Adult Attachment Research Articles

Autistic and schizotypal traits exhibit similarities in their impact on mentalization and adult attachment impairments: a cross-sectional study

BackgroundDeficits in mentalizing and attachment occur in the autism and schizophrenia spectrum, and their extended traits in the general population. Parental attachment and the broader social environment highly influence the development of mentalizing. Given the similarities in the symptomatology and neurodevelopmental correlates of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and schizophrenia (SCH), it is crucial to identify their overlaps and differences to support screening, differential diagnosis, and intervention.MethodsThis cross-sectional study utilized questionnaire data from 2203 adults (65.1% female, mean age[SD] = 37.98[9.66]), including participants diagnosed with ASD, SCH, and those exhibiting subclinical traits to investigate the associations between mentalizing, attachment, and perceived social support during adolescence across the autistic and schizotypy spectrum.ResultsIt was revealed that both autistic and schizotypal traits have comparable effects on insecure adult attachment, primarily through challenges in mentalizing. The impact of mentalizing deficits on adult attachment slightly varies between autistic and schizotypal traits. Conversely, perceived social support during adolescence relates to improved mentalizing and secure adult attachment as a protective factor during development.ConclusionsThese outcomes highlight the significance of supportive therapeutic relationships and community care while suggesting directions for further research and collaborative treatments addressing ASD and SCH, considering the differential impact of mentalizing on adult attachment.

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.

Pathway linking attachment styles to post-traumatic growth among recovered COVID-19 patients: testing the mediating role of coping styles

ABSTRACT Background: Research on post-disaster mental health shows that people have unique resources to undergo positive changes like posttraumatic growth (PTG) after facing adversities. Objective: This study aimed to investigate the relationship between attachment styles and PTG in COVID-19 survivors, with a focus on exploring the mediating role of coping strategies. Through examining these dynamics, the study seeks to contribute to deeper understanding of the psychological processes underlying growth in individuals recovering from the pandemic. Method: A total of 210 participants were enrolled from the hospitals in Tabriz, Iran, in January 2021, and completed self-report questionnaires. PTG, attachment styles, and coping strategies were assessed using Posttraumatic Growth Inventory (PTGI), Revised Adult Attachment Scale (RAAS), and Coping Inventory for Stressful Situations (CISS). Structural equation modelling (SEM) was used to assess the mediation models. Results: The direct effects of secure (β = 0.22, p < .001), and ambivalent-anxious attachment (β = −0.22, p < .001) on PTG were significant. Also, task-oriented coping significantly predicted PTG (β = .60, p < .001). The direct path from secure (β = 0.16, p < .05) and ambivalent-anxious attachment (β = −0.38, p < .001) to task-oriented coping was significant, as was direct impact of secure (β = −0.18, p < .01) and ambivalent-anxious attachment (β = 0.37, p < .001) to emotion-oriented coping. The association between secure attachment and PTG is significantly mediated by task-oriented coping (β = 0.1, (95% CI: 0.01–0.18)). Also, task-oriented coping was a significant negative mediator between ambivalent-anxious attachment and PTG (β = −0.24, (95% CI: −0.33 – −0.15)). Conclusions: Results support the mediating role of coping strategies in the relationship between attachment styles and PTG. It emphasizes the importance of interventions for improving coping resources in individuals with life-threatening illnesses, focusing on improving problem-focused coping and reducing maladaptive strategies.

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.

Mary Main’s contributions to our family systems approach to interventions with parents of young children

ABSTRACT In this paper we describe our Berkeley colleague Mary Main’s intellectual contributions to our program of creating and evaluating couples group interventions for parents of young children. The first section presents the theoretical model and the projects at the heart of our research program. The second section illustrates how the Adult Attachment Interview, a Couple Attachment Interview, or a questionnaire describing attachment styles helped us to understand how internal working models of both parent-child and couple relationships added to our observational measures of couple and parenting behavior to provide unique information. In a third section, we conclude that we did not have the kind of impact on Mary’s thinking that Mary had on ours, but we are heartened by seeing increasing attempts of some developmental attachment theorists to include fathers in their studies and others who focus on the effects of the quality of relationship between the parents on their children’s development.

Adult attachment and dehumanization among Chinese college students: trait attachment and state attachment perspectives.

Current social issues such as bullying, online violence, and local conflicts are all prominent topics in the field of psychology and linked to dehumanization. However, research on dehumanization from a non-Western background has been rare. As a key factor influencing individual behavior, attachment has not been sufficiently integrated into studies on dehumanization. Therefore, this study provides empirical evidence to explore the relationship between adult attachment (both trait and state) and dehumanization. The sample consisted of college students from China. In Study 1 (N = 705) latent profile analysis was employed to exploring the potential categories of trait adult attachment in China, and to investigate how these categories impact dehumanization. Study 2 (N = 281) focused on activating secure attachment and examined the effects of three state attachment types, security, avoidance and anxiety, on dehumanization. Study 1 identified four types of adult attachment: preoccupied, secure, fearful, and dismissing, and revealed that these different attachment types have varying impacts on dehumanization. Study 2 showed that both security and avoidance predict dehumanization. This research established a link between adult attachment and dehumanization, offering new insights into the psychological mechanisms underlying dehumanization and suggesting novel strategies for its prevention and intervention.

Longitudinal Associations Between Scripted Attachment Representations in Late Adolescence and Depression in Adulthood in a Normative and a Higher-Risk Cohort

Attachment representations are increasingly operationalized as secure base script knowledge—one’s level of awareness of the temporal-causal schema that summarizes basic features of seeking and receiving effective support from caregivers when in distress. A method was recently developed to assess secure base script knowledge during the Adult Attachment Interview (AAIsbs), though its predictive validity for mental health outcomes is largely unknown. A series of pre-registered analyses, leveraging two large, longitudinal cohorts to assess the associations between AAIsbs and depression in emerging adults revealed that higher AAIsbs at age 18 years in the normative-risk sample, but not in a higher-risk cohort, predicted fewer depressive symptoms at age 30 years. In general, these associations were robust to concurrent depressive symptoms, sociodemographic and cognitive functioning covariates, and other traditional attachment representation measures. Findings support the importance of considering schematic attachment representations in developing interventions to improve young adults’ well-being.

The relationship between insecure attachment and nicotine dependence among users of classic cigarettes, e-cigarettes, and heated tobacco products: a moderated mediation model

BackgroundPrevious research has investigated the association between attachment styles and smoking behaviors, indicating a positive association of insecure attachment styles with nicotine dependence. However, these links were mostly explored in adolescent and student samples. Moreover, the explanatory mechanisms and the variables influencing the strength of this relationship remained understudied. In this context, the present study aims to: (1) examine the associations between attachment anxiety, avoidance, and nicotine dependence; (2) investigate the mediating role of emotion dysregulation and metacognitions about smoking; and (3) test the moderating roles of psychological capital and type of tobacco product used by the participants.MethodThis cross-sectional study was conducted on a convenience sample of 447 participants who reported smoking. The age range of participants was 18 to 64 (M = 26.76; 59.7% women). All participants have completed five questionnaires measuring nicotine dependence, adult attachment, emotion dysregulation, metacognitions about smoking, and psychological capital. They also reported the type of tobacco product commonly used: classic cigarettes, e-cigarettes, or heated tobacco products.ResultsOur findings show that the direct link between insecure attachment and nicotine dependence is rather inconsistent. However, it was mediated by the metacognitions about smoking. Psychological capital can act as a protective factor against the effects of attachment on nicotine dependence, especially for those using alternative tobacco products alongside classic cigarettes.ConclusionsThe findings highlight the possibility of developing better-tailored interventions and treatments to discourage smoking and increase smoking cessation. These should focus on eliminating the dysfunctional beliefs related to the metacognitions about smoking and on improving the levels of psychological capital. In addition, targeting attachment insecurities in early adolescence can also function as a mean to prevent smoking.

한국인의 자기결정적 고독 동기의 연구동향

Objectives The purpose of this study is to analyze research trends on self-determined solitude motivation among Koreans. Through this analysis, the study aims to review existing research and broaden the understanding of self-determined solitude motivation, thereby suggesting directions for future research. Methods A total of 35 journal articles and master's and doctoral theses published in Korean and English from 2012 to 2023 were analyzed. We examined overall publication trends, such as publication year and academic field, as well as research method trends, including research types, subjects, and statistical methods. To investigate the content trends of variables studied in relation to self-determined solitude motivation, we categorized the variables by area and analyzed their frequency and co-occurrence. Results First, approximately 80% of the studies on self-determined solitude motivation among Koreans were published after 2019, with a slightly higher proportion of theses. Most of the research was conducted in the fields of psychology and education. Second, quantitative research was predominant, with young adults being the primary subjects. The measurement tool developed by Lim et al. (2012) was mainly used, and regression analysis and cluster analysis were commonly employed. Third, the majority of variables studied in relation to self-determined solitude motivation among Koreans were personal variables, with a focus on emotional and personality-related variables. Frequently studied variables in conjunction with self-determined solitude motivation included life satisfaction and well-being, loneliness, eating alone, depression, and adult attachment. Conclusions Research on self-determined solitude motivation among Koreans has been increasing since 2019, with a significant focus on master's theses and quantitative studies targeting young adults. Many studies have examined the relationship between self-determined solitude motivation and factors such as life satisfaction and well-being, loneliness, and eating alone. This suggests the need for future research employing diverse methods and perspectives.

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

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

Mary Main: portrait and tribute

ABSTRACT Brett Kahr has referred to the death of Mary Main as the loss of “the queen of attachment research.” However, how well is Main’s work actually known? In this portrait and tribute, I argue that Main’s transformative contributions have become a taken-for-granted part of the basic environment of attachment research, but that readers have faced obstacles in understanding and responding to their strengths and limitations. Drawing from interviews with Main, in this paper I describe some of her early life experiences and mental and physical health challenges, which she felt had influenced what was possible for her in her research. I then highlight less well-known aspects of her ideas regarding the role of attention within attachment strategies, the nature of disorganised attachment, the implications of alarming caregiving behaviours, and what is ultimately measured by the Adult Attachment Interview. My goal throughout is to help reader see both how much Main’s rich and exciting works still have to teach, and identify their many loose threads still to follow.

The Relationship Between Freshman Adult Attachment and Sense of Life Meaning in University: Mediated by Perceived Social Support

College freshmen are at the beginning of the critical period of establishing their outlook on life and values, so it is very important to guide and educate them correctly on the meaning of life and values. Many psychological problems and suicidal behaviors of college students are related to the lack of life meaning. This study mainly discusses the relationship between adult attachment, understanding of social support and sense of life meaning of college freshmen. Using the sense of life meaning scale, intimate relationship experience scale and perceptive social support scale, a questionnaire survey was conducted among 1069 freshmen. SPSS software was used for correlation analysis, and Process macro was used to test the mediating effect of perceptive social support. The results show that: (1) There are significant correlations among adult attachment, understanding of social support and sense of meaning in life; (2) Understand that social support plays a partial mediating role between adult attachment and sense of meaning in life. These results indicate that the attachment of college freshmen adults can affect their sense of life meaning directly and indirectly through the influence of social support. The results of this study have some implications for practice: On the one hand, the family should pay attention to the cultivation of safe parent-child attachment relationship and environment; On the other hand, colleges and universities should give full and good social support to college freshmen, and set up education or group counseling activities on the sense of meaning of life.

Unveiling the traumatic impact of cyber dating abuse and offline intimate partner violence: exploring the mediating role of adult attachment

Cyber Dating Abuse (CDA) corresponds to a traumatic experience involving controlling and harassing behavior by a partner through modern technologies. This study aimed to assess the frequency of CDA, explore its connection to offline violence (specifically Intimate Partner Violence—IPV), and investigate attachment's mediating role in the relationship between various violence forms (cyber and offline) and trauma symptoms. Two groups were recruited for the study: one comprising 342 individuals who reported encountering offline IPV within the previous year and another group of 334 individuals who did not have such experiences. Both groups exhibited CDA, with the IPV-experienced group showing statistically significant higher prevalence. This supports literature indicating a relationship between online and offline violence. Additionally, attachment anxiety mediated CDA controlling, offline IPV, and subsequent PTSD symptoms, while attachment avoidance mediated only between offline IPV and PTSD symptoms. The findings seemed to validate the importance of acknowledging attachment as a mediator for PTSD, both in clinical practice and research.

Adult attachment and love psychological stress among college students: the mediating role of core self-evaluation and the moderating role of meaning in life

BackgroundWith college students going into dating relationships, dating partners become their new attachment figures. We aimed to investigate the relationship between adult attachment, and love psychological stress among college students, which also explored the roles of core self-evaluation and meaning in life.MethodsWe conducted a questionnaire survey on 813 college students using the adult attachment scale, core self-evaluation scale, meaning in life scale, and love psychological stress scale. We constructed a moderated mediation model to analyze the relationship between adult attachment and love psychological stress, as well as the mediating effect of core self-evaluation and the moderating effect of meaning in life.ResultsThe results showed that after controlling for single parent or not, adult attachment significantly negatively predicted love psychological stress of college students. Core self-evaluation partially mediated the relationship between adult attachment and love psychological stress of college students. The second half of the mediation model was moderated by meaning in life, that is, with the increase of meaning in life, the negative predictive effect of core self-evaluation on love psychological stress of college students gradually strengthened. The findings of this study demonstrate the detrimental impact of adult attachment on love psychological stress of college students, as well as the mediating core self-evaluation and the moderating role of meaning in life.ConclusionsThe mediating and moderating effect of adult attachment between love psychological stress, as well as the mediating effect of core self-evaluation and the moderating effect of meaning in life were confirmed. Overall, promoting the healthy development of adult attachment and helping them shape a positive meaning in life can enhance individuals’ core self-evaluation, thus alleviating love psychological stress among college students. It can also provide references for mental health education in colleges and universities.

Adaptation of the Revised Environmental Identity Scale to Adult Portuguese Native Speakers: A Validity and Reliability Study

Environmental identity is a dimension of personal identity that reflects an individual’s sense of connection with nature and personal view of nature as part of her/his identity. There is a need to adapt and validate measures that assess environmental identity, namely in Portuguese. This study analyzed the validity and reliability of the Revised Environmental Identity Scale (Revised EID) in a sample of native speakers of Portuguese from 18 to 83 years old. The survey included the Portuguese translation of the Revised EID, measures of eco-anxiety, adult attachment, affective neurobiological systems, psychological symptoms, and sociodemographic information. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were conducted to assess the construct validity of the scale. It was tied to a two-factor solution (Connectedness with Nature and Protection of Nature) found in prior research. The Revised EID was positively related to feelings of anxiety about personal impact on climate change and positive emotional systems (SEEKING, CARE, and PLAY). Older participants reported higher levels in the overall environmental identity score and the Protection of Nature factor. The results indicate that the Revised EID is an appropriate measure to assess environmental identity in adult Portuguese native speakers and should be used to conduct cross-cultural studies to drive environmental and health policies.

Interpersonal Difficulties Arising from Child Sexual Abuse: Differences Between Intra-familial and Extra-familial Abuse Victims.

Child sexual abuse (CSA) often has serious implications for the victims. The scientific literature reflects a diversity of sequelae that may appear in the short and long term. Interpersonal difficulties have been shown to be one of the most common consequences. However, studies comparing these sequelae between victims of intra-familial (IF) and extra-familial (EF) CSA are scarce. The aim of this research was to analyze differences in dyadic satisfaction, sexual satisfaction, and attachment patterns in adulthood between Spanish IF victims, EF victims, and non-victims of CSA. The Sexual Victimization Subscale of the Juvenile Victimization Questionnaire, the Relationship Assessment Scale, the New Sexual Satisfaction Scale, and the Adult Attachment Questionnaire were administered to 140 adults (94 CSA victims and 46 non-victims) aged 18 to 54 years. CSA victims scored lower than the non-victims on the personal sexual satisfaction factor and attachment factors characterized by the need for approval, hostile resolution of conflicts, and emotional self-sufficiency. Statistically significant differences were also found between the victim groups in the factors characterized by the need for approval and communication of feelings and comfort with relationships showing the IF group to have more impairment in these areas than the EF group. In conclusion, CSA may have serious implications for the development of victims' interpersonal relationships. The context of sexual abuse and the relationship between victim and offender appears to play a role in the development of relational problems. These findings highlight the need to implement specific strategies in the psychological treatment of victims depending on their relationship with the offender and the environment in which the abuse occurred.

Examining the relationship between parents' self-reported mindfulness and observed language use in attachment-relevant communication.

Parents' language use is an important context for early socialization. We examined the relationship between parents' self-reported mindfulness and observed language use in two forms of attachment-relevant communication. Sixty-three parents of 6-18-month-old infants from Australia (n=32) and New Zealand (n=31) completed the five facets of mindfulness-short form (FFMQ-SF) questionnaire, the adult attachment interview (AAI), and a 10-min play session with their infant. We examined parents' frequency of word usage within the categories of the linguistic inquiry word count (LIWC) text analysis program to explore the relationship between mindfulness and language use. Mindfulness was associated with cognitive, affective, perceptual, and time orientation language use in the AAI. However, fewer associations were identified between mindfulness and language use in the parent-infant play session. Results are discussed in terms of their relevance to mindfulness and attachment.

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.

Investigating the network ties between affect, attachment, and psychopathology

ObjectivesRecent years have seen an increased interest regarding theoretical and empirical associations of adult attachment security and primary affective traits concerning psychiatric disorders. In this study, network analysis technique is applied to dissect the links between both psychodynamic personality constructs and an array of psychopathological symptoms. MethodsA total sample of 921 (69.9 % female) participants from the general population was investigated. A regularized cross-sectional partial correlation network between attachment (Experiences in Close Relationships-Revised [ECR-RD8]), primary affective traits (Brief Affective Neuroscience Personality Scales [BANPS-GL]) and psychopathological symptoms (ICD-10-Symptom-Rating Questionnaire [ISR]) was estimated via the EBICglasso algorithm. Node centrality, predictability and bridge centrality were analyzed. To evaluate the stability of the network and evaluate the significance of differences, we employed bootstrap techniques. ResultsThe network was found to be stable, allowing reliable interpretations. We observed SADNESS, as well as depressive, PTSD and anxiety symptoms as the most influential nodes within the investigated network. Attachment AV and SADNESS were observed as nodes with the highest bridge centrality. ConclusionsThe results provide a data-driven in-depth look into the complex dynamics between psychopathological symptoms, attachment security and basic affective traits. Results underscore the critical interconnections between affect, attachment, and psychopathology, advocating for a psychodynamically informed systems approach in psychological research that considers the affective dimensions underlying human mental health.

Associations between parents’ adult attachment, Co-parenting and parent-child relationships: an actor-partner interdependence model

ABSTRACT This study used the Actor-Partner Interdependence Model to examine how parents’ adult attachment influences their their own and the partners’ co-parenting and parent-child relationships. Participants were from a cross-sectional sample of 1313 Chinese heterosexual married couples (fathers’ Mage = 39.74, SD = 5.61; mothers’ Mage = 37.55, SD = 5.04) whose biological children were pupils (Mage = 10.25, SD = 2.35). Results revealed that: (a) Couple members’ actor effects from adult attachment avoidance to positive and negative co-parenting and parent-child closeness and conflict were found both significant; (b) The actor effects from adult attachment anxiety to negative co-parenting and parent-child conflict were found significant, whereas only partner effect from attachment avoidance to positive co-parenting and from attachment anxiety to parent-child conflict were significant. The results highlight the negative effects of parents’ attachment avoidance and anxiety on their partners’ parenting function.