

Fear of childbirth (FoC) and its extreme form, tokophobia, is a clinical condition that can lead to many negative consequences, and its importance is increasingly understood. This article aims to assess the severity of FoC and anxiety levels according to different attachment styles and to investigate the relationships between these factors. A cross-sectional study was conducted in a state hospital in the largest city in Turkey. Three hundred pregnant women attending the Antenatal Outpatient Clinic were included. A sociodemographic questionnaire, Wijma Delivery Expectancy/Experience Questionnaire-version-A (W-DEQ), Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory and Adult Attachment Style Scale were administered. 8.1% of participants had tokophobia (W-DEQ sum score ≥85). FoC was significantly higher in pregnant women who had a history of pregnancy loss and past psychiatric history. For multiparous women, adverse birth outcomes were also associated with higher FoC. State and trait anxiety were positively correlated with FoC levels. Regarding the attachment patterns, pregnant women with avoidant attachment styles presented with higher levels of FoC than those with secure attachment styles. In logistic regression analysis, higher anxiety levels, adverse birth outcomes, and insecure attachment styles were found to predict severe and clinical FoC. FoC has a considerable effect on pregnant women, albeit at different clinical levels. Adverse birth outcomes, high anxiety levels, and insecure attachment styles were associated with higher FoC. Therefore, antenatal patients with adverse birth outcomes and higher anxiety levels, which are risk factors for FoC, should be carefully evaluated in terms of tokophobia and referred to mental health professionals when necessary.

The Influence of Adult Relationship Attachment Style on the Networks of Attention

The Influence of Adult Relationship Attachment Style on the Networks of Attention

Enhancing Psychological Well-Being: Examining The Influence of Attachment Styles, Mediated by Post-conventional Religious Reasoning

This study investigates the intricate relationship between attachment styles, post-conventional religious reasoning, and psychological well-being. A sample of 650 participants completed survey questionnaires, employing established measurement tools such as the psychological well-being scale, adult attachment styles scale, Attachment Styles to God Scale, and the Modified Faith Scale. Utilizing Smart PLS 4.0.4.9 for analysis, the partial least squares (PLS) algorithm with bootstrapping was employed due to its suitability for complex models and small sample sizes. Results reveal significant positive associations between Attachment Styles in Adults and both Post-conventional Religious Reasoning and Psychological Well-being. Similarly, Attachment Styles to God exhibit significant positive relationships with Psychological Well-being and post-conventional religious reasoning. Furthermore, post-conventional religious reasoning demonstrates a significant positive relationship with Psychological Well-being. Through Sobel tests, the mediating role of post-conventional religious reasoning is explored. The findings indicate that it mediates the relationship between Attachment Styles in Adults and Psychological Well-being, as well as between Attachment Styles to God and Psychological Well-being. This study contributes to the understanding of how attachment styles and religious reasoning influence psychological well-being. The findings underscore the importance of considering both attachment to significant others and attachment to a higher power in understanding individuals' well-being. By highlighting the mediating role of post-conventional religious reasoning, this research sheds light on the mechanisms through which these factors interact to influence psychological well-being.

Adult Attachment Styles: Emotion Regulation and Depressive Symptoms: A Comparison between Postpartum and Non-Postpartum Women in Turkiye

Adult Attachment Styles: Emotion Regulation and Depressive Symptoms: A Comparison between Postpartum and Non-Postpartum Women in Turkiye

Mediating role of self-compassion in relationship between attachment styles and empathy in nurses

IntroductionEmpathy with the patient is one of the important factors in nursing care. This study aims to investigate the mediating role of self-compassion in the relationship between attachment styles and empathy in nurses.Materials and methodsThis correlational study was conducted using structural equation modeling (SEM) method. The statistical population included nurses working at public hospitals in Yazd City, Iran. A total of 308 nurses were selected by convenience sampling method. The data were collected using self-compassion scale, adult attachment styles scale, Jefferson scale of empathy and analyzed using structural equation analysis in AMOS software.ResultsSecure and anxious/ambivalent insecure attachment styles were positively and negatively correlated with empathy, respectively (p < .01). The path coefficient between avoidant and anxious/ambivalent insecure attachment styles and self-compassion was negative. On the contrary, the path coefficient between secure attachment style and self-compassion was positive. There was a positive correlation between self-compassion and empathy. The indirect path coefficient of secure and anxious/ambivalent insecure attachment styles to empathy through self-compassion. was significant (p < .01).ConclusionThe results showed secure and anxious/ambivalent insecure attachment could directly and indirectly through influencing self-compassion predict empathy in nurses.

Maternal antenatal depression, oxytocin, and infant temperament: The roles of ethnicity and adult attachment avoidance

This study examined the associations between maternal depression and oxytocin in pregnancy, caregiving sensitivity and adult attachment style, and infant temperament. One hundred and six women recruited from a public hospital antenatal clinic in Australia, and their infants completed assessments at three time points (Time 1: pregnancy; Time 2: 3-month postpartum; Time 3: 12-month postpartum). Mothers completed self-report questionnaires assessing maternal depression symptom severity at Time 1-3, adult attachment style at Time 2, and infant temperament at Time 3. At Time 1, they also provided a blood sample to assess peripheral oxytocin levels, and at Time 2, participated in a parent-child interaction session, which was later coded for caregiving behavior (sensitivity). Neither maternal depression nor lower levels of oxytocin during pregnancy predicted difficult infant temperament; rather, it was predicted by non-Caucasian ethnicity. When all other variables were free to vary, adult attachment avoidance mediated an association between maternal depression during pregnancy and difficult infant temperament. Results highlight the potential value of interventions focusing on adult attachment insecurity for pregnant women and raise questions about associations between culture/ethnicity and infant temperament.

An updated meta-analysis of the relation between adult attachment style and working alliance

Objective: Previous meta-analyses have shown that client-rated working alliance is negatively correlated with attachment anxiety and attachment avoidance. The purpose of this study is to provide an updated meta-analysis of the relation between alliance and the two dimensions of attachment insecurity. Method: Random effects models were used to examine the relation between the working alliance and attachment anxiety and the relation between the working alliance and attachment avoidance. Results: The overall relation between alliance and attachment anxiety was r = −.09 (p = .01, k = 33, I2 = 43.7%). The overall relation between alliance and attachment avoidance was r = −.13 (p < .001, k = 33, I2 = 44.7%). There was no evidence that these relations varied across study characteristics such as client race or the number of therapists in the study. Conclusion: The results support the negative relations between client-rated alliance and both dimensions of client-rated attachment insecurity. Further research is needed to identify the factors that moderate this relationship, using a more diverse sample of study characteristics and a wider range of measures.

To explore the effect of adult attachment styles on levels of self-esteem among young Indian adults

To explore the effect of adult attachment styles on levels of self-esteem among young Indian adults

Disruptive mood dysregulation disorder, parental stress, and attachment styles

Disruptive mood dysregulation disorder (DMDD) is a relatively new diagnostic entity concerning children with chronic irritability and severe anger outbursts. Currently, there is limited knowledge about the parental factors associated with the disorder. The aim of this study was to compare stress levels and attachment styles in parents of children with DMDD with those of parents of children with other diagnoses. Our sample consisted of 218 children (6–12 years, Mage = 9.68 years) referred to child mental health outpatient clinics. Clinicians used a standardized semi-structured diagnostic interview to identify diagnoses. Parental stress levels and attachment styles were assessed using parent reports. We found that parents of children with DMDD experience significantly higher levels of parenting stress related to factors in the child than parents of children with other diagnoses. Furthermore, parents of children with DMDD show a higher association with insecure adult attachment styles than parents of children without DMDD. Finally, an adult preoccupied-ambivalent attachment style explains the variability in parental stress in the DMDD group to a large degree. We discuss how parental stress and an insecure attachment style can be associated with negative parenting practices. An implication from this study could be that treatment results might be improved by involving parents more in treatment programs for children with DMDD.

Hubungan Antara Gaya Kelekatan Dewasa Dengan Toxic Relationship Pada Mahasiswa Bimbingan dan Konseling yang Berpacaran

This study is a correlational quantitative research. The study aims to find out the relationship between adult attachment style and toxic relationship in dating Guidance and Counseling students and to find out how high the level of adult attachment style and toxic relationship level in dating Guidance and Counseling students. The subjects totaled 102 students. Data collection used the adult attachment style scale with 62 valid items with a reliability test value of 0.971 and the toxic relationship scale with 37 valid items with a reliability test score of 0.999. The results showed that there was a negative relationship between adult attachment style and toxic relationship with a high level of significance with a value of r -0.712 and p &lt; .001. The level of adult attachment style of dating students is classified as high with a percentage of 43%. The level of toxic relationships in students who are dating is classified as low with a percentage of 52%. Based on these results, it can be seen that the higher the level of adult attachment style, the level of toxic relationships tends to decrease, and vice versa

Development of the Japanese Version of the Test of Self-Conscious Affect-3 (TOSCA-3): A Study among Student and Parent Population.

The Test of Self-Conscious Affect-3 (TOSCA-3) is a scenario-based measure of self-conscious emotions. We aimed to create an abridged version of the TOSCA-3 that is appropriate for Japanese populations and has a good fit with the data, as well as validate its subscales. The TOSCA-3 was distributed to (a) a university student population (n = 512: Study 1) and (b) a parent population (n = 260: Study 2). In both studies, items with factor loading < 0.33 were deleted one by one to select culturally appropriate scenarios for each of the six domains of self-conscious emotions. In Study 1, self-conscious emotions were correlated with the other correlates. Most of the final models showed a good fit with the data. In Study 1, the six domains of self-conscious emotions showed correlations with depression and related items, dispositional coping styles, experiences in childhood, ego function, borderline and narcissistic personality traits, and adult attachment styles, almost in the expected fashions. The TOSCA-3 is a useful tool to measure self-conscious emotions among Japanese student and parent populations if a few culturally inappropriate scenarios are deleted.

Attachment Stability in College Students during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Short-Term Longitudinal Study on Adult Attachment Style, Emotion Regulation, and Maternal Emotional Availability

Attachment Stability in College Students during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Short-Term Longitudinal Study on Adult Attachment Style, Emotion Regulation, and Maternal Emotional Availability

Staying in Marriage is Not Enough: Influence of Marital Commitment and Adult Attachment Style on Marital Flourishing

Staying in Marriage is Not Enough: Influence of Marital Commitment and Adult Attachment Style on Marital Flourishing