Measures Of Attachment Style Research Articles

Sensory-processing sensitivity, parenting styles, and adult attachment patterns in parents of young children

ABSTRACT Background Increased sensitivity to internal and external stimuli, known as sensory-processing sensitivity (SPS), has been linked to attachment insecurity and less optimal parenting styles in parents of children aged 4–13 years. Associations between these parenting factors in parents of children aged 3 years and younger have not yet been investigated. Understanding the relationships between these factors will facilitate the development of strategies to better support highly sensitive parents. Methods A sample of 153 parents of children aged 3 years and younger completed an online survey comprising standardised measures of SPS, attachment, and infant parenting styles. The underlying factor structure of the Infancy Parenting Styles Questionnaire was investigated. Results Factor analysis identified 33 items loading onto five factors: Discipline, Routine, Anxiety, Nurturance, and Involvement, with moderate to high reliability. SPS was positively correlated with parenting anxiety, attachment anxiety, and attachment avoidance, but did not predict parenting style. Younger parent age was associate with more insecure attachment styles. Multivariate regression analyses revealed that variability in parenting anxiety was predicted only by attachment anxiety and having fewer children. Conclusion While SPS was not seen to predict parenting anxiety, relationships between SPS, parenting anxiety, and insecure attachment suggest that strategies tailored to SPS would support highly sensitive parents to care for their children and promote improved parent–child relationships. These strategies may therefore be a beneficial addition to attachment-based parenting programs. Further studies using the Toddler Parenting Styles Questionnaire (TPSQ) are needed to identify optimal parenting styles for parents of infants and toddlers.

Bereavement guilt among young adults impacted by caregivers' cancer: Associations with attachment style, experiential avoidance, and psychological flexibility.

This paper focuses on the experiences of bereavement guilt among young adults bereaved by a caregiver's cancer, examining associations with attachment style, experiential avoidance, and psychological flexibility with the aim of informing psychosocial interventions for this population. Ninety-seven young adults (18-25 years) bereaved by a parent/guardian's cancer completed an online survey, including measures of bereavement guilt, attachment style, experiential avoidance, and psychological flexibility. Mediation analyses explored the associations between attachment style (anxious, avoidant) and bereavement guilt, and if these associations were mediated by experiential avoidance or psychological flexibility. Bereavement guilt was significantly positively associated with anxious, but not avoidant, attachment to the deceased; the relationship between anxious attachment and bereavement guilt was partially mediated by experiential avoidance. Bereavement guilt was also negatively associated with psychological flexibility and engagement with bereavement counseling. Given the limited literature on cancer-related bereavement in young adulthood, this study offers important theoretical and clinical insights into factors associated with more complex aspects of grief in this population. Specifically, this work identified that anxious attachment is associated with ongoing bereavement complications in the years following the death of a caregiver to cancer, with experiential avoidance partially mediating this relationship. While further research is needed to better understand the interaction between these factors and other related constructs, such as psychological flexibility, these findings may be helpful in selecting therapeutic approaches to use with this population.

Halifax somatic symptom disorder trial: A pilot randomized controlled trial of intensive short-term dynamic psychotherapy in the emergency department

BackgroundPatients commonly present at hospital Emergency Departments (ED) with distress that meet criteria for a Somatic Symptom and Related Disorder (SSRD). Without access to effective treatment, risk of ongoing patient disability and further ED visits is high. MethodThis pilot trial used a randomized parallel group design to test the efficacy of Intensive Short-Term Dynamic Psychotherapy (ISTDP). ED patients who met criteria for SSRD were recruited. The effects of ISTDP plus medical care as usual (MCAU) were judged through comparison against 8 weeks of MCAU plus wait-list symptom monitoring (WL-SM). The primary outcome was somatic symptom at 8 weeks. Patients allocated to WL-SM could cross-over to receive ISTDP and 6-month follow-up data was collected. Baseline measures of patient attachment style and alexithymia were collected to examine vulnerabilities to somatic symptoms. ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT02076867. ResultsThirty-seven patients were randomized to 2 groups (ISTDP = 19 and WL-SM = 18). Multi-level modelling showed that change over time on somatic symptoms was significantly greater in the ISTDP group. Between-group differences were large at 8 weeks (Cohen's d = 0.94) and increased by end of treatment (Cohen's d = 1.54). Observed differences in symptoms of depression and illness anxiety were also large, favoring ISTDP, and effects were maintained at follow-up. Patients receiving ISTDP had reduced ED service utilization at 2-year follow-up. ConclusionsISTDP appears an efficacious treatment for SSRD and a larger randomized trial is justified.

Adult attachment style, perceived social support, and post-traumatic stress among female victims of sexual assault

The present study aimed to investigate the interplay between adult attachment style, perceived social support, and post-traumatic stress (PTS) symptoms among adult female victims of sexual assault)SA(. While prior research has established the link between insecure attachment style and PTS, the underlying mechanisms are not well understood. The potential role of perceived social support as a mediator in this relationship has been largely neglected and there is a dearth of studies investigating this mediation among victims of SA. The present study sought to address this gap in literature. Two hundred twenty-six women who have endured SA completed self-report measures of attachment style, perceived social support, and PTS, using an online survey. The results confirmed the anticipated pattern, showing a positive correlation between insecure attachment styles and PTS, as well as a negative correlation with perceived social support. A mediation analysis indicated that perceived social support may be a mechanism linking attachment styles to PTS. Following SA, insecurely attached women, especially those with avoidant attachment, have difficulties relying on and utilizing support from their environment, which may render them more susceptible to PTS. Nevertheless, the mediation was partial, indicating that attachment anxiety and attachment avoidance independently contribute to the development and maintenance of PTS.

Cybersex and Attachment Styles: Proposal of the Emotional and Relational Aspects in Cybersex Activities (ERACA) Questionnaire.

The current study presents the development and the initial validation of a new questionnaire to assess individual differences in emotional and relational aspects related to cybersex activities (i.e., the ERACA). A total of 246 adults (105 females, mean age = 31.89 years, SD = 10.03) coming from the general adult population participated in the study. The items of the ERACA were developed considering the extant literature, and an exploratory factor analysis approach indicated a three-factor structure (i.e., the gratification of the Self through the objectification of other people, the gratification of the Self through relational aspects, betrayal, and infidelity). The associations between the dimensions of the ERACA and dimensional measures of both attachment styles and online sexual behaviors indicated that different aspects related to the quality of the relationships play a different role in individual differences concerning emotional and relational aspects of cybersex activities. The discussion emphasizes the potential usefulness of the ERACA questionnaire for both research purposes and from a health-promoting point of view.

Women pregnant after previous perinatal loss: relationships between adult attachment, shame, and prenatal psychological outcomes

ABSTRACT Background Insecure adult attachment, shame, self-blame, and isolation following perinatal loss place bereaved women at risk of adverse psychological outcomes, which can impact child and family outcomes. To date, no research has considered how these variables continue to influence women’s psychological health in pregnancy subsequent to loss. Objective This study explored associations between prenatal psychological adjustment (less grief and distress) and adult attachment, shame, and social connectedness, in women pregnant after loss. Method Twenty-nine pregnant Australian women accessing a Pregnancy After Loss Clinic (PALC) completed measures of attachment styles, shame, self-blame, social connectedness, perinatal grief, and psychological distress. Results Four 2-step hierarchical multiple regression analyses revealed adult attachment (secure/avoidant/anxious; Step 1), shame, self-blame, and social connectedness (Step 2) explained 74% difficulty coping, 74% total grief, 65% despair, and 57% active grief. Avoidant attachment predicted more difficulty coping and higher levels of despair. Self-blame predicted more active grief, difficulty coping, and despair. Social connectedness predicted lower active grief, and significantly mediated relationships between perinatal grief and all three attachment patterns (secure/avoidant/anxious). Conclusions Although avoidant attachment and self-blame can heighten grief in pregnancy after loss, focusing on social connectedness may be a helpful way for prenatal clinicians to support pregnant women during their subsequent pregnancy – and in grief.

Development and validation of the Barriers to Using Immediacy Scale (BUIS).

Immediacy is a skill therapists use to process the therapeutic relationship in the here and now. Although immediacy has been shown to enhance the therapeutic process, therapists are often reluctant to use it (Hill et al., 2018). In three studies, we developed and tested a measure to assess reasons that therapists avoid using this skill: the Barriers to Using Immediacy Scale (BUIS). In Study 1, 185 North American therapist trainees completed the 45-item pilot measure. Exploratory factor analysis supported a four-factor structure (Concerns About Client Reactions, Concerns About Therapist Reactions, Negative Beliefs About Immediacy, Lack of Skills for Using Immediacy). In Study 2, with an international sample of 352 therapist trainees and professionals, confirmatory factor analyses supported the original four correlated factors model, as well as alternative models. In Study 3, 89 undergraduate students in a helping skills class completed the BUIS at three points during the semester. Students' total barriers and barriers due to a lack of skills decreased, but other perceived barriers did not decrease after training. Across all three studies, predicted correlations of BUIS scores were found with measures of self-efficacy for using immediacy, adherence to different theoretical orientations, communication style, and attachment style. Incremental validity was supported by the association of BUIS scores with measures of open communication and attachment style, after accounting for self-efficacy for immediacy. Limitations and future directions are discussed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

The representation of child-parent relation: validation of the Italian version of the child-parent relationship scale (CPRS-I).

This study proposes a psychometric validation of the Italian version of the Child-Parent Relationship Scale (CPRS) developed by Pianta in 1992. Based on attachment theory, the scale assesses parents' relationship perceptions with their own child and comprises three scales: Closeness, Conflict, and Dependency. A sample of 501 parents (188 fathers and 313 mothers) completed 30 items of the Italian version of the Child-Parent Relationship Scale (CPRS-I) online, but only 437 answered 85% of the entire protocol; hence, the analyses only focused on 437 participants. The first analysis of the original theoretical model revealed poor fit, item loadings, and internal consistency. Therefore, a follow-up analysis was conducted. Exploratory and confirmatory analyses with a split sample (EFA = 218; CFA = 219) confirmed the original three-factor structure of the Italian sample, although some items were eliminated. The validity and reliability of the Italian version of the CPRS-I were also verified by correlating the above three factors with measures of adult attachment styles and children's internalizing and externalizing behaviors. The CPRS-I showed significant correlations with all tested constructs, in line with those found by Driscoll and Pianta for the short form of the scale. Our results confirm that the CPRS-I has the same structure as the original scale; therefore, it can be a useful tool for assessing parents' perceptions of their relationship with their children. The implications for educational and clinical settings are also discussed.

Behind the mask: What the eyes can't tell: Facial emotion recognition in a sample of Italian health care students.

Wearing a facemask remains a pivotal strategy to prevent severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection even after vaccination, but one of the possible costs of this protection is that it may interfere with the ability to read emotion in facial expressions. We explored the extent to which it may be more difficult for participants to read emotions in faces when faces are covered with masks than when they are not, and whether participants' empathy, attachment style, and patient-centred orientation would affect their performance. Medical and nursing students (N = 429) were administered either a masked or unmasked set of 24 adult faces depicting anger, sadness, fear, or happiness. Participants also completed self-report measures of empathy, patient-centredness, and attachment style. As predicted, participants made more errors to the masked than the unmasked faces with the exception of the identification of fear. Of note, when participants missed happiness, they were most likely to see it as sadness, and when they missed anger, they were most likely to see it as happiness. A multiple linear regression analysis showed that more errors identifying emotions in faces was associated with faces being masked as opposed to unmasked, lower scores on the empathy fantasy scale, and higher scores on the fearful attachment style. The findings suggest that wearing facemasks is associated with a variety of negative outcomes that might interfere with the building of positive relationships between health care workers and patients. Those who teach student health care workers would benefit from bringing this finding into their curriculum and training.

Higher baseline emotion dysregulation predicts treatment dropout in outpatients with borderline personality disorder.

Treatment dropout is high among outpatients with borderline personality disorder (BPD) and is associated with myriad negative therapeutic and psychosocial outcomes. Identifying predictors of treatment dropout can inform treatment provision for this population. The present study investigated whether symptom profiles of static and dynamic factors could predict treatment dropout. Treatment-seeking outpatients with BPD (N = 102) completed pre-treatment measures of BPD symptom severity, emotion dysregulation, impulsivity, motivation, self-harm, and attachment style to determine their collective impact on dropout prior to 6 months of treatment. Discriminant function analysis was used to classify group membership (treatment dropout vs. nondropout) but did not produce a statistically significant function. Groups were distinguished by baseline levels of emotion dysregulation with higher dysregulation predicting premature treatment dropout. Clinicians working with outpatients with BPD might benefit from optimizing emotion regulation and distress tolerance strategies earlier in treatment to reduce premature dropout. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Parenting Styles and Moral Disengagement in Young Adults: The Mediating Role of Attachment Experiences

Research on parenting styles and attachment experiences has paid little attention to the dimensions of moral development. It is, therefore, interesting to explore the relationship between parenting styles, internal working models of attachment, and the development of moral skills, in terms of moral disengagement. The study involved 307 young people (aged 19-25 years), and the dimensions examined were: parental styles (measured by the PSDQ: Tagliabue et al., 2014); attachment styles (ECR: Picardi et al., 2002); moral disengagement (MDS: Caprara et al., 2006). Results showed that the authoritative parenting style is negatively correlated with the two measures of attachment styles (anxiety and avoidance) and moral disengagement. The authoritarian and permissive styles are positively correlated with the two measures of attachment styles (anxiety and avoidance) and moral disengagement. Results also revealed a significant indirect effect of the authoritative style (b = −0.433, 95% BCa, CI [−0.882, −0.090]) and authoritarian style (b = −0.661, 95% BCa, CI [.230, 1.21]) on moral disengagement through anxiety. A serial mediation of anxiety and avoidance on the relationship between permissive style and moral disengagement (b = .077, 95% BCa, CI [.0006, .206]) is significant.

Validity of the Emotional Attachment Zones Evaluation (EA-Z): Assessing Attachment Style Across a Developmental Spectrum

Sensitive, consistent caregiving and a secure attachment style are important to healthy child development. However, the lack of continuity in measures from infancy into adulthood limits conclusions regarding the stability of attachment styles across the lifespan. A new measure, the Emotional Attachment Zones Evaluation (EA-Z), derived from the Emotional Availability Scales (Biringen, 2008; Biringen, Robinson, & Emde, 1998), offers a tool to assess attachment style across a broad developmental spectrum. In order to validate this measure as an attachment style measure, we used three studies to compare the EA-Z to empirically validated attachment tools. In study 1, we compared the EA-Z to the Strange Situation Procedure. There was moderate concordance between these two measures for both mother and infant. In study 2, we compared the EA-Z to the Attachment Q-Sort in an infant/toddler childcare setting. Child EA-Z scores related to child attachment security, whereas teacher EA-Z scores did not relate to child attachment security. Finally, in study 3, we compared the EA-Z to the mother’s Adult Attachment Interview. Results indicated moderate concordance between these measures, both for the adult mother and the preschool child. All three of these studies offer promising evidence for the validity of the EA-Z as an attachment tool, as well as future directions for research and practice using the EA System.

THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN ATTACHMENT, RELATIONSHIP QUALITY, AND DAILY STRESS AMONG DEMENTIA CAREGIVERS

Abstract The current study assesses the relationship between attachment style, relationship quality, and daily stress among family caregivers of persons with dementia. The study incorporates a longitudinal burst design. In an initial meeting with the investigator, participants completed measures of attachment style (Experiences in Close Relationships Questionnaire Revised), past and current relationship quality (RQ), emotion regulation (Emotion Regulation Questionnaire), and caregiver burden (Zarit Burden Interview). For the next 14 days, participants were sent a link to a brief survey that included the Positive Affect and Negative Affect Schedule and the Perceived Stress Scale. They were also asked to estimate what proportion of their daily stress did they attribute to caregiving. There are significant positive correlations between caregiver burden and current negative RQ, r = 0.70, p = .008, as well as between attachment anxiety and current negative RQ, r = 0.60, p = .029. According to regression analyses, attachment anxiety predicts negative current RQ, R2 = .37, F(1, 11) = 6.32, p = .029. Current negative RQ predicts caregiver burden, R2 = .49, F(1, 11) = 10.55, p = .008. Additional analyses will explore the link between attachment style, emotion regulation, burden, relationship quality, and longitudinal assessments of daily stress and affect. Though preliminary, study results suggest that beyond caregiver burden, daily stress and well-being of caregivers is impacted by the relationship between attachment, relationship quality, and emotion regulation.

Secure relationship does not mean satisfying relationship during the pandemic: The role of mattering and life satisfaction

Relationship satisfaction (RS) is one of the major components of mental health that is often ignored due to cultural reasons. Moreover, numerous studies had indicated that when individuals have insecure attachment styles (insecurity in loving someone else), they would never develop any RS with anyone, including friends, spouses, parents, children, and relatives. The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic had triggered different social patterns among individuals all over the world, and studies during the pandemic indicated the significance of some factors such as the sense of mattering and perceived life satisfaction (LS) to the mental health of the general adults. Our references led us to hypothesize that interpersonal mattering (IM) significantly predicted RS, mediated by LS, under the condition of low secure attachment style (SAS). Randomly selected 405 adults from Kuala Lumpur and Selangor, Malaysia, were financially compensated to complete the scales of IM, satisfaction with life, SAS section of measure of attachment style (MOAS), and RS index. The results indicated that the mediation of LS on the link between mattering and RS was only significant when the level of SAS is at the low and moderate levels. Further implications, limitations, and suggestions are discussed.

Exploring the Links Between Parental Attachment Style, Child Temperament and Parent-Child Relationship Quality During Adolescence

AbstractLinked with a myriad of developmental outcomes, the parent-child relationship serves an important function, and it is therefore important that determinants of this relationship are elucidated so that optimal outcomes can be promoted. This study investigated links between parental attachment style and child temperament in the prediction of parent-child relationship quality during early adolescence. One hundred parents of 12–15-year-olds completed an online survey. Findings indicated that when examining parent attachment style alone, attachment-related anxiety but not avoidance predicted parent-child relationship quality. When examining child temperament alone, negative affect and affiliation predicted parent-child relationship quality. When examining both parental attachment style and child temperament in the same model, child temperament was uniquely predictive of the parent-child relationship quality. No moderation effects were detected. More precise models and expanded measures of parental attachment style, child temperament and parent-child relationship quality are recommended to fully capture the transactional and dynamic nature of the parent-child relationship.

Do Adult Attachment Style or Personality Mediate the Relationship Between Childhood Maltreatment and Late-Life Depression in Poor Communities?

Childhood maltreatment is associated with late-life depression. Preliminary evidence indicates that personality characteristics, in particular neuroticism and extroversion, and an anxious attachment style mediate this association. The objective is to evaluate 3 models, in which personality and attachment are considered mediators between childhood maltreatment and late-life depression in a socioeconomically disadvantaged Brazilian population. This study included participants (n = 260) from socioeconomically disadvantaged neighborhoods of Porto Alegre, Brazil, who completed measures of childhood maltreatment (Childhood Trauma Questionnaire - CTQ), personality characteristics (NEO-Five Factor Inventory), attachment styles (Relationship Scales Questionnaire), and geriatric depression (Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview-Plus). General multiple and sequential mediation analyses were used to test for possible associations. Attachment anxiety but not attachment avoidance is a mediator between childhood maltreatment and geriatric depression. Neuroticism is a full mediator. At that, attachment anxiety was found to be a predictor of neuroticism. Finally, sequential mediation analysis shows a path from childhood maltreatment to geriatric depression through attachment anxiety and neuroticism. The results suggest a pathway from childhood maltreatment to anxious attachment, which in turn predicts higher neuroticism that itself may favor late-life depression. This hypothesis could have implications for older adults living in low socioeconomic settings in that treating the high-risk group of maltreated children may help prevent late-life depression.

Attachment Style and Burn Pain.

Pain management is a challenge when treating patients with burn injuries. Understanding the behavioral and interpersonal aspects of the experience of burn pain may aid in its management. Attachment style-which influences how an individual relates to other people-is one aspect that may affect the experience of burn pain. Past research has shown a relationship between an individual's attachment style and certain types of pain and disorders. The study builds upon that past work to investigate specifically how attachment style affects the experience of acute burn pain. Participants were at least 18 years old and admitted to an American Burn Association verified burn center with burns encompassing 30% or less TBSA. Participants completed demographic questionnaires and a standardized measure of adult attachment style. Data regarding use of analgesics, daily pain scores, and burn-related information were collected through medical chart review. Participants who reported a secure attachment style required less pain medication and reported less pain compared with participants who reported an insecure attachment style. There was no difference in burn-related variables between participants with secure and insecure attachment styles, suggesting that these differences were not due to burn-related factors. Attachment, therefore, may play a role in an individual's perception of acute burn pain, which impacts analgesic requirements needed to manage the pain. These results have potential implications for the use of psychosocial interventions to reduce the experience of pain and the amount of pain medication needed to manage acute burn pain.

Parenting adolescent daughters: differential effects of maternal attachment insecurity and proximity-seeking

Parenting adolescents requires parents to display diverse competencies, and parenting competence i.e. «caregiving» may be affected differentially by the underlying dimensions of an individual's «care seeking» behaviour, i.e. their own attachment style. Twenty five mothers of adolescent daughters were recruited in a cross-sectional design for this pilot study. Mothers aged between 32-51 years with a mean (± SD) age of 44.72 (± 5.47) years and each completed the Parenting Role Interview, which provides an «investigator-based» as-sessment of their parenting competence, as well as self-report measures of attachment style, stress, depression and well-being. Results revealed that greater parenting competence was associated with higher levels of the specific attachment construct of proximity-seeking, but not attachment security. In addition, worse maternal psychological health was associated with attachment insecurity, but not proximity-seeking. The underlying attachment dimension of proximity-seeking may hold particular significance for mothers of adolescent daughters and may be a viable resilience target for parenting interventions.

Attachment style and mental health during the later stages of COVID\u201019 pandemic: the mediation role of loneliness and COVID-19 anxiety

BackgroundAn insecure attachment style is an important risk factor for psychological problems. The aim of this study was to use Bartholomew and Horowitz’s model (Bartholomew and Horowitz in J Pers Soc Psychol 61(2): 226, 2019) to test a sample of Italian individuals to determine the mediation role of loneliness and COVID-19-related anxiety symptoms in the relationship between attachment styles and mental health issues in the context of the pandemic.MethodA cross-sectional research study was conducted using a sample of 330 Italian participants (82.1% women; mean age = 34.3 years; SD = 13.16) who completed online self-reported measures of attachment styles (RQ), loneliness (RULS), COVID-19-related anxiety symptoms (C-19ASS) and mental health problems (GHQ-12). Serial mediation analyses were performed, and bootstrap tests were included.ResultsOur results supported the hypothesized model with respect to each attachment style (p < 0.001). In particular, insecure attachment styles predict mental health problems both directly and indirectly, through loneliness and COVID-19-related anxiety symptoms. In addition, loneliness directly influences mental health problems and also mediates the relationship between insecure attachment styles and COVID-19-related anxiety symptoms which, in turn, positively predict mental health problems.ConclusionsOur findings reinforce the importance of attachment in people’s processes of adapting to experiences during the coronavirus pandemic. The study makes an important contribution to developing effective prevention and intervention strategies to support people’s wellbeing in the context of the pandemic.

Parents’ Attachment Styles and Adolescents’ Regulatory Emotional Self-efficacy: The Mediating Role of Adolescents’ Attachment to Parents in China

Guided by attachment theory, this longitudinal study examined the mediating role of parent-adolescent attachment on the relation between parents’ attachment styles and adolescents’ regulatory emotional self-efficacy (RESE, including managing negative affect and expressing positive affect). Five hundred seventy-three Chinese junior high school students (46% male; aged 11–14 years, M = 12.76 years, SD = 0.74) completed measures of RESE at T1, parent-adolescent attachment at T2 (six months later), and RESE at T3 (another six months later), while 573 students’ parents (one student only has a parent, 241 fathers and 332 mothers) completed measures of adult attachment styles (anxiety and avoidance) at T1. Results from structural equation modeling indicated that father-adolescent attachment mediated the association between fathers’ attachment anxiety and adolescents’ self-efficacy beliefs in managing negative affect, while mother-adolescent attachment marginally mediated the relation between mothers’ attachment anxiety and adolescents’ self-efficacy beliefs in managing negative affect and expressing positive affect. These findings suggest that parents’ attachment anxiety could predict their children’s attachment to parents, in turn, impacting their children’s regulatory emotional self-efficacy.