Internal working models, self-reported problems, and help-seeking attitudes among college students.

A person's internal working models of close relationships (J. Bowlby, 1988) incorporate 2 discrete yet interrelated cognitive schemas: a self model containing perceptions of one's own worth and lovability and an other model embodying core expectations about the trustworthiness and dependability of intimate others in one's social world. This study tested hypothesized interrelationships, in a college-student sample, (a) between self-model differences and self-reported problems and (b) among other-model differences, problem levels, and help-seeking attitudes. As expected, students with positive self models reported significantly fewer problems than did students with negative self models. In addition, students' other-model grouping significantly interacted with their problem levels to predict their expressed willingess to seek counseling. Implications of the findings for counseling practice are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Working models of attachment: implications for explanation, emotion and behavior

Two studies examined attachment style differences in social perception. In Study 1, participants wrote open-ended explanations for hypothetical relationship events and described how they would feel and behave in response to each event. Compared with secure participants, preoccupied participants explained events in more negative ways; they also reported more emotional distress and behaviors that were likely to lead to conflict. Avoidant participants also provided negative explanations, but did not report emotional distress. Path analysis indicated that attachment style differences in behavior were mediated by explanation patterns and emotional distress. Study 2 was designed to replicate Study 1 and test the relative importance of attachment style and relationship quality to predicting each outcome. Results indicated that both variables were significant predictors of explanations, but only attachment style predicted emotional responses. These findings are consistent with the idea that adults with different working models of attachment are predisposed to think, feel, and behave differently in their relationships.     

Attachment styles and personality disorders: their connections to each other and to parental divorce, parental death, and perceptions of parental caregiving

Attachment theory was explored as a means of understanding the origins of personality disorders. We investigated whether adult attachment styles and personality disorders share a common underlying structure, and how both kinds of variables relate to family background factors, including parental death, parental divorce, and current representations of childhood relationships with parents. A nonclinical group of 1407 individuals, mostly adolescents and young adults, were surveyed about their attachment styles, parental marital status, parental mortality status, perceptions of treatment by parents in childhood, and 13 personality disorders. Results indicated substantial overlap between attachment and personality-disorder measures. Two of the personality-disorder dimensions are related to the two dimensions of the attachment space; that is, there is a two-dimensional space in which both the attachment patterns and most of the personality disorders can be arrayed. The one personality-disorder factor that is unrelated to attachment appears akin to psychopathy. Both personality disorders and attachment styles were associated with family-of-origin variables. Results are discussed in terms of encouraging further research to test the idea that insecure attachment and most of the personality disorders share similar developmental antecedents.     

Models of the self and other: Fundamental dimensions underlying measures of adult attachment.

Three studies, involving 146 undergraduates and 68 heterosexual couples, assessed the construct validity of the self- and other-model dimensions underlying the 4-category model of adult attachment. Five methods were used to assess the hypothesized dimensions: self-reports, friend-reports, romantic partner reports, trained judges' ratings of peer attachment, and trained judges' ratings of family attachment. Study 2 related the latent attachment dimensions to theoretically relevant outcome latent variables. As predicted, Ss' self models converged with direct measures of the positivity of their self-concepts, and Ss' other models converged with direct measures of the positivity of their interpersonal orientations. Study 3 related the latent attachment dimensions to 3 alternate self-report measures of adult attachment and showed that the 2 dimensions served as an organizing framework for the different measurement approaches. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Smile intensity and warm touch as thin slices of child and family affective style.

The authors investigate the claim that thin slices of expressive behavior serve as reliable indicators of affective style in children and their families. Using photographs, the authors assessed smile intensity and tactile contact in kindergartners and their families. Consistent with claims that smiling and touch communicate positive emotion, measures of children’s smile intensity and warm family touch were correlated across classroom and family contexts. Consistent with studies of parent–child personality associations, parents’ warm smiles and negative facial displays resembled those of their children. Finally, consistent with observed relations between adult personality and positive display, children’s smiling behavior in the classroom correlated with parent ratings of children’s Extraversion/Surgency. These results highlight the utility of thin slices of smiling and touch as indicators of child and family affective style. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Romantic attachment in individuals with physical disabilities.

Objective: To examine the relationship between adult attachment style and physical disability in intimate romantic relationships. Method: Participants were 50 individuals with adult-onset spinal cord injuries (SCI) and 50 individuals with congenital disabilities (CON) living in the community. The main outcome measures were adult attachment style and dyadic relationship adjustment. Results: Participants with SCI and CON did not differ in rates of secure versus insecure attachment, and the rates of neither group differed significantly from rates reported for persons without disability. Dyadic adjustment was clearly predicted by attachment variables and differed between the participants with SCI and those with CON; individuals with SCI reported greater total dyadic adjustment. Avoidance showed a strong negative association with dyadic satisfaction, but no association was found with dyadic cohesion. Social participation variables were associated with dyadic adjustment. For instance, mobility was positively associated with dyadic satisfaction. Conclusions: Dyadic adjustment in people with disabilities, as in other groups, is affected by attachment style, but disability and social participation variables may also affect dyadic adjustment. Clinicians should consider differences in attachment styles among persons with disabilities and their implications for intimate close relationships. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

How do people with different attachment styles balance work and family? A personality perspective on work–family linkage.

This study explored whether different models of work–family relationship were possible for individuals with different attachment styles. A mail survey was conducted using employees (N?=?481) at a midwestern university in the United States. Results suggested that (a) individuals with a preoccupied attachment pattern were more likely to experience negative spillover from the family/home to the work domain than those with a secure or dismissing style, (b) securely attached individuals experienced positive spillover in both work and family domains more than those in the other groups, and (c) preoccupied individuals were much less likely to use a segmentation strategy than the other 3 attachment groups. However, when the conventional job satisfaction–life satisfaction relationship was examined, the data provided unique support for the spillover model. Implications of the findings for both attachment and work–family relationship literatures are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The Mother-Infant Relationship in Single, Cohabiting, and Married Families: A Case for Marriage?

Single-mother, cohabiting 2-parent, and married 2-parent families with infants were compared on maternal and infant behavior, Home Observation for Measurement of the Environment (HOME) scores, and infant's security of attachment. Married mothers and their infants demonstrated more positive behavior and received higher HOME scores when the infant was 6 and 15 months old than did their cohabiting and single counterparts. Married families were also better off than single and cohabiting families on several demographic, parent personality, financial, and social context measures. Single and cohabiting families were similar across most measures. Selection variables (maternal age, ethnic group, and education) explained much, but not all, of the family structure differences in the mother-infant relationship and the HOME. Maternal psychological adjustment, attitudes about child rearing, income, and social support explained little of the family structure variation, suggesting that characteristics that preceded marriage and conception were important determinants of family structure differences. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Genetic predisposition to hypertension facilitates blood pressure elevation in hemodialysis patients treated with erythropoietin

PURPOSE: This study investigated the hypothesis that a genetic predisposition to hypertension is involved in the etiology of the elevation in blood pressure induced by human recombinant erythropoietin (rHuEPO). PATIENTS AND METHODS: Blood pressure changes after 10 weeks of treatment with rHuEPO were compared between 26 patients with a positive family history of hypertension and 27 with a negative family history. RESULTS: Mean blood pressure was significantly increased in patients with a positive family history of hypertension (+8.8 mm Hg, p < 0.001). In contrast, the change was not significant in those whose family history was negative (+1.8 mm Hg, not significant). The mean blood pressure of 14 of 26 patients with a positive family history of hypertension increased by more than 10%, whereas such an increase occurred in only 2 of 27 patients with a negative family history (p < 0.001). The two groups were similar in terms of the total dose of rHuEPO given, the degree to which their anemia improved, and their basal blood pressures. CONCLUSION: It appears that hemodialysis patients with a positive family history of hypertension are susceptible to developing hypertension during treatment with rHuEPO.     

The effect of age on memory for emotional faces.

Prior studies of emotion suggest that young adults should have enhanced memory for negative faces and that this enhancement should be reduced in older adults. Several studies have not shown these effects but were conducted with procedures different from those used with other emotional stimuli. In this study, researchers examined age differences in recognition of faces with emotional or neutral expressions, using trial-unique stimuli, as is typically done with other types of emotional stimuli. They also assessed the influence of personality traits and mood on memory. Enhanced recognition for negative faces was found in young adults but not in older adults. Recognition of faces was not influenced by mood or personality traits in young adults, but lower levels of extraversion and better emotional sensitivity predicted better negative face memory in older adults. These results suggest that negative expressions enhance memory for faces in young adults, as negative valence enhances memory for words and scenes. This enhancement is absent in older adults, but memory for emotional faces is modulated in older adults by personality traits that are relevant to emotional processing. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Application of Adult Attachment Theory to Treatment of Chronically Suicidal, Traumatized Women.

Adult attachment conceptualizations are recommended with severely disordered, traumatized women at risk of suicide. Attachment anxiety and attachment avoidance suggest individual differences in behavior, and empirical work relating psychopathological behaviors to each orientation is presented. Attachment theoretical practice helps alter negative expectations of relationships, including psychotherapy relationships. Enhanced expectations of self or others can improve readiness for treatment and reduce suicide risk. Adult attachment theory offers positive conceptualizations of self-destructive behaviors useful with such clients, including those diagnosed with borderline personality disorder. Interventions that foster working alliances and improve affect regulation are illustrated with 2 case examples. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Predicting stability and change in frequency of intoxication from the college years to beyond: Individual-difference and role transition variables.

The authors examined whether individual-difference variables (e.g., family history of alcoholism, sex, personality traits, positive alcohol expectancies) and role transition-related variables (full-time work status, marital status, parenthood) moderate the "maturing-out" process whereby young adults who drink heavily during college decrease their drinking in the following years. Analyses were based on 288 young adults, assessed as full-time students (mostly college seniors, Year 4 of a larger study) and 3 years later (Year 7) when all had earned bachelor's degrees, and the analyses showed that frequency of intoxication (per week) decreased significantly (p?     

Adolescent personality as a prospective predictor of parenting: An interactionist perspective.

This study examined personality during adolescence as a predictor of later parenting of toddler-aged offspring. On the basis of empirical research on the timing of parenthood and the interactionist model (Conger & Donnellan, 2007), we examined age at parenthood and family socioeconomic status (SES) as mediators of the relation between personality and parenting. Participants were 228 emerging adults from an ongoing longitudinal study of the transition to adulthood. Later entry into parenthood and higher SES accounted for the association between personality characteristics and lower levels of harsh parenting and higher levels of positive parenting. Consistent with the interactionist model, both personality characteristics and SES-linked variables were related to interpersonal processes in families. The findings suggest that promoting adaptive personality traits during childhood and adolescence may help delay early entry into parenthood, promote higher SES, and, indirectly, foster more positive parenting of young children. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Influence of attachment styles on romantic relationships.

Examined the impact of secure, anxious, and avoidant attachment styles on romantic relationships in a longitudinal study involving 144 dating couples. For both men and women, the secure attachment style was associated with greater relationship interdependence, commitment, trust, and satisfaction than were the anxious or avoidant attachment styles. The anxious and avoidant styles were associated with less frequent positive emotions and more frequent negative emotions in the relationship, whereas the reverse was true of the secure style. 6-mo follow-up interviews revealed that, among those individuals who disbanded, avoidant men experienced significantly less post-dissolution emotional distress than did other people. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Generativity and authoritarianism: Implications for personality, political involvement, and parenting.

Generativity (Erikson, 1950) and authoritarianism have recently received increased attention in the personality and social psychology literature. The authors articulate connections and distinctions to test hypotheses concerning personality, politics, and parenting on a sample of adults and their adolescent children. The Big 5 Openness to Experience factor was positively related to generativity and negatively related to authoritarianism. In addition, high scorers on generativity were interested in political issues, whereas those scoring high on authoritarianism were not. High scorers on authoritarianism also used a punitive parenting style that had adverse consequences for parent–child relationships, whereas generative parents used an authoritative style that produced positive outcomes. Although generative and authoritarian individuals may share a focus on passing down traditions, the content of those traditions seems to span a wider range for people who are high in generativity. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Rebound increase of PAI-1 following local intra-arterial rt-PA infusion, a possible cause of reocclusion

We obtained normative data for plasma renin activity (PRA) and plasma aldosterone concentration from a biracial sample of 195 healthy, normotensive children and adolescents aged 10 to 18 years. The sample included 119 boys and 76 girls, of whom 103 were black and 92 were white. The mean PRA value (+/- SD) was 2.52 +/- 1.95 ng/ml per hour, with minimal and maximal values of 0.1 and 13.50 ng/ml per hour. The mean plasma aldosterone concentration was 12.56 +/- 8.59 ng/ml, with minimal and maximal values of 1.6 and 50.1 ng/ml. We also examined the effects of subject characteristics and electrolyte intake. The slope relating sodium excretion to PRA was negative and highly significant (slope = -0.01; p < 0.003). The slope relating PRA to plasma aldosterone concentration was positive and highly significant (slope = 1.59; p < 0.0001). We did not observe differences in either variable as a function of age, sex, race, or family history of hypertension. These results suggest that differences based on race and family history of hypertension observed in adults are not present in youth.     

Attachment, parenting, and peer interactions of toddler children

The relation of parenting variables and attachment classification to peer relations was studied for 156 families with toddler children. Children were observed at 18 months of age in the home with their parents and from 18 to 24 months of age in peer playgroups. Playgroup teachers rated the children's ability to get along with their peers. Also when children were 18 months, they were assessed with their mothers in the Strange Situation, and an attachment classification was made. There were significant differences in peer reactions to children of different attachment classifications. Insecure-resistant children received fewer positive reactions to their positive behaviors, and both resistant and avoidant children received more negative reactions to their positive behaviors. Hierarchical regressions were computed to examine the contribution of observed parent-child interactions and the attachment classification to peer interactions.     

Clinical assessment of attachment patterns and personality disorder in adolescents and adults.

The relevance of attachment theory and research for practice has become increasingly clear. The authors describe a series of studies with 3 aims: (a) to validate measures of attachment for use by clinicians with adolescents and adults, (b) to examine the relation between attachment and personality pathology, and (c) to ascertain whether factor analysis can recover dimensions of attachment reflecting both interpersonal and narrative style. In 3 studies, experienced clinicians provided psychometric data using 1 of 4 attachment questionnaires (2 adolescent and 2 adult samples). Attachment dimensions predicted both personality pathology and developmental experiences in predictable ways. Factor analysis identified 4 dimensions that replicated across adolescent and adult samples on the basis of a combination of interpersonal and narrative indicators: secure, dismissing, preoccupied, and incoherent/disorganized. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Attachment style and affect regulation: Relationships with health behavior and family experiences of illness in a student sample.

Questionnaire measures of attachment style and health behavior were completed by 287 university students on 2 occasions, 10 wks apart. At Time 1, Ss also provided reports of emotionality and early family experiences of illness. Reports of early family illness showed theoretically meaningful relationships with attachment style. Symptom reporting was predicted most strongly by anxious/ambivalent attachment and negative emotionality, with the link between anxious/ambivalent attachment and symptom reporting partially mediated by negative emotionality. Visits to health professionals at Time 2 were directly related to reports of chronic illness in the family but inversely related to paternal illness and avoidant attachment, controlling for symptom reporting. The results are discussed in terms of theories of attachment and affect regulation. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Retrieving positive memories to regulate negative mood: Consequences for mood-congruent memory.

Several researchers have suggested that mood-incongruency effects are due to a mood-regulatory process in which people retrieve positive memories to repair negative moods. The present studies tested this idea by manipulating mood-repair strategies and examining their impact on positive and negative memory retrieval. Mood-congruent retrieval occurred when participants stayed focused on events associated with their negative mood; mood-incongruent retrieval occurred when participants engaged in positive reappraisal (when they reinterpreted events as having positive outcomes). The effects of these strategies on memory retrieval also interacted with personality traits related to negative mood regulation. Individuals high in such traits showed stronger mood-incongruent memory than did individuals low in negative mood regulation traits. Discussion focuses on integrating mood-regulatory variables and personality variables into existing mood-congruency theories (e.g., associative network models). (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)