Higher Attachment Anxiety Research Articles

Retraction of Robinson et al. (2015).

Reports the retraction of "Crying as communication in psychotherapy: The influence of client and therapist attachment dimensions and client attachment to therapist on amount and type of crying" by Noah Robinson, Clara E. Hill and Dennis M. Kivlighan Jr. (Journal of Counseling Psychology, 2015[Jul], Vol 62[3], 379-392). The following article is being retracted (https://doi.org/10.1037/cou0000090). This retraction is at the request of coauthors Kivlighan and Hill after the results of an investigation by the University of Maryland Institutional Review Board (IRB). The IRB found that the study included data from between one and four therapy clients of the Maryland Psychotherapy Clinic and Research Laboratory (MPCRL) who either had not been asked to provide consent or had withdrawn consent for their data to be included in the research. Robinson was not responsible for obtaining and verifying participant consent but agreed to the retraction of this article. (The following abstract of the original article appeared in record 2015-23479-001.) Nelson (2005) associated 3 types of crying (inhibited, protest, despair) with 3 dimensions of attachment (avoidant, anxious, and secure). To test this theory, trained judges rated the intensity of inhibition, protest, and despair in 347 crying episodes for 40 clients and 14 therapists in 1,074 psychotherapy sessions. Crying occurred once out of every 7 sessions, and usually was characterized by protest or inhibition. Pre-therapy attachment dimensions of both therapist and client influenced crying. Therapists with high attachment avoidance had clients who cried frequently but less over time, whereas therapists with high attachment anxiety had clients who cried with more protest over time. Clients with high attachment anxiety initially cried with more protest and inhibition, but decreased over time, whereas clients with low attachment anxiety increased protest over time. Throughout the course of psychotherapy, therapists who were seen by their clients as establishing a secure attachment elicited more overall crying and a higher intensity of protest, whereas therapists who were seen by their clients as establishing insecure attachments had clients who cried less. Clients who established a secure or avoidant relationship with their therapists, relative to other clients of that therapist, cried infrequently and with inhibition, whereas clients who established a preoccupied relationship cried relatively often. Changes are suggested for Nelson's (2005) typology. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Attachment Styles and Suicidal Thoughts and Behaviors: A Meta-Analysis

Introduction: This meta-analysis examined the association between dimensional and categorical conceptualizations of attachment styles and suicidal thoughts and behaviors (STBs). Methods: Random-effects meta-analysis was conducted to examine the associations between categorical secure attachment, categorical insecure attachment, and insecure attachment dimensions and STBs. Methodological moderators were also explored. This protocol was registered in PROSPERO (CRD42020152604). Results: Systematic search for articles published by December 2020 returned 58 eligible studies and 159 cross-sectional effects. Secure attachment was inversely associated with suicidal thoughts and not associated with suicide attempts. All categorical insecure attachment styles were positively associated with suicidal thoughts. Only fearful and preoccupied attachment were associated with risk for suicide attempts. Dimensional attachment anxiety was more strongly associated with suicidal thoughts and attempts than dimensional attachment avoidance. Discussion: Overall, attachment styles characterized by high attachment anxiety were associated with greatest vulnerability to STBs. Longitudinal studies are needed to better understand the association between attachment insecurity and STBs.

Connectedness to nature promotes downplaying others’ humanity among anxiously attached people

Global advocates have argued in favor of increasing connectedness to nature, the benefits of which have been substantially supported for both the environment and humans. However, we extend mainstream opinions by identifying the potential negative impact of connectedness to nature on human relationships under specific conditions. Specifically, we propose that connectedness to nature promotes dehumanization among anxiously attached people. We tested this assumption with three studies (N = 1276). Studies 1 and 2 revealed that, for people with high levels of anxious attachment, connectedness to nature positively predicted dehumanization of thieves (Study 1) and people who casually litter (Study 2). By manipulating connectedness to nature, Study 3 found that dehumanization elicited by connectedness to nature among people with high attachment anxiety predicted greater preference for nature over prisoners. These trends were eliminated or even reversed for those with low levels of anxious attachment. The present research enriches our understanding of people's social relationships with nature and humans.

Buying a Chance at Love: The Influence of Attachment Anxiety on Consumer Preference for Romantic Advertising

Much research has been conducted to understand the impact of sexual appeals in advertising on consumer attitudes and behaviors. Yet, romantic advertising, advertising that focuses on romantic relationships, has received less scholarly attention. To counter this imbalance, the present research investigates the influence of attachment anxiety, an individual difference variable, on consumer reactions to advertising featuring romantic relationships. As hypothesized, our findings suggest that consumers high in attachment anxiety respond more favorably to advertising that highlights romantic relationships. This effect is consistent across trait- and state-level attachment anxiety and consistent across product type (i.e., goods vs. services). Specifically, the results of four experiments demonstrate that compared to securely attached consumers, those who chronically experience high attachment anxiety (experiments 1A and 1B) as well as those who are primed to experience attachment anxiety (experiment 2) respond more favorably to advertisements that focus on the potential romantic rewards associated with an advertised product’s use. Consistent results were obtained using a different advertisement for an experience versus a material good (experiment 3). Implications of the findings for advertisers, marketers, brand managers, and scholars are discussed, and several opportunities for future research are identified.

Attachment Insecurity and Stigma as Predictors of Depression and Anxiety in People Living With HIV.

The purpose of this study was to examine whether attachment insecurity, stigma, and certain demographic and medical factors predict depression and anxiety in people living with HIV (PLWH). Participants were 147 PLWH who visited the outpatient infection clinic in Kyungpook National University Hospital (KNUH; Daegu, South Korea) between June 2020 and January 2021. We measured HIV-related stigma, attachment anxiety and avoidance, depressive symptoms, and anxiety symptoms. Logistic regression analysis showed that unemployment, longer time receiving antiretroviral therapy, higher attachment avoidance, and higher attachment anxiety were significant predictors of depression. Results also showed that longer time receiving antiretroviral therapy, higher attachment anxiety, and concern with public attitudes were significant predictors of anxiety. In addition to education to reduce public stigma, interventions to reduce PLWH's self-stigma should continue. We suggest attachment-based psychotherapy as an effective intervention to improve PLWH's mental health.

Attachment orientations moderate people’s preferences for market versus communal relationships under a control threat

In two studies, we examined the effects of a control threat and attachment orientation on people’s preferences for market relationships. In Study 1, experiencing a control threat increased the willingness to seek practical support in the market rather than ask a close person for help among participants with higher attachment anxiety. In a well-powered preregistered Study 2, we replicated these results and demonstrated that they also hold for situations in which emotional support is desired. In addition, we demonstrated that the effect of a control threat on the preference for market-based support is moderated by attachment orientations above the effect of objective and subjective socioeconomic status. The effects we found suggest that people’s involvement in market relationships may fulfill important psychological needs, serving as a buffer against attachment insecurities.

Attachment anxiety, reflective functioning and well-being as predictors of burn-out and psychological distress among psychotherapists: A longitudinal study.

This study aims to longitudinally investigate the effects of individual's factors on subsequent burn-out/psychological distress in a sample of mental health practitioners, testing if higher attachment anxiety and avoidance and lower reflective functioning (i.e., certainty and uncertainty of mental states) and well-being at baseline may lead to a greater psychological distress and burn-out 1 year later. The sample consisted of 40 experienced psychotherapists (females: 72.5%; mean age: 47.40 ± 9.48 years) who completed a battery of questionnaires at baseline and 1 year later. Statistical analyses were conducted with Bayesian multiple linear regressions. Greater attachment anxiety and certainty about mental states and lower individual's well-being at baseline predicted greater burn-out 1 year later. Similarly, greater attachment anxiety and lower individual's well-being at baseline predicted psychological distress at 1 year follow-up. Of note, uncertainty of mental states and avoidant attachment were not associated with outcomes. These findings suggest that the levels of burn-out and psychological distress among psychotherapists may be alleviated with interventions targeting attachment insecurity, specific aspects of reflective functioning (i.e., certainty about mental states) and well-being.

My social comfort zone: Attachment anxiety shapes peripersonal and interpersonal space

Following positive social exchanges, the neural representation of interactive space around the body (peripersonal space; PPS) expands, whereas we also feel consciously more comfortable being closer to others (interpersonal distance; ID). However, it is unclear how relational traits, such as attachment styles, interact with the social malleability of our PPS and ID. A first, exploratory study (N=48) using a visuo-tactile, augmented reality task, found that PPS depended on the combined effects of social context and attachment anxiety. A follow-up preregistered study (N= 68), showed that those with high attachment anxiety demonstrated a sharper differentiation between peripersonal and extrapersonal space, even in a non-social context. A final, preregistered large-scale survey (N= 19,417) found that people scoring high in attachment anxiety prefer closer ID and differentiate their ID less based on feelings of social closeness. We conclude that attachment anxiety reduces the social malleability of both peripersonal and interpersonal space.

Autism, Attachment, and Alexithymia: Investigating Emoji Comprehension

Emoji are often misinterpreted. This study investigated whether individual differences known to impact facial emotion recognition would also affect emoji recognition. Participants completed an online emoji classification task, and then completed questionnaires assessing their autistic traits, attachment style, and alexithymia score. Results showed that Autism Quotient (AQ) scores influenced classification accuracy, but only when considered in conjunction with alexithymia and attachment anxiety. Accuracy was poorer when AQ scores and alexithymia scores were both high, whereas high attachment anxiety boosted emotion recognition in participants with high AQ scores. Results highlight the importance of studying individual differences factors concomitantly, allowing for more accurate identification of individuals who may be at risk of emotional miscommunication online, and are therefore suitable targets for support or intervention. Furthermore, findings will be informative for designers of digital tools that are used to convey emotion.

TRAIT SELF-CONTROL AND ATTACHMENT ANXIETY IN RETIREES’ DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS AND EMOTIONAL WELL-BEING

Abstract Trait self-control (TSC) is a well-known predictor of well-being. TSC may reduce distraction from hedonistic pursuits and enable more effective goal-directed behavior. Attachment anxiety (AA) is a trait that predicts lower relationship quality and lower well-being; people high on AA are characterized by hyper-sensitivity, proximity-seeking and excessive rumination. In retirement, these traits may interact to predict wellbeing. Methods: 120 retired participants took part in data collection (M = 62.37 years old; SD = 10.07 years; 68% women, 70% white). Data collection included self-reported AA (Experience in Close Relationships), TSC (Brief Self-Control Scale), depressive symptoms (Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale) and emotional well-being (RAND 36-Item Health Survey). We conducted hierarchical linear regressions and accounted for demographic and health-related covariates. Results: TSC was negatively related to depressive symptoms and positively related to emotional well-being. AA was positively related to depressive symptoms and negatively related to emotional well-being. We found an interaction predicting depressive symptoms such that participants with low TSC and high AA had the highest depressive symptoms (p = .036). This interaction was not significant for emotional well-being. Discussion: After retiring, maintaining a healthy social life may be more effortful, as there are fewer ‘built-in’ social interactions (i.e., with coworkers). Retirees with higher TSC may be able to maintain their social life more effectively than those with lower TSC. Similarly, people with lower AA may be able to obtain more enjoyment from their social lives. Together, lower AA and higher TSC may be protective mechanisms for depressive symptoms.

Attachment, empathy, emotion regulation, and subjective well-being in young women

This study explored the association between attachment and subjective well-being by examining the possible mediating roles of empathy and emotion regulation (i.e., reappraisal and suppression) with a sample of young women (ages 18–25) attending U.S. universities (N = 479). Higher attachment anxiety and avoidance were associated with lower subjective well-being. Attachment anxiety and avoidance were associated with affective, but not cognitive, empathy. Empathy did not mediate the relation between attachment and subjective well-being. Higher attachment anxiety and avoidance were associated with lower reappraisal, partially mediating the effect on subjective well-being. Attachment anxiety and avoidance were negatively associated with suppression, but suppression failed to function as a mediator between attachment and subjective well-being. Taken together, the results highlight the role of reappraisal in subjective well-being for young women with higher levels of attachment anxiety and avoidance.

Attachment and Clinical Outcomes in Treatment-Seeking Adults with Persistent Symptoms Following Concussion

<h3>Research Objectives</h3> To investigate whether insecure attachment strategies are associated with worse clinical outcomes following concussion, including persistent post-concussion symptoms (PPCS), lower health-related quality of life (HRQOL), higher depression and anxiety symptoms, and worse treatment responses. <h3>Design</h3> The study used data from a randomized controlled trial of behavioral interventions for PPCS. Outcome measures were administered at clinic intake (M=18.1 weeks post-injury) and at follow-up (M=32.2 weeks post-injury), except for the measure of attachment strategies, which was only administered at follow-up. <h3>Setting</h3> Outpatient concussion clinics. <h3>Participants</h3> A total of 83 treatment-seeking adults with PPCS were recruited. Participants were 66% female with a mean age of 41.3 years (SD=11.8). <h3>Interventions</h3> Not applicable. <h3>Main Outcome Measures</h3> Insecure attachment dimensions were measured using the Relationship Scales Questionnaire. PPCS were assessed using the Rivermead Post Concussion Symptoms Questionnaire; depression and anxiety were measured using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 and the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 scale, respectively. HRQOL was assessed with the Quality of Life after Brain Injury-Overall Scale. <h3>Results</h3> Higher attachment anxiety was associated with greater PPCS (B=3.42, 95% CI [0.46, 6.38], p=.02), greater depression and anxiety symptoms (B=0.33, 95% CI [0.10, 0.57], p=.006; B=0.37, 95% CI [0.08,0.65], p=.01), and worse HRQOL (B=-6.80, 95% CI [-10.66, -2.95], p<.001) at follow-up. Higher attachment anxiety was also associated with less improvement in depression (B=-1.20, 95% CI [-2.29, -0.12], p=.03) and HRQOL (B=-4.08, 95% CI [-7.21, -0.93], p=.01) over time. In contrast, attachment avoidance was unrelated to any of the clinical outcomes. <h3>Conclusions</h3> Our results suggest that attachment anxiety, the fear that a significant other will not be available in stressful circumstances, may be a particularly important social determinant of health in adults with PPCS. Greater consideration of the attachment system is warranted in post-concussion care and research. <h3>Author(s) Disclosures</h3> The authors have no conflict of interest to disclose.

From Individual Anxiety to Collective Narcissism? Adult Attachment Styles and Different Types of National Commitment.

National narcissism and national identification, two distinct types of national commitment, differ in terms of their psychological concomitants. Therefore, in the current article, we hypothesized that they would also relate to different adult attachment styles. Namely, we proposed that national narcissism would be positively associated with higher attachment anxiety, while national identification would be associated with lower attachment anxiety and avoidance. These hypotheses were tested in three cross-sectional surveys (Study 1 N = 570; Study 3 N = 558; Study 4 N = 649) and one longitudinal survey (Study 2 N = 808). In all studies, we found a consistent positive relationship between attachment anxiety and national narcissism, and a negative relationship between attachment avoidance and national identification. Finally, we also demonstrated indirect effects of attachment anxiety (via national narcissism) on maladaptive group-related outcomes: conspiracy beliefs, non-normative collective action, and willingness to conspire.

Social comparison, parasocial relationships, and attachment style: how and when do celebrities improve self-liking?

ABSTRACT The recent exponential increase in information available online has not only increased access to information about celebrities, but also decreased the degree to which that information is unambiguously positive. In the current work, we examined how positive celebrities (i.e. celebrities who are primarily admired) versus more ambiguous celebrities (i.e. celebrities about whom people have mixed feelings) differentially affect feelings about the self. Across three studies, we found that high attachment anxiety was associated with assimilating positive celebrities to feel better about the self, whereas attachment avoidance was associated with contrasting ambivalent celebrities to feel better to feel better about the self. Implications for parasocial relationships, social comparison, and attachment are discussed.

Social Support is a Balancing Act: Mitigating Attachment Anxiety by Supporting Independence and Dependence

Due to the personal and relationship costs associated with attachment anxiety, there has been substantial interest in identifying factors that reduce attachment anxiety over time and buffer attachment anxiety in the moment. We integrated the Attachment Security Enhancement Model (ASEM) and the dependency paradox based in attachment theory to derive novel predictions about how perceived partner support predicts attachment anxiety prospectively (one year later) and concurrently. Newlyweds ( N = 326) reported their perceptions that their partners support their personal goals (i.e., perceived support for independence needs) and their perceptions that their partners provide reassurance/responsiveness (i.e., perceived support for dependence needs). We found that greater perceived support for personal goals predicted decreases in attachment anxiety over one year only among people who also perceived high partner reassurance/responsiveness, consistent with the idea that support for independence is most effective when partners also support dependence needs. We also observed evidence that this pattern was most pronounced among people with higher attachment anxiety. Regarding concurrent links, we found that perceiving greater partner reassurance/responsiveness predicted lower concurrent attachment anxiety, whereas perceived support for independent goals did not. Together, these findings extend the ASEM by highlighting that attachment anxiety declines over time when partners are perceived to support one’s needs for independence and dependence simultaneously.

Romantic Attachment, Sex Motives and Sexual Difficulties in Emerging Adults: The Role of Childhood Interpersonal Victimization

ABSTRACT A growing body of research has revealed that many emerging adults (i.e., aged 18 to 25) experience sexual difficulties. Past studies have emphasized the need to examine sexual difficulties by accounting for sex motives (i.e., reasons for engaging in sex) and by using a trauma-focused or attachment-based framework. This study examined the role of sex motives in the associations among attachment insecurities (anxiety, avoidance) and sexual difficulties in emerging adults, and assessed whether these links varied on the basis of low or high exposure to childhood interpersonal victimization (CIV) (i.e., 0–3 different types of CIV or 4 or more types of CIV). A sample of 437 French-Canadian emerging adults completed validated questionnaires online. Path analyses revealed that participants with higher attachment anxiety were more likely to endorse the partner approval sex motive, which was related to more sexual difficulties. Participants with higher attachment avoidance were less likely to endorse the pleasure sex motive, which was associated with more sexual difficulties. Results indicated a significant effect of CIV showing that some indirect effects were significant only in participants who reported high CIV exposure. Results suggest that addressing sex motives using an attachment- and trauma-focused framework might help understand, prevent and treat sexual difficulties among emerging adults.

Attachment and Clinical Outcomes Among Treatment-Seeking Adults With Persistent Symptoms After Mild Traumatic Brain Injury.

Interpersonal attachment influences the development and course of disease. Overreliance on insecure attachment strategies may increase risk for poor disease outcomes. This study aimed to investigate largely unexplored relationships between attachment strategies and clinical outcomes among adults with persistent symptoms after mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI). Participants with persistent symptoms after mTBI (N=83) completed measures assessing dimensions of insecure attachment (Relationship Scales Questionnaire [RSQ]), persistent symptoms (Rivermead Post-Concussion Symptoms Questionnaire), depression (Patient Health Questionnaire-9), anxiety (Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7), and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) (Quality of Life After Brain Injury-Overall Scale). Questionnaires were administered at clinic intake (mean=18.1 weeks postinjury) and again 3-4 months later (mean=32.2 weeks postinjury), except the RSQ, which was administered only in the follow-up assessment. Treatment response for each outcome was calculated as the difference between scores at clinic intake and follow-up. Generalized linear models were fitted for each clinical outcome, with RSQ variables as predictors. Higher attachment anxiety was associated with greater persistent symptom severity, greater depression and anxiety symptoms, and worse HRQOL at follow-up. Higher attachment anxiety was also associated with less improvement in depression and HRQOL over time. In contrast, attachment avoidance was unrelated to any of the clinical outcomes. Attachment anxiety, the fear that a significant other will not be available in stressful circumstances, may be a particularly important social factor associated with health among adults with persistent symptoms after mTBI. Greater consideration of the attachment system is warranted in mTBI care and research.

Sleep Efficiency and Naturalistically-Observed Social Behavior Following Marital Separation: The Critical Role of Contact with an Ex-partner.

Marital disruption is associated with increased risk for a range of poor health outcomes, including disturbed sleep. This report examines trajectories of actigraphy-assessed sleep efficiency following marital separation as well as the extent to which daily social behaviors and individual differences in attachment explain variability in these trajectories over time. One hundred twenty-two recently-separated adults (N = 122) were followed longitudinally for three assessment periods over five months. To objectively assess daily social behaviors and sleep efficiency, participants wore the Electronically Activated Recorder (EAR) during the day (for one weekend at each assessment period) and an actiwatch at night (for seven days at each assessment period). Greater time spent with an ex-partner, as assessed by the EAR, was associated with decreased sleep efficiency between participants (p = .003). Higher attachment anxiety was also associated with decreased sleep efficiency (p = .03), as was the EAR-observed measure of "television on." The latter effect operated both between (p = .004) and within participants (p = .005). Finally, study timepoint moderated the association between EAR-observed measure of "television on" and sleep efficiency (p = .007). The current findings deepen our understanding of sleep disturbances following marital separation and point to contact with an ex-partner and time spent with the television on as behavioral markers of risk.

Nurses’ coping with patients’ relatives: Attachment style, burnout, and intentions to leave nursing

Abstract Background Conflictual interactions with patients’ relatives are prevalent in the work of hospital nurses. These situations may increase burnout and result in intentions to leave the nursing profession and high rates of turnover. It is important to understand the coping mechanisms and behaviours that nurses employ in such conflicts, to help them develop more adequate strategies that could prevent these outcomes. This study aimed at revealing how nurses’ attachment styles colour their behavioural coping mechanisms when dealing with such interactions with patients’ relatives, and how they are related to burnout and intentions to leave the profession. Methods An online survey was completed by 140 hospital nurses that included three scenarios of typical conflicts with patients’ relatives. Each scenario was followed by questions that assess stress and inadequacy when handling such situations, and behaviours: problem-solving responses, emotional support seeking, avoidance, and escalating responses. The survey also included self-reports of attachment styles, burnout, and intentions to leave nursing. Data were analysed using SEM (Amos 23). Results The model shows an acceptable fit (χ2(24) = 39.33, p = .025; CFI = .963; RMSEA = .068). Higher anxious attachment was associated with higher stress and feelings of inadequacy in handling the situation, which in turn were associated with more emotional support seeking, avoidance, and escalating responses. Escalating responses were indirectly associated with intentions to leave the nursing profession via higher burnout. Higher avoidant attachment was associated with fewer problem-solving responses. Conclusions Evaluating nurses’ attachment style, cognitions, and behaviours in conflicts with patients’ relatives is imperative for understanding burnout and intentions to leave nursing. Nursing training should include simulations of conflictual interactions with patients’ relatives to help modify maladaptive coping. Key messages • Evaluating nurses’ attachment style, cognitions, and behaviours in conflicts with patients’ relatives is imperative for understanding burnout and intentions to leave nursing. • Training for nursing staff should consider nurses’ awareness of their attachment style to modify maladaptive cognitions and behaviours in conflicts with patients’ relatives.

Relationship satisfaction during COVID-19: The role of partners' perceived support and attachment.

ObjectiveThe main goal of this study was to examine the interplay between individuals' attachment insecurity and their perceptions of their partners' COVID‐related behaviors (supportive and negative behaviors) in predicting their relationship satisfaction.BackgroundStress is a well‐documented risk factor for relationship satisfaction. COVID‐19 related stressors thus pose a challenge to maintaining relationship satisfaction. Although partners' supportive behaviors can play a central role in mitigating these stressors, enduring individual vulnerabilities, such as attachment insecurity, are likely to moderate the effectiveness of supportive (or negative) behaviors.MethodIn this two‐wave study, conducted at the start of the COVID‐19 pandemic in Israel, 239 participants in cohabiting Israeli couples reported their current relationship satisfaction and perceived partners' supportive and negative behaviors in response to COVID‐related stress. Participants' pre‐COVID reports of relationship satisfaction and attachment orientations were used to assess the extent to which partners' supportive/negative behaviors interacted with attachment orientations to predict relationship satisfaction maintenance during the first lockdown in Israel.ResultsHigher levels of support and lower levels of negative behaviors were associated with greater relationship satisfaction maintenance. Anxiously attached individuals showed greater sensitivity to their partners' support, whereas avoidantly attached individuals manifested lower reactivity to their partners' negative behaviors.ConclusionsPerceived partners' supportive and negative behaviors can predict relationship satisfaction during stressful times. However, high attachment anxiety and low attachment avoidance may render individuals more sensitive to such behaviors.ImplicationsThe results suggest that during times of stress, it is essential to target partners with attachment insecurity to strengthen their supportive skills.