Insecure Attachment Styles Research Articles

Insecure adult attachment styles are associated with parental reflective functioning pre-mentalizing modes

IntroductionParental Reflective Functioning (PRF) refers to parents’ capacity to view their child’s and their own behavior considering inner mental states, like thoughts, desires, and intentions. It has been related to attachment, mentalizing capacities, and psychopathology in children. An association between adult attachment style and reflective functioning has been described. Studies have also suggested that parental insecure attachment is related to lower levels of PRF.ObjectivesWe aim to study the association between specific adult attachment styles (anxious [Anx] and/or avoidant [Av]) and specific PRF modes (pre-mentalizing [PM], certainty about mental states [CMS] and/or interest and curiosity [IC]).MethodsA sample of 238 parents (228 mothers and 34 fathers) of 263 children aged 0 to 5 years old were recruited through informal difussion of the study in social media. These parents completed the Experiences in Close Relationships-Revised (ECR-R) and the Parental Reflective Functioning Questionnaire-18 (PRFQ-18) online. Sex and age of parents and children were also gathered. In the first place, Pearson’s correlation was conducted to study the association between the ECR-R and the PRFQ-18 subscales. In a second step, general linear models were used to control for the effect of sex and/or age, when necessary.ResultsMothers’ mean age was 35,59±4,55 and fathers’ 38,26±4,47. Among children, a total of 119 were girls (45,2%) and 140 (53,2%) boys; in 4 (1,5%) cases the sex was not specified. The association between attachment and PRF subscales is shown in Table 1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 78Parent age-Parent sex-0,196**-Child age0,273**0,054-Child sex0,0620,0140,041-PRFQ PM0,120-0,0590,072-0,001-PRFQ CMS-0,1090,135*0,137*0,015-0,256**-PRFQ IC-0,0990,163**0,121-0,069-0,0720,078-ECR-R Anx0,115-0,138*-0,0270,0060,410**-0,232**-0,035-ECR-R Av0,137*-0,0490,007-0,0910,186**-0,049-0,1030,279****p<.001,*p<.05 In a second step, the influence of Anx attachment on CMS was controlled for parents’ sex and children’s age; β-value of Anx was -0,288 (p<.000) and the whole model explained 70% of the variability of CMS.ConclusionsWe observed that Anx attachment is associated with lower CMS and greater PM. With regard to CMS, both high and low extreme scores have been proposed to be less adaptative than average scores. Av attachment has also been related to higher PM scores. PM mode, which involves “an inability to hold the child’s mental states in mind and/or to have malevolent attributions about the child’s behavior”, is indicative of pathological PRF, and seems to be associated with insecure attachment (↑Anx/Av). Our results are in line with previous works (San Cristobal et al. Front. Psychol. 2017; Luyten et al. PLOS ONE 2017), and suggest that PRF could play a role in the intergenerational transmission of attachment, which should be further investigated.Disclosure of InterestNone Declared

The Effects of Emotion Regulation on Physical and Psychological Wellbeing in University Students: The Role of Depersonalization and Attachment Style

ABSTRACT Our ability to regulate our emotions plays a key protective role against psychological distress and somatic symptoms, with most of the literature focusing on the role of cognitive reappraisal in interventions such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). This study seeks to examine the relationship between emotion dysregulation and psychological and physical distress in university students through the role of depersonalization (DP) and insecure attachment. This study will try to explain the deployment of DP as a defense mechanism to insecure attachment fears and overwhelming stress, developing a maladaptive emotion responding strategy, which affects wellbeing later in life. A cross-sectional design was used on a sample (N = 313) of university students over the age of 18 which consisted of an online survey of 7 questionnaires. Hierarchical multiple regression and mediation analysis were conducted on the results. The results showed that emotion dysregulation and DP predicted each variable of psychological distress and somatic symptoms. Both insecure attachment styles were found to predict psychological distress and somatization, mediated through higher levels of DP, whereby DP may be deployed as a defense mechanism to insecure attachment fears and overwhelming stress, which affects our wellbeing. Clinical implications of these findings highlight the importance of screening for DP in young adults and university students.

The Mother-Baby Bond: Role of Past and Current Relationships

During the perinatal period, up to 25% of women experience difficulties in relating to their child. The mother-child bond promotes the transition to motherhood, protects the woman from depression, and protects the child from the intergenerational transmission of the disease. This study prospectively investigated if the relationship with the co-parent, the attachment style, and the bond that women had with their parents influenced the mother-fetus and then mother-child bond. We also explored the role of depression and anxiety. One hundred nineteen pregnant women were enrolled. We administered clinical interviews and psychometric tools. A telephone interview was conducted at 1, 3, and 6 months of follow-up. Maternal insecure attachment style (r = -0.253, p = 0.006) and women's dyadic adjustment in the couple's relationships (r = 0.182, p = 0.049) were correlated with lower maternal-fetal attachment. Insecure attachment styles and depression correlate with bottle-feeding rather than breastfeeding. The bond women had with their mothers, not their fathers, was associated with breastfeeding. Depression (OR = 0.243, p = 0.008) and anxiety (OR = 0.185, p = 0.004; OR = 0.304, p < 0.0001) were related to mother-infant bonding. Close relationships, past and present, affect the bond with the fetus and the child differently. Psychotherapy can provide reassuring and restorative intersubjective experiences.

Do insecure adult attachment styles mediate the relationship between childhood maltreatment and violent behavior?

Attachment theory has played an important role in attempts to understand the "cycle of violence," where maltreated children are at increased risk for perpetrating violence later in life. However, little is known empirically about whether adult attachment insecurity in close relationships may partly explain the link between childhood maltreatment and violent behavior. This study aimed to address this gap using data from a prospective longitudinal study of documented childhood abuse and neglect cases and demographically matched controls (ages 0-11 years), who were followed into adulthood and interviewed (N = 892). Participants completed the Relationship Scales Questionnaire assessing adult attachment styles at mean age 39.54. Criminal arrest data were used to determine arrests for violence after the assessment of attachment through mean age 50.54. There were significant direct paths from childhood maltreatment and adult attachment insecurity to violent arrests after attachment measurement. Attachment insecurity partly explained the higher levels of violence in individuals with maltreatment histories. Analyses of maltreatment subtypes and attachment styles revealed that attachment anxiety appeared to mediate paths between neglect and physical abuse and later violence. There were no significant indirect paths from neglect or physical abuse to violence via attachment avoidance. Implications and future directions are discussed.

Childhood Attachment with Parents as Predictor of Subjective Wellbeing in Emerging Adults

The current study was intended to explore the dynamics of attachment relationships with the caregivers formed during childhood and the influence of this attachment on the well-being of the emerging adults. It was hypothesized that insecure (avoidant &amp; anxious) attachment style with mother/father is negatively correlated with subjective well-being among emerging adults (18-25 years old). Furthermore, insecure attachment (avoidant &amp; anxious) with mother/father in childhood predicts decreased subjective well-being in emerging adults. The sample comprised N = 403 undergraduate students, aged 18-25 years, from a public sector university. Experiences in Close Relationships- Relations Structure was used to assess the attachment insecurity of the adult with his/her mother and father both. Subjective well-being was measured using three scales: Satisfaction with Life Scale, Positive Affect Negative Affect Scale, and Flourishing Scale. The regression analyses showed that subjective well-being was significantly predicted by insecure attachment.&#x0D; Keywords: attachment insecurity, subjective well-being, emerging adulthood

Insecure Attachment Styles and Phubbing: The Mediating Role of Problematic Smartphone Use

Lately, increasing concern has focused on the incessant and intrusive use of smartphones across a wide range of interpersonal and relational contexts. Of concern is that many people appear to snub someone during face-to-face interactions by focusing more on their smartphone than on their relational partner, namely, phubbing. Individuals with insecure attachment styles may phub their intimate others more often. However, such relationships have not been examined. This study used a cross-sectional design to examine key relationships between insecure attachment styles on phubbing. An online survey was conducted to examine the relationships between the variables of this study ( N = 444 , 72% female: mean age 20). The analyses revealed both anxious-preoccupied and dismissive-avoidant attachment styles to be positively associated with phubbing. Moreover, both insecure attachment styles indirectly predicted phubbing through problematic smartphone use (PSU). Insecure attachment styles appear to impact how often people phub others within intimate relationships, and further, PSU may function as a mechanism linking these insecure attachment styles with phubbing.

Eating attitudes among Hungarian adolescents

According to the literature, mentalizing difficulties and insecure emotional attachment styles occur more frequently among adolescents with eating disorders. The role of mentalization in the relationship between emotional attachment styles and eating attitudes has not been investigated among Hungarian adolescents. We investigated the relationship between mentalization, emotional attachment and eating attitudes among adolescents between 14 and 18 years of age. After informed consent, 143 adolescents filled out the Reflective Functioning Questionnaire, the Experience in Close Relationship Scale, and the Eating Attitudes Test in our study. The direct path between the emotional attachment total score and dieting was not significant (c' = 0.01, p = 0.31, β = 0.09), while the indirect path between emotional attachment and eating attitudes through mentalization uncertainty proved to be significant (∑ab = 0.01 [0.01-0.02], β = 0.07). Our results suggest that the attachment style plays a role in dieting through mentalizing among adolescents. We recommend mentalization-based methods to change attitudes about dieting among adolescents. Orv Hetil. 2023; 164(2): 64-69.

Humor and Attachment: Exploring the Relationships between Insecure Attachment and the Comic Styles.

In this study, the relationship between individuals' insecure attachment styles and eight comic styles was explored. A sample of 636 Italian adults (206 males, 428 females, 2 non-binary), aged 18 to 81 years (M = 41.44; DS = 13.44) completed an online survey to investigate the relationship between insecure attachment styles, namely anxious and avoidant, and the eight comic styles, clustered into lighter style (fun, benevolent humor, wit, nonsense) and darker style (irony, satire, sarcasm, cynicism). The findings of this research indicated the lighter and darker styles were differently related to the anxious and avoidant styles. The anxious attachment was negatively related to both benevolent humor and wit and positively with irony. The avoidant style was positively associated with nonsense and sarcasm, while no other relationship emerged. This research indicated that attachment orientations are associated with individual differences in the detailed differentiation of humor-related styles.

Childbirth, trauma and family relationships

ABSTRACT Background: Childbirth is a major life event with expected positive outcomes, yet for some women postnatal psychopathological symptoms may harm women’s interpersonal relationships. We hypothesized that higher levels of postnatal depression, post-traumatic stress (PTSD) symptoms, and fear of childbirth would be associated with mother-baby bond disorders and relationship dissatisfaction in couples. Method: A cross-sectional self-report online questionnaire was used to survey partnered women who had delivered in the year prior to the study. We used a convenience sample of 228 women recruited through purposive and snowball sampling. Childbirth experience, PTSD symptoms, attachment style, depression, mother-baby bond disorders, and couple relationship dissatisfaction were measured. Results: Women with higher PTSD and postnatal depression scores reported higher levels of mother-baby bond disorders—a relationship fully mediated by postnatal depression symptoms. Women who perceived childbirth as fearful or anxiety provoking had higher levels of PTSD and postnatal depression symptoms. Fearful and anxious birth perception was positively associated with mother-baby bond disorders—an association partly mediated by PTSD symptoms. Insecure attachment style was not found to be significantly associated with fearful or anxious perceptions of childbirth. Limitations: Women who have postnatal PTSD/depression are less inclined to participate in a study of this nature. Also, online surveys prevented the use of clinical diagnoses of PTSD and depression. Discussion and conclusions: Our results suggest that PTSD and postnatal depression affect women’s mental health and family bonding. Women should be assessed for negative traumatic birth experiences, PTSD, and depression, to allow targeted observation for psychopathologies and therapeutic interventions.

The association between attachment style and social functioning in patients with non-affective psychotic disorders, unaffected siblings and healthy controls

ObjectiveIn patients with psychotic disorders, insecure attachment styles and impaired social functioning are highly prevalent. Our aim was to explore the multi-cross-sectional and longitudinal associations between attachment style and social functioning. MethodsThis study was performed in a subsample of 119 patients with non-affective psychotic disorders, 128 unaffected siblings and 66 healthy controls within the Genetic Risk and Outcome of Psychosis (GROUP) Study. Attachment style (using the Psychosis Attachment Measure) and three social functioning domains, namely withdrawal, interpersonal behaviour and pro-social activities as measured with the Social Functioning Scale (SFS) were assessed on two moments in time. Generalized linear mixed models and linear regression models were used. Bonferroni correction for multiple testing was applied. ResultsIn the patient group, a significant negative association was found between avoidant attachment and pro-social functioning. In the sibling and control group, we found significant negative associations between avoidant attachment and the social functioning domains withdrawal and interpersonal behaviour. We also found a significant negative association between anxious attachment and the social functioning domain withdrawal in siblings. Higher levels of insecure anxious attachment at baseline predicted a reduction of the social functioning domain interpersonal behaviour in siblings over a period of three years on a trend level. ConclusionsFindings indicate that levels of insecure attachment are elevated in patients with psychotic disorders and have a negative association with social functioning in both patients, siblings and controls. These findings warrant specific attention for attachment style in the treatment of patients with psychotic disorders and individuals with an increased vulnerability for developing psychosis.

Employees' insecure attachment styles and time theft: a moderated mediated model

This paper investigates the influence of insecure attachment (avoidance and anxiety) style on employee time theft with mediating role of emotional exhaustion and moderating role of supervisor aggression. To empirically study the proposed relationships, we collected data from 440 employees of the service industry in Pakistan and analysed using AMOS 22 and SPSS 19. After data screening and confirming the reliability and validity of the study variables, mediation and moderation analysis were conducted. Results revealed that emotional exhaustion mediates the relationship between insecure attachment style and employee theft. Study results further reveal that supervisor aggression moderates the relationship between insecure attachment style and emotional exhaustion. Hence all proposed hypotheses were proved.

Relationship between attachment style of 4-7-year-old children and their behavior during dental visit.

The general health and quality of life are directly correlated with oral health. Oral health is one of the unique health concerns that apply to all children. Pediatric dentistry is built on effective communication with children, which is also a requirement for providing pediatric dental care. Many pediatric dentists find it difficult to anticipate children's behavior and how they will respond to therapeutic procedures. The purpose of this study was to evaluate children's attachment types in order to forecast their behavior during a dentist appointment. The participants were 120 children between the ages of 4 and 7 who were reported to the Department of Pediatric and Preventive Dentistry, Institute of Dental Sciences, Bareilly. The youngsters were evaluated by a dental graduate student. While they waited in the waiting area, the parents were asked to complete the Kinship Center Attachment Questionnaire regarding their kids. In the second visit, dental work was scheduled for the kids who had met the requirements for inclusion in the first visit. Another pediatric dentistry postgraduate student evaluated the children's conduct during the dental procedure using a predefined questionnaire and the Frankl scale. The Chi-squared test, t-test, Pearson's correlation coefficient, and linear regression were used to examine the data. According to the findings, 55.8% of the total children were cooperative, among which 59.1% were female and 52.0% were males. The average age of the kids was 6.2 ± 0.95. Moreover, 21.3% of kids had insecure attachment styles and 78.7% of kids had secure attachment types. The child-dentist communication and the insecure ambivalent attachment pattern were significantly correlated. As a result, our study demonstrated that children's safe attachment styles varied with age. Our results showed that there is an inverse relationship between children's collaboration and age, with cooperation rising as age increases. According to the findings of this study and considering its limitations, in young ages, the attachment style of the mother plays an important role in behavior of children. The significant correlations existed between the insecure ambivalent attachment style and child-dentist communication, as well as the secure attachment type and mother-child separation.

Predicting the Desire for Remarriage Based on Family Relationships, Attachment Styles, and Personality Traits Among Married Men

The present study aimed to investigate the multifaceted relationships between family relationships, attachment styles, and personality traits with the desire for remarriage among married men in Isfahan. The research method was descriptive and correlational. The statistical population consisted of all married men in Isfahan during the years 2016-2017. The sample included 195 married men selected through convenience sampling. The research instruments were the Remarriage Desire Scale, the Family Relationships Questionnaire (Olson &amp; Barnes, 2004), the Attachment Styles Questionnaire (Armsden &amp; Greenberg, 1987), and the NEO Five-Factor Personality Inventory (Costa &amp; McCrae, 1997). Data were analyzed using both descriptive statistics (mean and standard deviation) and inferential statistics (Pearson correlation and stepwise regression analysis). Analyses were conducted using the SPSS statistical package. Results showed that the predictor variables of family relationships, insecure attachment style with father, neuroticism, agreeableness, and conscientiousness significantly related to the desire for remarriage among married men, with family relationships having predictive power for the desire for remarriage in married men. Based on these results, it can be said that an increase in the experience of satisfactory family relationships, conscientiousness, and agreeableness reduces men's desire for remarriage, while neuroticism and insecure attachment style with father increase the desire for remarriage in these men. Additionally, satisfactory family relationships can predict a decrease in the desire for remarriage among married men. Thus, if women can form a good relationship with men, they can reduce their husbands' desire for remarriage.

The Mediating Role of Fear of Self in the Relationship between Insecure Attachment Styles and Obsessive Beliefs in a Non-Clinical Population

The Mediating Role of Fear of Self in the Relationship between Insecure Attachment Styles and Obsessive Beliefs in a Non-Clinical Population

Impact of Attachment Relationships on Anxiety and Depression

The review delves into the intricate interplay between attachment styles, depression, and anxiety, emphasizing their co-occurrence and profound impact on individuals’ well-being. It underscores the significance of early attachment experiences in shaping emotional regulation and psychological outcomes and how different attachment styles influence emotional well-being, particularly in relation to depression and anxiety. The research further explains the distinct attachment types, including secure, preoccupied, fearful avoidant, and dismissive-avoidant, and their implications on emotion regulation and psychological well-being. Secure attachment fosters positive self-perceptions and healthy relationships, while insecure attachment styles can lead to difficulties in emotional regulation, potentially contributing to heightened vulnerability to depression and anxiety. The study also delves into the societal and environmental factors that may exacerbate mental health challenges among adolescents. It sheds light on how attachment styles are intertwined with mental health outcomes, including depression, social phobia, and suicidal ideation. The review further emphasizes social anxiety’s moderating role in the relationship between attachment style and depression. This understanding holds important implications for clinical interventions, emphasizing the need for tailored treatment approaches that address both attachment patterns and emotional well-being. In conclusion, this comprehensive review provides a nuanced understanding of how early attachment experiences shape emotional regulation and influence mental health outcomes. The findings underscore the importance of considering attachment styles in clinical interventions and highlight the need for early support and intervention to promote mental well-being and prevent the development of anxiety and depression stemming from adverse childhood experiences.

The Influence of Parenting Styles on Attachment Styles and Parental Influence on Children’s Cognitive Development

As people’s attachment styles have aroused the attention of whole society, researchers have done many studies for exploring the determination of their attachment styles. However, the causal relationship between parenting styles and formation of attachment styles still needs a specific explanation. Therefore, in this study, by summarizing the previous experiments and researches, detailed explanation will be illustrated. And through the investigation of parenting styles, a new question about how parents influence their children’s cognitive development, especially their communicating ways has been addressed, so this question will also be illustrated by referencing several studies. This research has found that the extent of the influence of parenting styles on attachment styles is mainly based on the responsiveness of parents, and all the insecure attachment styles would be attributed to insecure parenting styles. In this way, parents’ communicating ways with their children would have some effects on their cognitive development. So, the parental influence comprehensively influences children in many aspects, and parents should learn to behave securely in order to provide their children a safe future.

Examining Self-Esteem as a Moderator of Attachment Styles and Sexual Partners

The purpose of this study was to examine self-esteem as a moderator of attachment styles and the number of sexual partners an individual has had in their lifetime. Previous literature has found that an individual’s level of self-esteem affects a person’s number of sexual partners (e.g., those with low self-esteem tend to have more sexual partners). Studies have also been conducted examining the correlation between attachment styles and number of sexual partners, finding that those with an insecure attachment style, namely anxious or avoidant attachment, tend to have more sexual partners. While previous literature has examined these factors separately, this study aims to examine self-esteem as a moderator of attachment style on the number of sexual partners an individual has. In doing so, we aim to determine if self-esteem may predict when attachment styles influence decisions regarding sexual partners.

The mediating role of attachment styles in the relationship between marital intimacy and self-differentiation in couples

Aim: This study aimed to investigate the mediating role of attachment styles in the relationship between marital intimacy and couples' self-differentiation. Method: This research is descriptive-correlation type. The statistical population of the present study included all couples working in private offices in the 7th district of Tehran in 2022. Among these people, 100 couples (200 people) were selected by the available sampling method. In order to collect data, Collins’ (1996) Adult Attachment Style Questionnaire, Thompson and Walker’s (1995) Marital Intimacy Questionnaire and Skowron and Friedlander's (1995) Self-Differentiation Inventory were used. Pearson's correlation coefficient and regression analysis were used for the statistical analysis of the data. Results: The findings showed a direct relationship between marital intimacy and couples' differentiation. Also, the results showed that attachment style moderates the relationship between marital intimacy and couples' differentiation. Conclusion: Based on the findings, a secure attachment style can strengthen the relationship between marital intimacy and couples' self-differentiation. Also, an insecure attachment style can weaken the relationship between marital intimacy and couples' self-differentiation.

The Impact of Romantic Attachment Styles on Jealousy in Young Adults.

Romantic attachment is reflected in various aspects of dyadic interaction in a couple, since it is a self-reinforcing system of cognitive, emotional and behavioral patterns. Romantic jealousy was shown to be associated with dimensions of attachment insecurity in various studies worldwide. To identify differences in expressions of romantic jealousy based on romantic attachment style. To determine the influence of attachment-related anxiety and attachment-related avoidance on cognitive, emotional, and behavioral jealousy. The sample comprised 171 heterosexual individuals. The "Experiences in Close Relationships - Revised" questionnaire (ECR-R; Fraley, Waller, & Brennan, 2000; adapted for Russian by Chursina, 2022) and "Multidimensional Jealousy Scale" (MJS; Pfeiffer, & Wong, 1989) were used. A number of significant differences were identified between insecure and secure attachment styles. Avoidant attachment is characterized by cognitive jealousy, ambivalent attachment is characterized by cognitive and behavioral jealousy, while dismissing attachment showed no significant differences in the manifestations of jealousy in comparison with secure attachment style. Emotional jealousy is equally characteristic of all types. The primacy of romantic attachment in relation to cognitive and behavioral jealousy was also proved. The experience of jealousy differs among romantic attachment styles. Attachment-related anxiety is a predictor of intrusive thoughts and behavioral manifestations of jealousy, while attachment-related avoidance is less, the greater the manifestation of jealousy behaviors.

القدرة التنبؤية لعالقات معلمات الروضة باألطفال ذوي التعلق غير اآلمن بحب االستطالع والتفاعل مع األقران وفقاً لمستويات القدرة اللفظية لديهم بمدينة ع مان

The present study aimed to identify the predictive ability of kindergarten teachers' relationships with children of insecure attachment to curiosity and interaction with peers according to their levels of verbal ability in the city of Amman in Al-Jami’ah district. The sample of the study consisted of (110) children (71 male children and 39 female children). To achieve the objectives of the study, the scale of Attachment pattern was used in addition to the measures of the teacher-child relationships, interaction with peers, curiosity and verbal ability. The findings showed that the level of the positive relationships between the kindergarten teacher and the children of the insecure attachment style, the level of children’s curiosity, and the level of their verbal ability were all moderate, with an average of (2.60), (0.63) and (% 51.8), respectively. Besides, children had a high level of interaction with their peers with an average of (3.03). The findings also showed that the kindergarten teacher's relationship with the children of the insecure attachment pattern explained (19.6%) of their curiosity, and (17.8%) of their interactions with peers. Results also revealed that there were no statistically significant differences in the relationship between the teacher's relationship with children, and their curiosity from one hand, and their interaction with peers on the other hand according to the variables of verbal ability and gender.