Adult attachment security and symptoms of depression: The mediating roles of dysfunctional attitudes and low self-esteem.

Three studies investigated the relation between adult attachment security and symptoms of depression. Study 1 examined the overall magnitude of the association between adult attachment and depression, and Studies 2 and 3 tested whether this relation was mediated by dysfunctional attitudes and low self-esteem. Results from the three studies were consistent with a mediation model. This model suggests that insecure adult attachment styles are associated with dysfunctional attitudes, which in turn predispose to lower levels of self-esteem. Such depletions in self-esteem are directly associated with increases in depressive symptoms over time. Insecure attachment appears to lead to depressive symptoms in adulthood through its impact on self-worth contingencies and self-esteem. (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)     

Adult attachment style and narcissistic vulnerability.

Argues that, in adult relationships, insecure attachments reflect strategies for managing a greater level of narcissistic vulnerability than exists in secure attachment. Attachment theory (AT) has traditionally emphasized adaptive responses in the child–parent relationship. However, researchers have applied AT to adult love relationships. Both the child literature and the adult literature have explored individual differences in attachment behavior and have identified stylistic categories of secure and insecure attachments. Although the insecure categories are characterized by overt behavior that appears quite different (i.e., clinging vs distance), in adult relationships where attachment is reciprocal, these stylistic patterns may achieve a similar function. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

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.     

Attachment style and relationship satisfaction: Test of a self-disclosure explanation.

[Correction Notice: An erratum for this article was reported in Vol 30(2) of Canadian Journal of Behavioural Science/Revue canadienne des sciences du comportement (see record 2009-19933-001). Some figures were inadvertently omitted in two tables. The correct tables are provided in the erratum.] Explored a self-disclosure explanation for why those with a secure attachment style report greater relationship satisfaction than those with insecure attachment styles. Ss were 99 17–36 yr old students who were in ongoing relationships and who had different attachment styles. Ss were compared in terms of the self-disclosures they directed toward their partner vs a stranger, using questionnaire and behavioural measures. Behavioural self-disclosure was assessed by having Ss give talks on different topics, while anticipating that either their current partner or an opposite-sex stranger would later hear it. Results show that Ss with a secure attachment style disclosed more intimately to their partners than to strangers; whereas those with insecure attachment styles did not. Moreover, secures disclosed more personal facts to their partners than to strangers and were also perceived as more comfortable while self-disclosing to partners than to strangers. Finally, support for the hypothesis that self-disclosure mediates the relation between attachment style and relationship satisfaction was found on one component of self-disclosure, facilitative disclosure, a component which included both reported self-disclosure to one's partner and self-rated ability to elicit disclosure from others. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Dating couples' attachment styles and patterns of cortisol reactivity and recovery in response to a relationship conflict.

This study investigated theoretically predicted links between attachment style and a physiological indicator of stress, salivary cortisol levels, in 124 heterosexual dating couples. Cortisol was assessed at 7 points before and after an experimental conflict negotiation task, creating a trajectory of stress reactivity and recovery for each participant. Growth modeling of cortisol data tested hypotheses that (a) insecurely attached individuals show patterns of greater physiological stress reactions to interpersonal conflict than do securely attached individuals and (b) people with insecurely attached partners show patterns of greater stress in reaction to relationship conflict than those with securely attached partners. Hypothesis 1 was supported, but men and women differed in the type of insecure attachment that predicted stress trajectories. Hypothesis 2 was supported for men, but not for women. The discussion emphasizes the role of gender role norms and partner characteristics in understanding connections between adult attachment and patterns of cortisol responses to interpersonal stress. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Relationships between symptoms of depression and anxiety and dysfunctional beliefs about achievement and attachment.

293 psychiatric outpatients provided data to test the symptom specificity and final common pathway hypotheses about symptoms of depression and anxiety. The symptom specificity hypothesis predicts that the symptoms reported by a depressed or anxious patient depend on the dysfunctional beliefs he or she endorses. In contrast, the final common pathway hypothesis predicts that symptoms are unrelated to the types of beliefs the patient endorses. These hypotheses were tested in the context of theories that emphasize the importance of dysfunctional beliefs about achievement and attachment. Only limited support for the symptom specificity hypothesis was obtained; support was strongest for the link between attachment beliefs and anxiety symptoms. Relationships between symptoms and dysfunctional beliefs did not depend on psychiatric diagnosis. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Attachment in Coping With Bereavement: A Theoretical Integration.

Researchers have deplored shortcomings in theoretically based models of coping with bereavement. Integration of cognitive stress with attachment theory is proposed to predict adjustment to bereavement, describe different forms of effective coping, and resolve ongoing debates about continuing versus relinquishing bonds. These 2 generic approaches are integrated within a bereavement-specific perspective, the dual-process model of coping (Stroebe & Schut, 1999). Accordingly, (a) different coping styles are adopted by, and are differentially efficacious for, bereaved people according to their style of attachment; (b) bereaved people's ways of continuing bonds differ according to their attachment style; and (c) grief complications are associated with insecure attachment styles. The authors conclude that it is better for some bereaved individuals to work toward retaining ties and for others to work toward loosening ties. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

"Attachment style and relationship satisfaction: Test of a self-disclosure explanation": Erratum.

Reports an error in "Attachment style and relationship satisfaction: Test of a self-disclosure explanation" by J. Patrick R. Keelan, Karen K. Dion and Kenneth L. Dion (Canadian Journal of Behavioural Science/Revue canadienne des sciences du comportement, 1998[Jan], Vol 30[1], 24-35). Some figures were inadvertently omitted in two tables. The correct tables are provided in the erratum. (The following abstract of the original article appeared in record 1998-01141-003.) Explored a self-disclosure explanation for why those with a secure attachment style report greater relationship satisfaction than those with insecure attachment styles. Ss were 99 17–36 yr old students who were in ongoing relationships and who had different attachment styles. Ss were compared in terms of the self-disclosures they directed toward their partner vs a stranger, using questionnaire and behavioural measures. Behavioural self-disclosure was assessed by having Ss give talks on different topics, while anticipating that either their current partner or an opposite-sex stranger would later hear it. Results show that Ss with a secure attachment style disclosed more intimately to their partners than to strangers; whereas those with insecure attachment styles did not. Moreover, secures disclosed more personal facts to their partners than to strangers and were also perceived as more comfortable while self-disclosing to partners than to strangers. Finally, support for the hypothesis that self-disclosure mediates the relation between attachment style and relationship satisfaction was found on one component of self-disclosure, facilitative disclosure, a component which included both reported self-disclosure to one's partner and self-rated ability to elicit disclosure from others. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Adult attachment in a nationally representative sample.

The explosion of adult attachment research in the last decade has been limited by its reliance on college student and distressed samples. Using a large nationally representative sample of American adults, the authors examined the relation of sociodemographics, childhood adversity, parental representations, adult psychopathology, and personality traits to adult attachment in an effort to replicate previous findings and extend the theory. Distribution of adult attachment styles was similar to that in prior studies: 59% secure, 25% avoidant, and 11% anxious. Adult attachment was associated with several sociodemographic variables (e.g., income, age, race) not previously studied. Childhood adversities of an interpersonal nature were strongly related to insecure adult attachment. Various types of adult psychopathologies and personality traits were also strongly related to adult attachment. Implications for adult attachment theory and future research are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Attachment style and emotion regulation in dementia patients and their relation to caregiver burden

One hundred and sixty-eight patients with mid- to late-stage dementia and their caregivers participated in a study of the relation between patient emotional characteristics, dementia symptomatology, and caregiver burden. Measures included premorbid attachment style, premorbid emotion regulation style, and behavioral symptoms of dementia. The attachment patterns (secure, avoidant, ambivalent) of these elderly patients resembled those obtained in samples of younger individuals in terms of emotion regulation characteristics; however, the distribution of attachment styles was significantly different, with a lower proportion of ambivalently attached individuals in the present sample. In terms of the behavioral symptoms of dementia, ambivalent patients had more depression and anxiety than secure and avoidant patients; the latter patients experienced more activity disturbance than ambivalently attached individuals and were higher on paranoid symptomatology than securely attached persons. Caregivers of securely attached individuals experienced less total burden than did caregivers of both insecure groups. In regression analysis, attachment style accounted for the largest proportion of unique variance in the prediction of caregiver burden (8%); only 1 of 7 patient symptoms contributed a significant independent effect, namely depressed affect, which accounted for 4% of the variance.     

Relation entre l'attachement et les interactions mère-enfant en milieu naturel et expérimental à l'age scolaire.

The purpose of the present study is to examine the relation between quality of mother-child interaction in a lab and home setting, and quality of attachment of school-age children. A second objective of the study is to evaluate the associations between quality of mother-child interactions, attachment and maternal psychosocial measures (social support, depression, and parental stress). Security of attachment (Separation-Reunion procedure, Main & Cassidy, 1988) and the quality of mother-child interaction was evaluated for a sample of 38 children (mean age = 6 years). Mothers also completed self-report measures for depression, stress, and social support. Concurrent to the lab assessment, quality of mother-child interaction was also evaluated during a home visit. Results indicated a strong association between interactive patterns in both settings. Moreover, interactive patterns differed in terms of attachment classification with secure children showing the most harmonious patterns and disorganized/controlling children showing the most dysfunctional patterns. Maternal psychosocial measures were not related to child security of attachment, but mothers of insecure children reported marginally more stress related to the child. Maternal psychosocial adjustment was, in part, related to dyadic mother-child interaction in the home and lab setting. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Attachment, attractiveness, and social interaction: A diary study.

To what extent are attachment styles manifested in natural social activity? A total of 125 participants categorized as possessing secure, avoidant, or anxious–ambivalent attachment styles kept structured social interaction diaries for 1 week. Several theoretically important findings emerged. First, compared with secure and anxious–ambivalent persons, avoidant persons reported lower levels of intimacy, enjoyment, promotive interaction, and positive emotions, and higher levels of negative emotions, primarily in opposite-sex interactions. Analyses indicated that avoidant persons may structure social activities in ways that minimize closeness. Second, secure people differentiated more clearly than either insecure group between romantic and other opposite-sex partners. Third, the subjective experiences of anxious-ambivalent persons were more variable than those of the other groups. Finally, the authors examined and rejected the possibility that attachment effects might be confounded with physical attractiveness. These findings suggest that feelings and behaviors that arise during spontaneous, everyday social activity may contribute to the maintenance of attachment styles in adulthood. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Group and personal attachments: Two is better than one when predicting college adjustment.

The current study applied Smith, Murphy, and Coates' (1999) group attachment measure to college adjustment using 109 college students. Prior researchers have found that adult dyadic attachment styles predicted college adjustment. This article is the first to explore the relationship between both group and dyadic attachment styles and college adjustment as measured by the Student Adaptation to College Questionnaire. Hierarchical regression analysis revealed that personal attachment anxiety, not avoidance, accounted for the most variance in college adjustment. Group attachment avoidance also accounted for a significant amount of variance, above and beyond dyadic attachment styles, in the prediction of college adjustment. This study supports the importance of exploring both dyadic and group attachment styles in studying overall adjustment to the transition to college life. Implications of the findings for research and practice are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Attachment style as a predictor of adult romantic relationships.

Questionnaire measures of attachment style, attachment history, beliefs about relationships, self-esteem, limerence, loving, love addiction, and love styles were administered to 374 undergraduates. Attachment style was related in theoretically expected ways to attachment history and to beliefs about relationships. Securely attached Ss reported relatively positive perceptions of their early family relationships. Avoidant Ss were most likely to report childhood separation from their mother and to express mistrust of others. Anxious-ambivalent subjects were less likely than avoidant Ss to see their father as supportive, and they reported a lack of independence and a desire for deep commitment in relationships. The self-esteem measure and each of the scales measuring forms of love were factor analyzed separately. Analyses based on scale scores derived from the resulting factors indicated that attachment style was also strongly related to self-esteem and to the various forms of love discussed in other theoretical frameworks. The results suggest that attachment theory offers a useful perspective on adult love relationships. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Changing toddlers' and preschoolers' attachment classifications: The circle of security intervention.

The Circle of Security intervention uses a group treatment modality to provide parent education and psychotherapy that is based on attachment theory. The purpose of this study was to track changes in children's attachment classifications pre- and immediately postintervention. Participants were 65 toddler- or preschooler- caregiver dyads recruited from Head Start and Early Head Start programs. As predicted, there were significant within-subject changes from disorganized to organized attachment classifications, with a majority changing to the secure classification. In addition, only 1 of the 13 preintervention securely attached children shifted to an insecure classification. Results suggest that the Circle of Security protocol is a promising intervention for the reduction of disorganized and insecure attachment in high-risk toddlers and preschoolers. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Adult attachment classification and self-reported psychiatric symptomatology as assessed by the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory--2.

This study examined differences in self-reported psychiatric symptomatology on the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 according to adult attachment status on the Adult Attachment Interview in first-time mothers from a high-risk poverty sample. Participants reported fairly high levels of symptomatology regardless of attachment status. The dismissing adult attachment group reported comparatively little psychiatric distress, emphasized independence, and scored the lowest on self-reported anxiety. The preoccupied group was highest on a range of indices of psychiatric symptoms indicative of self-perceived distress and relationship problems. The autonomous group's scores ranged between the scores of the other 2 groups on most scales. These different symptom patterns are consistent with adult attachment status as an index of self-representation and as a set of strategies for processing emotions and thoughts related to distress and to attachment relationships. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

L'attachment à l'age scolaire et le développement des troubles de comportement.

The purpose of this longitudinal study was to examine the association between the mother–child attachment relationship and behavioural problems among a test group of 120 Francophone Canadian children from mixed social and economic backgrounds. The Strange Situation protocol was used to measure attachment styles when the children were between the ages of 5 and 7 yrs. Each child's behavioural difficulties were assessed by his or her educator or teacher during 3 developmental periods: 3–5 yrs, 5–7 yrs, and 7–9 yrs. Results show that disorganized insecure attachment is associated with an increased risk of developing exteriorized and interiorized behavioural troubles between the ages of 5 and 7. The authors also observed exteriorized behavioural problems among children with anxious-ambivalent attachment, especially in the 3–5 age group. Avoidant children, usually assessed positively, received exteriorization scores during the 5–7 period which were significantly below those of securely attached children. Avoidant boys also exhibited more interiorized symptoms during this time-frame. Analyses of the persistence of behavioural problems also showed increased risk among disorganized and ambivalent children with secure or avoidant attachment styles. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Dynamic processes underlying adult attachment organization: Toward an attachment theoretical perspective on the healthy and effective self.

Contemporary attachment theory is inspiring a burgeoning literature on adult attachment. This literature offers counseling psychology a compelling framework for understanding the healthy and effective self. In this article, the authors review studies probing the cognitive processes, affect self-regulatory dynamics, and relationship behaviors associated with secure (primary) and insecure (secondary) adult attachment strategies. They then offer a portrait of the healthy, effective personality that is consistent with theory and research on adult attachment. Finally, in an effort to understand key characteristics of successful movement toward the healthy and effective self, the authors review empirical extensions of attachment theory to the therapeutic context. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Adult attachment and the perception of facial expression of emotion.

Adult attachment orientation has been associated with specific patterns of emotion regulation. The present research examined the effects of attachment orientation on the perceptual processing of emotional stimuli. Experimental participants played computerized movies of faces that expressed happiness, sadness, and anger. Over the course of the movies, the facial expressions became neutral. Participants reported the frame at which the initial expression no longer appeared on the face. Under conditions of no distress (Study 1), fearfully attached individuals saw the offset of both happiness and anger earlier, and preoccupied and dismissive individuals later, than the securely attached individuals. Under conditions of distress (Study 2), insecurely attached individuals perceived the offset of negative facial expressions as occurring later than did the secure individuals, and fearfully attached individuals saw the offset later than either of the other insecure groups. The mechanisms underlying the effects are considered. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)