Adult Attachment Research Articles

베이지안 네트워크를 활용한 치매 의심군 예측요인 연구

Objective: This study aims to identify predictive factors for screening suspected dementia among middle-aged and older adults and provide basic data to prevent dementia and prepare early customized intervention plans for middle-aged and older adults.
 Method: A survey of 850 middle-aged and older adults aged 40-65 years living in Japan was conducted to collect data, and a Bayesian network was used to identify predictors and pathways for screening suspected dementia.
 Results: First, to verify the accuracy of the results extracted by the Bayesian network model, the performance was compared with random forest and gradient boosting, and the results showed that the Bayesian network algorithm performed the best, with a predictive power of 90%. Second, among the variables predicting suspected dementia, the most predictive variable was subjective memory decline, followed by early maladaptive behavior, social comfort, adult attachment anxiety, dementia fear, and adult attachment avoidance. Third, the core pathway for suspected dementia was identified as neuroticism to early maladaptive behavior and adult attachment anxiety to suspected dementia, followed by neuroticism to subjective memory decline, social comfort, and adult attachment anxiety to suspected dementia.
 Conclusion: By utilizing Bayesian networks to explore important variables and pathways between variables in suspected dementia, we can provide a framework for early intervention and customized policies for dementia.

The Relationship between Self-disclosure and Pet Attachment in Early Adulthood

Early adult pet owners tend to lack self-disclosure because they are afraid of the risk of rejection even to those closest to them. Interpersonal rejection makes individuals emotionally distant and afraid to self-disclose to those closest to them, so they will build more attachment to their pets. This research aims to determine the relationship between self-disclosure and pet attachment in early adult. This research uses a quantitative approach. The method used in this study is descriptive analysis and hypothesis testing, namely Spearman's rho correlation The subjects of this research were 327 dog or cat owners who were in early adult in Makassar City. The sampling technique used was purposive sampling. This study used the Lexington Attachment Pet Scale (LAPS) and the Self-disclosure Scale. Based on the Spearman rho correlation results, it shows that there is a relationship between self-disclosure and pet attachment in early adult (p=0.000<0.05). The correlation coefficient is -0.316 and is classified as a moderate relationship. This research also found that there were differences in levels of self-disclosure and pet attachment based on the length of time they were kept, and there were no differences based on gender. Based on the research that has been conducted, it can be concluded that there is a relationship between self-disclosure and pet attachment in early adults with moderate relationship strength.

신경발달장애아동 어머니의 불안정 성인애착과 심리적 안녕감의 관계에서 자녀애착에 의해 조절된 장애수용의 매개효과

This study examined moderated mediating effects of maternal attachment through disabilityacceptance between the insecure adult attachment and the psychological well-being of mothersof children with neurodevelopmental disorders. The results are as follows. First, there havebeen significant mediating effects of disability acceptance in the effects of mothers’ insecureadult attachment on their psychological well-being. Second, there have been significantmoderated mediation effects in the relationships of disability acceptance and psychologicalwell-being. Third, there have been significant moderated mediating effects of maternalattachment through disability acceptance in effects of insecure adult attachment on interpersonalpsychological well-being. The results of this study show the need for intervention through theimprovement of disability acceptance as mediating variables and maternal attachment asmoderating variables for stable psychological well-being.

위험회피 기질이 우울에 미치는 영향

The purpose of this study is to examine the mediating effect of Insecure Adult Attachment onthe relations of Harm Avoidance and Depression symptoms. and to find out the moderatedeffect of Cognitive Flexibility that are assumed to operate on the where Harm Avoidance hasdirect effect on Depression symptoms and to operate on a mediated indirect path that InsecureAdult Attachment. 384 adults aged over 19 years participated in the survery for this study, andSPSS 18 and SPSS PROCESS Macro 2.13 are used to analyze the collected data. The main resultsof the study are summarize as follows: Insecure Adult Attachment partially mediated the relationbetween Harm Avoidance and Depression symptoms. Cognitive Flexibility had significantmoderating effect within the relationship of Harm Avoidance and Depression symptoms. Cognitive Flexibility had significant moderating effect on indirect path that affects Insecure AdultAttachment within the relationship of Harm Avoidance and Depression symptoms. Thesefindings suggest the importance of improving the understanding of factors related to thedevelopment of depressive vulnerability. In addition, this implication and suggestions for futureresearch are provided.

A Case Study of Sandplay Therapy for a Mother with Insecure Attachment and the Impact on Family Members

The purpose of this study was to investigate the changes in a mother's attachment and emotional control resulting from Sandplay Therapy in cases of insecure adult attachment. Additionally, the study aimed to examine the changes in family perception and attachment to the mother's changes. One mother with a high insecure adult attachment score and her family were selected as subjects for this study. Attachment scales, emotional control scales, sentence completion tests (SCTs), and interviews were conducted before and after the therapy to study the subjects' changes in attachment and emotional control, as well as the changes perceived by family members. The mother then underwent 12 sessions of Sandplay Therapy. The results showed that: After Sandplay therapy, the mother's attachment and emotional control demonstrated positive changes. The mother's changes through Sandplay Therapy contributed to the improvement of the family's positive perception and attachment level. The Sandplay box underwent a process of individualization, leading to self-realization. In conclusion, Sandplay Therapy helps stabilize the attachment and emotion of insecure attachment mothers, and the changes in mothers have a positive impact on the perception and attachment of family members. A follow-up study, it is necessary to expand the number of study subjects by attachment type.

The effects of dental hygiene students’ adult attachment, self-respect, and sociable support on their interpersonal competence

Objectives: This study sought to identify dental hygiene students’ adult attachment, interpersonal competence, self-respect, and sociable support, and to identify factors that affect interpersonal competence. Method: A self-administered survey was conducted on 180 students attending dental hygiene schools nationwide from 14 February to 30 May, 2023. Descriptive statistics, t-test, one-way ANOVAs, Pearson correlation coefficient, and stepwise multiple linear regression analys were used, as determined by the SPSS 26.0 program. Results: Dental hygiene students’ interpersonal competence measured 3.61 points, adult attachment measured 3.44 points, self-respect measured 3.44 points, and sociable support measured 4.00 points. In terms of general characteristics, significant differences were found in satisfaction with college life and club membership. Interpersonal competence was positively correlated with adult attachment, self-respect, and sociable support. The factor that had the greatest impact on interpersonal competence of dental hygiene students was sociable support, with an explanatory power of 37.3%. Conclusions: In order to improve the sociable support for dental hygiene students, a social activity support network within and outside of school is needed.

The Relationship of Substance Abuse with Attachment and Emotion Regulation

Objective: The purpose of this study to examine the characteristics of substance use (SU) and its relationship with psychiatric symptoms, emotion regulation and attachment in youth and young adults with substance abuse in the southeast region of Turkey who have been exposed to repetitive trauma.
 Method: Forty-four patients with substance use complaints completed Sociodemographic Form, Addiction Profile Index (BAPI), BAPI-Clinical Form. Association of SU disorder diagnosis with both emotion regulation as measured by the Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (ERQ) and the attachment style as measured by Parent Attachment Tool is evaluated.
 Results: Our sample consists of 44 male patients a mean age of 23.77 years. All of them can read and write, but none of them are university graduates. The rate of being single in marital status is 66%. 60% of them have a low income level. 45% of them do not work. 25% of the sample meets the addiction criteria. Compared to the addicted and non-addicted groups, the addicted groups had significantly higher scores on inadequate anger control, lack of safe behavior, pleasure-seeking behavior, impulsivity, depression, and anxiety. The non-addicted group had a higher mean for cognitive reappraisal. The non-addicted group had a higher mean for cognitive reappraisal. Inadequate anger control, pleasure seeking behavior and duration of anxiety about substance use were found to be risk factors for addiction.
 Conclusions: The addicted group is different from the non-addicted group for BAPI subscales and ERQ subscale- a cognitive reappraisal. The current findings expand our understanding of the psychological and behavioral aspects of addiction, especially in provinces such as Şırnak, where traumatic life events are repeated, as there are many risk factors for SUD.

The intergenerational transmission of attachment during middle childhood in lesbian, gay, and heterosexual parent families through assisted reproduction: The mediating role of reflective functioning

ABSTRACT The present study examined the attachment patterns distribution of 60 lesbian mothers, 50 gay fathers, and 42 heterosexual parents through assisted reproduction and their 76 children, using the Adult Attachment Interview (AAI) and the Friends and Family Interview (FFI), respectively. The study also explored the intergenerational transmission of attachment through reflective functioning (AAI-RF). All families lived in Italy and children were aged 6–12 years (M years = 8.11, SD = 2.17; 48.68% assigned female at birth). The AAI patterns distribution was similar across family types and did not significantly differ from international and national normative data. Similarly, children’s FFI attachment patterns were evenly distributed between family types, and no significant differences emerged in comparison to international and national normative data referring to middle childhood samples. Mediational models revealed that, in all three family types, parents with greater AAI coherence of mind exhibited higher AAI-RF, which, in turn, was associated with increased FFI attachment security in children. Furthermore, parents’ AAI coherence of mind directly influenced children’s FFI attachment security. The results support and expand hypotheses regarding the intergenerational transmission of attachment in lesbian, gay, and heterosexual parent families through assisted reproduction, while offering unique indications to support these families during middle childhood.

The role of coping strategies in the relationship between attachment style and psychological well-being in mothers of children with autism

This study aims to evaluate the relationship between attachment style and psychological well-being in mothers of children with autism, as well as the mediating role of maternal coping in this relationship. The pragmatic aim of the research was to provide theoretical and practical information regarding the attachment style, coping, and well-being of families who have children with autism especially mothers, as they are most often involved in the care and upbringing of these children. The present study is a correlational, cross-sectional study conducted on a sample of 113 mothers of autistic children aged between 22 and 51 years, M = 39.78, SD = 4.89. The children’s ages ranged between three and 14 years, M = 10.61, SD = 2.65. A number of 66 children were boys (58%) and 47 were girls (42%). The instruments used were the Psychological Well-being Scale (PWBS), Adult Attachment Scale (AAS), Brief COPE. The multiple linear regression showed that only the secure attachment of mothers is a significant predictor of well-being. Mediation analyses showed that neither adaptive nor maladaptive coping mediates the relationship between attachment style and well-being. In conclusion, we discussed the limitations and future research direction and also the importance of preserving higher well-being in mothers of children with autism.

Differences in Destination Attachment Representations of First-time and Repeat Tourists

The concept of destination attachment originates from the “people-people” attachment research but has not been investigated from this perspective, resulting in a substantial research gap. This study applied the concept of adult attachment to conceptualize, classify, and measure destination attachment. Different formation mechanisms, the effect range of the destination attachment representations of first-time and repeat tourists, and the relationships between the destination attachment representations and general attachment representations of tourists were examined. The findings were in line with the theoretical expectations. This study is innovative because it expands the research scope of destination attachment, proposing the necessity of developing formative measurement dimensions of destination attachment and elucidating the meanings of the relationship between the attachment representations of first-time and repeat tourists in tourist loyalty research. Managerially, this study has practical value for shaping destination attachment and attracting/cultivating repeat tourists.

Changes in attachment dimensions during the treatment of acute post-traumatic stress disorder in sexually assaulted Brazilian women.

Attachment patterns are established during early childhood; however, extreme experiences throughout life may change this structure, either toward attachment security or insecurity. We analyzed changes in attachment dimensions in women with acute post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) following sexual assault, that were randomized to a 14-week treatment with either the medication sertraline or Interpersonal Psychotherapy. Seventy-four adult women who presented significant reduction in PTSD symptoms across the trial responded to the Revised Adult Attachment Scale at baseline, on week 8 of treatment, and at the end of the trial, on week 14. We fitted a generalized linear model to explain the attachment anxiety and avoidance scores at baseline. A generalized linear mixed model investigated how attachment dimensions changed over time. Socioeconomic data, treatment type, history of childhood trauma, and PTSD severity over the 14-week period were the considered covariates. At baseline, attachment anxiety was associated with a history of early trauma. Attachment anxiety remained stable during the follow-up. Attachment avoidance, on the other hand, significantly increased from baseline to week 14. Higher avoidance was observed in patients with higher total PTSD scores and on the cluster of hyperarousal symptoms. Races other than White (black, mixed-race, or Asian) and younger age were associated with higher attachment avoidance. Contrary to our expectations, attachment avoidance increased during follow-up, indicating changes in the interpersonal realm beyond the symptoms of PTSD.

Adult Attachment and Fear of Missing Out: Does a Mindful Attitude Matter?

Fear of missing out (FoMO) involves the desire or urge to stay continuously connected to and kept up-to-date with a social reference group. The present study explored the relationships between adult attachment and FoMO and the potential mediating effect of a mindful attitude. The present study was carried out on 192 participants (meanage = 23.24 years; SDage = 4.33 years), of whom 151 (78.6%) were female and the remaining 41 (21.4%) were male. The participants completed the Adult Attachment Scale—Revised (AAS-R), which evaluates Close, Depend, and Anxiety attachment, the Cognitive and Affective Mindfulness Scale—Revised (CAMS-R) and the Fear of Missing Out Scale (FoMOs). The results indicated that the three forms of adult attachment (Close, Depend, and Anxiety) were associated with FoMO through the indirect effect of mindful attitudes. This study yielded relevant theoretical and practical implications regarding the critical role of a mindful attitude as a protective factor against FoMO. Limitations and future research directions were also discussed.

Associations Between Adult Attachment, Maternal Emotion Socialization and Child Behavior.

Attachment theories suggest that the adult attachment styles of mothers may influence behavior problems among their children; however, empirical studies examining the direct role of maternal adult attachment styles and the mechanisms through emotion-related parenting are scarce. This study examined the influence of maternal adult attachment styles and emotion-related parenting on child internalizing and externalizing problems. The participants were 409 mothers with children aged 4-5years. A questionnaire survey was conducted to obtain their adult attachment styles to their mothers, maternal emotion socialization, and their children's behavior problems. The results of structural equation modelling (SEM) analyses revealed that maternal adult attachment influenced child behavior problems directly and indirectly through maternal emotion socialization. (1) Maternal attachment anxiety directly affected child externalizing problems, and indirectly affected them via mothers' higher unsupportive emotion socialization (dismissing and dysfunction). Moreover, attachment anxiety influenced child internalizing problems directly, and indirectly via mothers' higher unsupportive emotion socialization (dysfunction). (2) Furthermore, attachment avoidance indirectly impacted child externalizing problems via mothers' lower supportive emotion socialization (coaching). These results suggested that maternal adult attachment styles and emotion-related parenting have important implications for the development of child behaviors. Future interventions should target parental factors to mitigate the risk of behavior problems among preschoolers.

Primiparous mothers' parenting self-efficacy in managing toddler distress: Childhood nonsupportive emotion socialization, adult attachment style, and toddler temperament as antecedents.

Early maternal sensitivity to child distress is predictive of child subsequent social-emotional adjustment. A mother's global parenting self-efficacy shapes her adaptive responses to child challenging behaviors (e.g., negative emotions). However, little is known about the antecedents of maternal self-efficacy in managing child distress. Using longitudinal data from a diverse sample of 259 primiparous mothers and their toddlers, we tested a model predicting maternal self-efficacy in managing toddler distress. Mothers' remembered childhood experiences of maternal nonsupportive emotional socialization were positively associated with their self-reports of attachment avoidance and anxiety. Furthermore, a negative link between mothers' self-reports of attachment avoidance and their self-efficacy in managing toddler distress was identified when toddlers displayed higher negative affect. Most importantly, a conditional indirect pathway was found. That is, only when toddlers displayed higher negative affect, mothers' remembered early experiences of maternal nonsupportive emotional socialization were negatively associated with their self-efficacy in managing toddler distress through a positive association with their self-reports of attachment avoidance. Although maternal attachment assessed with Adult Attachment Interview was also included in analyses as a parallel mediator to self-reported attachment, no relevant effects emerged. These results suggest that by disrupting attachment development, parents' early emotion socialization experiences hold long-standing implications for their subsequent confidence in managing child distress. Child distress as a threatening, attachment-related stimulus may contextualize such effects via interfering with the operation of caregiving system, especially for avoidant parents. Such findings may inform the designs of more targeted interventions to assist first-time mothers in navigating emotionally evocative challenges during toddlerhood. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

‘Attachment is such a core issue’: Therapist perspectives on attachment injuries in marriages in India

AbstractBackgroundMarital distress is a risk factor for a panoply of mental and physical health disorders. One of the causes of marital distress that is increasingly gaining relevance is attachment injuries in the marital relationship. Emerging from the confluence of adult attachment theory and emotionally focussed couples therapy, attachment injuries refer to tears in the relationship bond caused by abandonment or betrayal in the marriage, especially at times of critical need when attachment needs are salient.ObjectiveThe objective of this study was to investigate how therapists in India conceptualise and assess attachment injuries in marital relationships.MethodA qualitative design was used, whereby in‐depth interviews were conducted with 13 therapists and the transcripts were analysed using thematic analysis.ResultsThe analysis resulted in two overarching themes. The first was ‘Attachment Injuries are a Common Phenomenon in Couples undergoing Marital Distress’, which included themes related to markers of attachment injuries, injurious events, the gendered nature of attachment injury experiences and the impact of attachment injuries. The second overarching theme was ‘Therapists Utilize Diverse Methods for the Crucial Process of Identification of Attachment Injuries’, which included themes related to the methods used for assessment, the significance of attachment lens, the role of early experiences and the utility of identifying attachment injuries.ConclusionThe results highlighted how attachment injuries, originating from various injurious events, are often a component of marital distress in couples accessing therapy. The findings also pointed towards the need for therapists to develop competency in assessing and addressing attachment injuries, irrespective of their primary therapy orientation.

Relationship between Quality of Life and Adult Attachment Factors in Mothers of Children with and without Type 1 Diabetes

The mothers of children with a specific clinical situation such as type 1 diabetes mellitus may have a higher level of stress, causing a worse perception of their quality of life, greater anxiety, and greater avoidance (adult attachment factors). The objective of this research was to verify if there is a relationship between the adult attachment factors of mothers of children with and without type 1 diabetes mellitus and the perception of the quality of life of these mothers. This survey was carried out from July to September 2022, with mothers of children aged 5 to 10 years, with and without diabetes. The data were collected through an online questionnaire, with socioeconomic data from the attachment scale Experience in Close Relationship—(Reduced), and the questionnaire on the quality of life, the WHOQOL-abbreviated questionnaire. For statistical analysis, the Statistical Package for Social Science 24 was used. A total of 45 mothers of children with DM1 and 55 mothers of healthy children were evaluated. The mothers of children with DM1 had a worse perception of their quality of life when compared to the mothers of healthy children (p < 0.05), with no difference in terms of the attachment style. Therefore, it is understood that actions aimed at improving the quality of life of these mothers are necessary.

Relationships between Attachment Style, Emotional Self-Disclosure, and Quality of Life among Young Breast Cancer Survivors: A Cross-Sectional Study

This investigation aims to explore relationships between adult attachment, emotional self-disclosure, and quality of life (QoL). The study sample completed the Chinese versions of the Experiences in Close Relationships Inventory, the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Breast Scale, and the Distress Disclosure Index between October 2021 and March 2022. The relationships between adult attachment, emotional self-disclosure, and QoL were investigated using a multiple mediation effects test and structural equation modeling. Attachment anxiety and avoidance were risk factors for young Chinese breast cancer survivors' emotional self-disclosure and QoL. Emotional self-disclosure mediates the association between attachment anxiety or avoidance and QoL. Assessing and easing attachment anxiety and avoidance may improve the emotional self-disclosure and QoL of young breast cancer survivors. This study confirms that adult attachment plays an important role in young breast cancer patients' adaptation to the disease and that high adult anxiety and avoidance levels can significantly reduce emotional self-disclosure and QoL in young breast cancer survivors. Identifying attachment patterns can help caregivers better understand patients' responses, adaptation, and treatment adherence to cancer, thereby helping caregivers develop targeted and personalized cancer care practice programs or psychotherapy interventions to improve patients' physical and mental health outcomes.

Cooperation within the therapeutic relationship improves metacognitive functioning: preliminary findings

Both clinical observations and empirical data suggest that metacognitive functioning is a factor strongly associated with a good psychotherapeutic outcome. It has been suggested that some interpersonal social motivations (i.e., attachment and cooperation) may be associated with different levels of metacognitive functioning also within the therapeutic relationship. The aim of this study was to explore the relationship between cooperation and metacognitive monitoring within 58 psychotherapy sessions from seven different patients. All patients were initially assessed through a detailed psychiatric interview. Patients’ adult attachment styles were evaluated using the Attachment Style Questionnaire. The association between the activation of patients’ interpersonal social motivations (e.g., cooperation and attachment) and the modifications of metacognitive abilities during sessions was investigated using the Assessing Interpersonal Motivations in Transcripts method and the Metacognition Assessment Scale have been used. Our results showed that the activation of the patient’s cooperative system is positively associated with an increase in metacognitive functioning, while the activation of attachment is not. The results of the present study have important implications for clinicians: they give empirical support for the role of cooperation in fostering metacognition within the therapeutic relationship.

Developing a secure base in family intervention: using the adult attachment projective system to assess attachment in family relationships.

Families are core to human well-being. Therapeutic intervention may be needed in the context of family disruptions. Attachment theory conceptualizes parents as the secure base and safe haven that support children's optimal development. Parents who have experienced their own attachment difficulties or traumas may not provide quality caregiving necessary for balanced secure parent-child attachment relationships. Following Bowlby's original thinking (1988), an attachment approach to family intervention views the therapist as a secure base that enables families to explore individual and system problems to restore equilibrium. Attachment informed therapy uses attachment theory to understand family functioning. However, the unavailability of valid economical assessment for examining attachment representations has constricted the practical utility of attachment theory in family therapy beyond applications of general concepts. This chapter describes the Adult Attachment Projective Pictures System (AAP) and explores its use as an efficient manner for assessing attachment representations within families that allows therapists to understand problematic interactions, disabling defensive processes, make predictions concerning negative patterns, and create targets for change and restorative intervention. Consolidating three decades of attachment and caregiving system research, we describe how distinct patterns of AAP responses for each adult attachment group map onto expected parenting and family system expectations and behaviors to provide a concise and informative framework. In addition to the traditional adult attachment patterns (Secure, Dismissing, Preoccupied, Unresolved), we describe for the first time expectations for two additional forms of incomplete pathological mourning (Failed Mourning and Preoccupied with Personal Suffering) that have been overlooked in the field.

Trust in relationships: a preliminary investigation of the influence of parental divorce, breakup experiences, adult attachment style, and close relationship beliefs on dyadic trust.

Trust is essential for establishing stable and fulfilling romantic relationships between partners. Development of trust, however, can be assumed to depend on many factors related to an individual's earlier experiences and relationship-related beliefs. This study aimed to investigate how adult attachment style (anxious, avoidant), experiences about parents' divorce and breakdown of one's own romantic relationship, and relationship beliefs are related to the level of dyadic trust in romantic relationships. The present study included 131 Turkish undergraduate university students (55.7% women) from different faculties. The research instrument had questions about parents' and respondents' own relationship status, Dyadic Trust Scale (DTS), Experiences in Close Relationships Inventory-Revised (ECR-R), and Inventory of Close Relationship Beliefs (ICRB), in addition to background questions. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, t-tests, Pearson correlations, regression analyses and mediation analyses. Respondents whose parents had divorced or who had experienced a relationship breakdown had lower dyadic trust scores than those without these experiences. The trust scores correlated negatively with anxious and avoidant attachment styles and positively with relationship belief scales, although the correlations to "external factors" were not statistically significant. In regression analysis, anxious and avoidant attachment styles explained 42% and relationship beliefs 25% of the variance in trust. The only significant predictor among beliefs was "individuality." Mediation analysis showed that the effects of anxious attachment style on trust were fully mediated by the relationship belief in "individuality." The avoidant attachment style had a direct relationship to trust. The results show that anxious attachment style influences trust via relationship beliefs, while avoidant attachment style has a strong direct effect on trust as well as weaker effects via beliefs. The results are discussed in the context of Turkish culture and horizontal collectivism.