Linking adult attachment to self-esteem stability

Meta-analytic evidence that attachment insecurity is associated with less frequent experiences of discrete positive emotions

OBJECTIVE

Individual differences in attachment insecurity can have important implications for experiences of positive emotions. However, existing research on the link between attachment insecurity and positive emotional experiences has typically used a composite measure of positive emotions, overlooking the potential importance of differentiating discrete emotions.

METHOD

We conducted a meta-analysis of 10 cross-sectional samples (N = 3215), examining how attachment insecurity is associated with self-reported frequency of experiencing positive emotions, with a distinction made between more social (i.e., love and gratitude) and less social (i.e., peace and awe or curiosity) positive emotions.

RESULTS

High (vs. low) levels of both attachment anxiety and avoidance were associated with less frequent experience of positive emotions regardless of their social relevance. When analyzing each emotion separately, we found that attachment anxiety showed negative relations to all emotions except gratitude. Attachment avoidance was negatively associated with all emotions, and the link was even stronger with love (vs. peace, awe, or curiosity). Additional analyses of daily diary data revealed that attachment anxiety and avoidance were also negatively associated with daily experiences of positive emotions, regardless of social relevance.

CONCLUSION

Our results underscore the need to further investigate the mechanisms underlying insecure individuals' blunted positive emotional experiences.

The association between transient childhood psychotic experiences and psychosocial outcomes in young adulthood: Examining the role of mental disorders and adult attachment

AIM

Evidence suggest individuals with mental disorders and psychotic experiences (PE), even transient PE, show poorer psychosocial outcomes relative to those with mental disorders. The concept of "attachment" is hypothesized as the mechanism by which people seek support in times of need. This can be measured as discrete styles or as positive (low avoidance/anxiety)/negative (high avoidance/anxiety) dimensions. Adult attachment has previously been examined on PE risk factors, but not outcomes. This study aimed to examine the relationship between transient childhood PE and adult psychosocial outcomes, comparing those with and without mental disorders. Second, to examine the role of adult attachment.

METHOD

Participants (n = 103) attended baseline (age 11-13) and 10-year follow-up. PE and mental disorders were measured using the Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia for School-aged Children. Attachment and outcomes were measured using self-report measures. Analysis compared those with PE (with/without mental disorders), and mental disorders without PE, to controls, using linear and Poisson regression.

RESULTS

PE was associated with lower self-esteem (β = -2.28, p = .03), perceived social support from friends (β = -2.80, p = .01), and higher stress in platonic relationships (IRR = 1.64). PE and mental disorders were associated with lower self-esteem (β = -5.74, p = .002), higher stress in romantic (IRR = 1.40) and platonic (IRR = 1.59) relationships, general stress (β = 5.60, p = .006), and mental distress (β = 5.67, p = .001). Mental disorders alone was not associated with any measure. Adult attachment dimensions attenuated some results.

CONCLUSIONS

This paper illustrates the association between transient PE and adult psychosocial outcomes, with & without co-occurring mental disorders, and demonstrates the role of adult attachment.

Attachment style and post-bariatric surgery health behaviours: the mediating role of self-esteem and health self-efficacy

BACKGROUND

Attachment avoidance and anxiety have been linked to overweight and poor health behaviours, yet the mechanisms that underpin the relationship between attachment and health behaviours are not fully understood. Self-esteem and self-efficacy have been found to differ between attachment styles, rendering these variables potential mediators of the relationship. This longitudinal study investigated the serial mediation between preoperative attachment and 2-year post-operative health behaviours through self-esteem and health self-efficacy.

METHODS

Participants were 263 bariatric surgery patients (75.7% females, aged 47.7 ± 10.4 years, BMI 38.9 ± 3.6 kg/m2) assessed before the operation and again one and two years after the surgery. Patients completed the Experiences for Close Relationships Brief Scale, Rosenberg Self-esteem scale, Weight Efficacy Lifestyle Questionnaire, Bariatric Surgery Self-Management Questionnaire, Exercise Self-Efficacy Scale and the Exercise Behaviour Scale.

RESULTS

Higher preoperative attachment anxiety and avoidance were associated with lower self-esteem one year after bariatric surgery and poorer health self-efficacy two years after the surgery. Self-esteem and health self-efficacy mediated the relationships between preoperative anxious and avoidant attachment and 2- year post-operative diet adherence and physical activity.

CONCLUSIONS

Helping patients to feel more worthy and reinforcing their beliefs about their own competences could lead to higher engagement with healthy lifestyle and adherence to treatment protocols, ultimately helping patients to achieve their goals for bariatric surgery.

CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION

BARIA: Netherlands Trial Register: NL5837 (NTR5992) https://www.trialregister.nl/trial/5837 . Diabaria: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier (NCT number): NCT03330756.

Love Addiction, Adult Attachment Patterns and Self-Esteem: Testing for Mediation Using Path Analysis

Love addiction is a dysfunctional relational modality that takes on the addiction characteristics and which, for the individuals who suffer from it, can have a negative and pervasive impact on various areas of functioning. The objective of this research was the analysis the factors that can be associated with love addiction, particularly focusing on adult attachment patterns and self-esteem. A sample group of 300 individuals who declared themselves to have a romantic relationship was involved in this research (M_age = 37.83 years, SD = 12.937). They completed an online survey including the Love Addiction Inventory-Short form, Relationship Questionnaire, and Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale. Results showed significant and positive associations between preoccupied and fearful adult attachment and love addiction. Furthermore, these relationships were totally mediated by self-esteem. Gender and age were controlled as potential covariates and showed significant effects in influencing the levels of self-esteem and love addiction. Such findings may provide useful information for orienting future research and supporting an effective clinical practice.

Psychoemotional States of Men and Women in Separation from Their Families

Due to the fighting, forced separation from family has become an urgent problem for many Ukrainians. The purpose of this study is to empirically investigate the impact of separation from family members on the psychoemotional state of men and women in war conditions. 332 respondents were interviewed using the following methods: the Cohen Perceived Stress Scale, the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale, the hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, and the positive and negative affect questionnaire by A. Klimanska, I. Haletska, the “List of traumatic events” questionnaire. Statistical analysis included a comparison of groups identified by the criterion of separation from relatives: 1) separated from a spouse or romantic partner, 2) separated from children, 3) separated from parents, 4) separated from many family members at once; 5) members of the control group had no changes in family composition. The results showed that the effects of family separation depend on gender. The absence of a male partner did not substantially affect the indicators of the psychoemotional state of Ukrainian women in the first weeks of the war. During the separation from blood relatives, negative changes were expressed in the actualisation of fears and vulnerability to possible dangers, and in the loss of a sense of joy (during separation from children); inattention, and confusion (during separation from parents). Compensatory mobilisation processes, increased vigilance, and concentration were identified in women who are globally separated from their families. Men were substantially less affected by separation from their relatives and showed an increase in the reaction of indignation. Therewith, the male and female subsamples did not substantially differ in the level of stress tolerance, resiliency, manifestations of depression and anxiety; but they differed in the perception of stress, the severity of positive and negative emotions. Women were more acutely aware of the uncertainty and tension of the life situation, their emotional reactions were dominated by depression, frustration, and anxiety. In turn, men in a war situation expressed more active reactions (concentration, determination, etc.), which prevailed over passivenegative ones. It is concluded that separation from the family threatens the psychological well-being and social adaptation of people who were forced to leave their homes due to the war. The obtained data help to better understand both the sources of psychotrauma and the resources for overcoming negative psychoemotional states in a situation of separation and suggest appropriate ways of psychological and social assistance

Individual differences in relational body image: Within-person variability predicts maladaptive trait body image

Findings have been mixed as to whether individual differences in within-person variability in body image predict maladaptive body image and eating behaviors. The current study aimed to resolve this ambiguity by addressing limitations of past research. First, we measured within-person variability in body image across the context-sensitive domain of relationships. Second, we incorporated the latest statistical methods to increase the robustness of the results. Online, 189 female-identified undergraduates completed seven baseline measures of trait body image. At least three days later, in-lab, participants were guided to generate a list of the most important people in their lives (i.e., friends, family members, close others) using egocentric network methods. Participants then completed a set of three relationship-specific measures in which they reported on their typical body image with 10 people from their list, one by one. Multiverse analysis tested the hypothesis that, across combinations of measures, within-person variability in relational body image would positively predict indicators of maladaptive body image. In 84 regression analyses, permutation testing supported our overall hypothesis (p = .006); however, results varied across different model specifications. Results provide further evidence for the predictive power of within-person variability in body image and yield valuable methodological and statistical recommendations.

Emotional intelligence as a mediator between attachment security and empathy in pre-clinical medical students: A multi-center cross-sectional study

OBJECTIVE

To explore the association of emotional intelligence (EI) and attachment security (AS) with empathy dimensions in medical students by examining the mediating role of EI.

METHODS

In a cross-sectional design, the Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI), the Emotional Quotient Inventory (EQ-i), the Attachment Style Questionnaire (ASQ), and demographic questions were administrated to second-year medical students of two medical schools in Northern Italy.

RESULTS

253 medical students (56.13% female), aged 19-29, participated in this study. AS positively correlated to Empathic Concern (r = 0.17, p = 0.008) and Perspective Taking (r = 0.24, p < 0.001), and negatively to Personal Distress (r = -0.33, p < 0.001). Individuals with the same level of AS and a higher score on EQ-i had a higher score (β = 0.072, p = 0.033) on empathy latent factor (at the basis of Empathic Concern and Perspective Taking) and a lower score (β = -0.290, p < 0.001) on Personal Distress than those with a lower EQ-i score.

CONCLUSION

This study shows that EI completely mediated the relationship between AS and empathy dimensions among medical students.

PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS

EI training and workshop should be considered when designing educational interventions and programs to enhance empathy and decrease interpersonal distress in medical students.

The circle of gain and loss: Iranian women's life stories of suffering from compulsive sexual behaviour

This qualitative study aimed to explore Iranian women's life stories living with compulsive sexual behaviour. Data were collected between 2014 and 2016 in two cities. Forty-four semi-structured interviews were conducted by using theoretical sampling and constant comparative analysis. Four thematic categories were constructed from the data, including "scars left on the spirit and mind,"; "bizarre beliefs regarding sexuality and gender,"; "compensation for emptiness and the loss,"; and "difficulty in emotional regulation." This paper shows how abusive patterns of relationships in childhood could lead to sexual compulsivity. The paper results can direct our attention to the importance of health and social care and training to recognise abusive situations and support these children.

Exploring the relationship between dispositional mindfulness and hoarding behavior: A moderated multi-mediation model

Hoarding behavior may not only interfere with hoarders’ daily lives but may also endanger the community. However, few studies have investigated the role of personality characteristics in hoarding behavior. We hypothesized that dispositional mindfulness would be negatively associated with hoarding behavior, and tested mechanisms and gender differences in this association. An online survey was conducted in a sample of 533 Chinese adults (262 women, Mage = 26.82; SD = 6.30). Regression-based analyses showed that mindfulness was associated with less hoarding behavior through higher self-esteem and lower emotion dysregulation. Moreover, gender moderated the mediating effect of emotion dysregulation in the association between mindfulness and hoarding behavior. Specifically, the indirect association was only significant for women. These findings provide a deeper understanding of how, why, and for whom dispositional mindfulness is negatively associated with hoarding behavior, they provide support for self-completion theory and the cognitive-behavioral model of hoarding, and they have heuristic value for future research.

How do we process feedback? The role of self-esteem in processing self-related and other-related information

This study was designed to investigate the effect of the level and stability of self-esteem on self-referent vs. other-referent feedback recall and to determine which of the opposed self-concept motives, self-enhancement or self-verification, will prevail in adolescents with certain type of self- esteem. In a between-subjects experimental design, 450 high school graduates and freshmen were randomly assigned to a self-referent task (n = 230) or other-referent task (n = 220) and their self-esteem was measured by repeated administration of the RSE scale. After personality and cognitive ability test, participants in a self-referent task were presented with a bogus feedback which consisted of statements that described a specific positive or negative behavior that one is likely to do. Participants in the other-referent received the same information, but relating to an unknown person. Memory was tested on a surprise free recall task. Findings confirm preferential processing of self-related information, i.e. self-reference effect, regardless of valence and content-related domain of feedback. Participants in self-referent condition also showed better recall of positive than negative personally relevant feedback, regardless of their self-esteem stability or self-esteem level. However, interaction of self-esteem level and self-esteem stability was significant, but its effect was relatively small.

Aggression in Adolescents: The Role of Mother-Child Attachment and Self-Esteem

Every year, adolescents' aggressive behavior in the world continues to increase, including in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. Teenagers' aggressive behavior in Yogyakarta leads to criminal acts resulting in physical sacrifices and death. The aggressive behavior of teenagers is known as Klithih. It develops and continues to increase every year, causing public anxiety and concern. This study aimed to examine the role of mother-child attachment and self-esteem against aggression. Aggression, mother's attachment, and self-esteem scales were deployed to collect data and were filled out by 730 high school students between 15 and 19 years old from twenty-three schools in five municipalities in Yogyakarta Province (M = 16.52, SD = 0.793, 310 male students and 420 female students). Descriptive statistics described research data by IBM SPSS 23 and structural equation modeling by AMOS v20 to test research hypotheses. The results of the study showed a good fit, indicating that self-esteem might enhance the effect of each mother's attachment style on aggression. Our study showed that insecure attachment positively and significantly affected aggression and negatively and significantly affected self-esteem. Furthermore, it also revealed that anxious attachment positively and significantly influenced aggression and negatively and significantly influenced self-esteem. Lastly, our finding revealed that self-esteem negatively and significantly affected aggression. These findings suggested that better mother's attachment and higher self-esteem in adolescents may lower the possibility of aggression, whereas insecure attachment, anxious attachment, and low self-esteem may increase the risk of aggression.

Patient's and the Therapist's Attachment Representations, Attachment to Therapists, and Self-Esteem-Change Through Psychotherapy

Objectives: The present naturalistic study aims to investigate the differential effects of the patient’s and the therapist’s attachment representations on the attachment to the therapist as perceived by the patient, and their impact on self-esteem-change through psychotherapy.

Methods: Attachment variables of N = 573 patients as well as N = 16 therapists were assessed. Attachment representations were measured for therapists and patients via the Bielefelder Questionnaire for Client Attachment Exploration, the Relationship Specific Attachment to Therapist Scales and the Adult Attachment Interview. The patient’s attachment to therapists was evaluated and patients’ self-esteem was measured via the Frankfurter Selbstkonzeptskalen at the beginning and end of psychotherapy.

Results: Although there were significant effects of the patient’s attachment representations on the perceived attachment to the therapist as well as between the perceived attachment to the therapist and the amount of self-esteem-change, the therapist’s attachment style had no significant influence on the perceived attachment to the therapist.

Conclusion: Self-esteem-change through psychotherapy is influenced by the actually formed attachment relationship as perceived by the patient. The patient’s attachment representations but not the therapist’s attachment style contributes to the actual patient’s attachment to the therapist.

Levels and Instability of Daily Self-Esteem in Adolescents: Relations to Depressive and Anxious Symptoms

The current study examined whether individual differences in depressive and anxious symptoms relate to level of daily self-esteem and instability of daily self-esteem in adolescence. Participants were a racially and ethnically diverse sample of adolescents (79 girls, 65 boys; M age = 13.53 years). Adolescents reported on their depressive and anxious symptoms during a baseline home visit. Then, adolescents reported on their daily self-esteem over the course of 12 consecutive days. Using hierarchical linear modeling analyses, level of daily self-esteem was negatively associated with depressive but not anxious symptoms. In addition, a positive relation emerged between instability of daily self-esteem and depressive symptoms when controlling for level of self-esteem; a similar relation did not emerge for anxious symptoms. The differential findings that emerged between both level and instability of daily self-esteem and depressive versus anxious symptoms may be linked to differences in the temporal orientation of these two types of internalizing symptoms; specifically, depressive symptoms result from backward-looking rumination over previous experiences, whereas anxious symptoms emerge from forward-looking worry about future events (Wenze et al., 2012).

Adult attachment styles, self-esteem, and quality of life in women with fibromyalgia

Recently, the research on pain-related disability has increasingly paid attention to the psychological and social factors that may influence the biological condition. In the current study, we aimed to explore attachment styles, self-esteem, and quality of life in individuals with a diagnosis of fibromyalgia. Participants were 371 diagnosed women, with a mean age of 42.7 years (standard deviation = 10.6). The average number of years since diagnosis was 7.4 years (standard deviation = 2.4) years. To assess attachment, quality of life, and self-esteem, women responded, respectively, to the Relationship Questionnaire, the World Health Organization Quality of Life Questionnaire, and the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Inventory. Our results showed that secure attachment relationships and high self-esteem represent protective factors for quality of life of women with fibromyalgia, while the contrary emerged for insecure attachments and low self-esteem. The understanding of the psychological components that contribute to fibromyalgia may improve the effectiveness of interventions.

Cognitive, Emotional, and Behavioral Reactions to Snooping: The Role of Attachment Characteristics

Although snooping is common in romantic relationships, there has been limited research on reactions to being snooped by a romantic partner. This study was designed to examine the role of attachment style in cognitive, emotional, and behavioral reactions to partner snooping. Participants (n = 491) read one of four hypothetical scenarios that involved partner snooping through electronic or nonelectronic belongings and reported their reactions in an online study. Results showed that overall, an electronic snooping offense was associated with greater negative reactions, such as greater tendencies to attribute the partner and the self to the offense, and being less forgiving of the partner. Anxious attachment predicted greater positive emotional reactions to partner snooping, whereas avoidance predicted greater negative emotional reactions and being less forgiving of the partner. Finally, relationship status was a robust predictor of reactions such that being in a committed relationship was associated with lesser negative emotional reactions and greater positive emotional reactions to snooping, lesser tendencies to attribute the partner to the offense, and being more forgiving of the partner. Theoretical and practical implications of these findings were discussed.

"It's like all of his attention is on you": A mixed methods examination of attachment, supportive nonparental youth-adult relationships, and self-esteem during adolescence

The purpose of this mixed methods study was to examine the relationship between attachment, supportive nonparental youth-adult relationships, and self-esteem during adolescence. First, in a quantitative path analysis, we found that perceived social support from nonparental adults partially mediated the relationship between adolescent attachment and self-esteem. In our follow-up mixed methods analysis, we analyzed youth reflections of support experienced in relationships with significant non-parental adults (VIPs). As compared to youth with positive attachment models, youth with negative attachment models reported fewer instances of emotional support but more instances of validation support. The youth with negative attachment models described (1) the importance of trust and (2) receiving emotional support specific to their needs. In instances of validation support, these youth described how their VIPs (1) provided them with honest and realistic feedback, (2) challenged their negative thinking and (3) created opportunities for them to recognize and showcase their strengths. Our findings underscore the importance of considering youths' individual attributes in the context of their ongoing relationships in order to gain a more nuanced understanding of the role and dynamics of supportive nonparental youth-adult relationships in youths' lives.

Self-compassion, the 'quiet ego' and materialism

The research is an investigation of self-compassion and materialism. Self-compassion is when an individual has a caring, non-judgmental view of the self. This quality has been related to lower depression, less negative emotion and higher psychological health (Neff, 2003). Materialism has been consistently associated with low subjective well-being and unhappiness. A related concept is that of the ‘quiet ego’, which is a less competitive, less self-centered individual with more concern with connecting with others and with personal growth (Wayment et al., 2015). Therefore, it is hypothesized that highly materialistic individuals will be lower in self-compassion and have a fear of compassion from others and towards others and that self-compassion and fears of compassion will mediate the relationship between materialism and low subjective well-being. As materialistic individuals are more likely to be competitive and individualistic, it is hypothesized that the ‘quiet ego’ will be negatively related to materialism. These hypotheses were investigated using a set of questionnaires with 423 undergraduate participants. The results indicated a relationship between materialism and fear of compassion for others and of responding to the compassion of others. Materialism was also negatively related to the ‘quiet ego’ and related constructs such as: mindfulness, satisfaction with life and generativity. Self-compassion, fears of compassion and the quiet-ego were also found to mediate the relationship between materialism and measures of well-being. The results are consistent with several theoretical explanations for the development of materialism. It is possible that increasing self-compassion, reducing fears of compassion and ‘ego-quieting’ procedures could be developed as methods of reducing materialistic tendencies.

Are shame and self-esteem risk factors in prolonged grief after death of a spouse?

Although many single factors of prolonged grief have been identified in the literature, a comprehensive understanding of predictors is still lacking. This article argues that shame and low self-esteem, present risk factors in prolonged grief after spousal loss, based on a review of correlational studies. Using a practitioner-scientist approach, a developmental model of shame as a core factor in prolonged grief is proposed, outlining the progression from childhood relational trauma, to insecure attachment, shame, self-esteem contingent on spousal approval to eventual prolonged grief.

Attachment and prejudice

There is a paucity of research that examines prejudice from an attachment theory perspective. Herein we make theoretical links between attachment patterns and levels of prejudice. Perceptions of outgroup threat, which activate the attachment system, are thought to lead to fear and prejudice for those high in attachment anxiety, and to distancing and prejudice for those high in attachment avoidance. We review the literature that examines the associations between attachment patterns and prejudice; evidence from attachment priming studies suggests a causal role of attachment security in reducing prejudice. We identify several mediators of these links: empathy, negative emotions, trust, social dominance orientation, romanticism, and contact quality. Future research should manipulate potential mediators and use psychophysiological assessments of threat.

The Self-esteem Stability Scale (SESS) for Cross-Sectional Direct Assessment of Self-esteem Stability

Self-esteem stability describes fluctuations in the level of self-esteem experienced by individuals over a brief period of time. In recent decades, self-esteem stability has repeatedly been shown to be an important variable affecting psychological functioning. However, measures of self-esteem stability are few and lacking in validity. In this paper, we present the Self-Esteem Stability Scale (SESS), a unidimensional and very brief scale to directly assess self-esteem stability. In four studies (total N = 826), we describe the development of the SESS and present evidence for its validity with respect to individual outcomes (life satisfaction, neuroticism, and vulnerable narcissism) and dyadic outcomes (relationship satisfaction in self- and partner ratings) through direct comparisons with existing measures. The new SESS proved to be a stronger predictor than the existing scales and had incremental validity over and above self-esteem level. The results also showed that all cross-sectional measures of self-esteem stability were only moderately associated with variability in self-esteem levels assessed longitudinally with multiple administrations of the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale. We discuss this validity issue, arguing that direct and indirect assessment approaches measure relevant, yet different aspects of self-esteem stability.

“And yet your duty is to hope”: The positive psychology of Jean-Paul Sartre

In this article, we consider the potential relevance of the philosophy of Jean-Paul Sartre to the positive psychology movement. Specifically, we argue that Sartre’s consideration of freedom as the “foundation of all values” can be read as a defense of generosity as the cardinal psychosocial virtue. For Sartre, authentic existence is not simply a quest to realize subjective well-being or to acquire a collection of conventional virtues and character strengths. Rather, authenticity is most appropriately understood as a life (holistically conceived) offering itself as a gift to the Other—a freedom realizing its humanity by nurturing other freedoms. Practical implications of Sartrean thought are considered, with special attention given to “gratitude” as an erstwhile character strength that potentially undermines the quest for freedom.

Rejection Sensitivity, Self-Esteem Instability, and Relationship Outcomes

This study examined whether responsibility attributions for self and partner behaviors differentially mediate the link between rejection sensitivity (RS), unstable self-esteem (USE), and relationship outcomes (i.e., violence and silencing the self, STS). Individuals in dating relationships in Turkey (N = 177) completed the measures of attributions for self and partner behaviors, RS, USE, violence, and STS. The results indicated that RS and USE had indirect effects on violence via attributions for partner behaviors. Attributions for self-behaviors mediated the relationship between RS together with USE and silencing the self-behaviors. Furthermore, USE was directly associated with silencing the self behaviors. The findings were discussed in terms of theoretical and practical implications as well as directions for future research.

Emotional responses to a romantic partner's imaginary rejection: the roles of attachment anxiety, covert narcissism, and self-evaluation

These studies tested the associations between responses to an induced imaginary romantic rejection and individual differences on dimensions of attachment and covert narcissism. In Study 1 (N=125), we examined the associations between attachment dimensions and emotional responses to a vignette depicting a scenario of romantic rejection, as measured by self-reported negative mood states, expressions of anger, somatic symptoms, and self-evaluation. Higher scores on attachment anxiety, but not on attachment avoidance, were associated with stronger reactions to the induced rejection. Moreover, decreased self-evaluation scores (self-esteem and pride) were found to mediate these associations. In Study 2 (N=88), the relative contributions of covert narcissism and attachment anxiety to the emotional responses to romantic rejection were explored. Higher scores on covert narcissism were associated with stronger reactions to the induced rejection. Moreover, covert narcissism seemed to constitute a specific aspect of attachment anxiety.