Meaning Through Attachment: An Integrative Framework

Attachment, Competitiveness, and Workplace Aggression: A Model of Aggressive Intent and Examination of the Competitive Orientation Scale

Workplace aggression consists of harmful actions between co-workers, supervisors, and subordinates. In this series of studies, we draw from attachment theory and competitive personality to develop and test a mediated model of workplace aggression that incorporates relational working models (i.e., attachment style) with competitive orientation to predict aggressive intentions. Our results find that an avoidant attachment style caused by dissociative relational models promotes a preference for aggression through hypercompetitiveness, while other relational models fail to predict aggressive intentions. In addition, we test and incorporate a shortened scale of competitive orientation for greater accessibility in competitiveness studies.

Mediator role of presence of meaning and self-esteem in the relationship of social support and death anxiety

Introduction

Death anxiety has increased following the COVID-19 pandemic. Although terror management theory has suggested social support, presence of meaning and self-esteem functioned as death anxiety buffers, few existing works have explored the mechanism of how social support, presence of meaning, and self-esteem buffer death anxiety. To identify these mechanisms is the aim of this study.

Methods

Our cross-sectional study was conducted with 1167 people in China from 19 May 2020 to 1 June 2020 during the COVID-19 outbreak. The average age of participants was 26 years. Data were by questionnaire, including demographic information, the Templer's Death anxiety scale, the multidimensional scale of perceived social support, the presence of meaning scale, and the Rosenberg self-esteem scale.

Results

Results using structural equation modeling showed presence of meaning and self-esteem fully mediated the relationship between social support and death anxiety, respectively and sequentially. The proposed model showed good fit of indices: χ² = 243.384, df = 58, p < 0.001; CFI = 0.968, TLI = 0.954, RMSEA = 0.052, SRMR = 0.044.

Discussion

This study demonstrates significant mediator roles of presence of meaning and self-esteem in the relationship of social support and death anxiety. Multi-component interventions are needed to manage death anxiety by targeting increasing social support, presence of meaning and self-esteem and increasing presence of meaning and self-esteem when social support is diminished in the pandemic.

The association between attachment orientations and empathy: The mediation effect of self-concept clarity

Although earlier research had demonstrated significant links between attachment and self-concept clarity; attachment and empathy; and self-concept clarity and empathy respectively, there had been no studies examining these associations in conjunction with one another. Therefore, the present studies explored whether individual differences in self-concept clarity would mediate the relationship between attachment orientation (i.e., attachment anxiety and attachment avoidance) and empathy (i.e., empathic concern and personal distress). In Study 1, the association between attachment orientation and self-concept clarity was examined among 602 Hungarian university students. In Study 2, the relationship between attachment and empathy was investigated through self-concept clarity among 1000 Hungarian adults. The findings from both samples revealed that attachment avoidance and anxiety were negatively related to self-concept clarity. In Study 2, individuals with greater self-concept clarity showed greater empathic concern and lower personal distress. Attachment avoidance was associated with lower empathic concern, whereas there was no significant association with personal distress. Attachment anxiety was positively related to empathic concern and personal distress. Self-concept clarity partially mediated associations with attachment anxiety and aspects of empathy. These findings suggest the importance of attachment orientations in terms of their influence on the self with regard to interpersonal relations.

The Mediating Role of Positive Orientation in the Relationship between Loneliness and Meaning in Life

(1) Background: Previous research revealed that increased loneliness resulted in decreased meaning in life (MIL). Little is known, however, about the underlying mechanisms of this relationship. The aim of the study was to determine if the set of positive evaluations of oneself, one's life, and one's future discussed by Caprara as positive orientation (POS) was a mediator between loneliness and MIL. (2) Methods: A sample of 304 Polish participants aged 19-45 (M = 25.61 years, SD = 6.1) completed the De Jong Gierveld Loneliness Scale, the Presence subscale of the Meaning in Life Questionnaire, and the Positivity Scale. (3) Results: The study showed that loneliness was negatively associated with POS and MIL, while POS and MIL were positively correlated with each other. It also turned out that POS partially mediated the relationship between loneliness and MIL. (4) Conclusions: The results suggest that, by inhibiting POS, loneliness makes it difficult to perceive life as meaningful. The interrelationships between loneliness, POS, and MIL are discussed in light of the evolutionary theory of loneliness.

Civic Engagement, Social Support, and Sense of Meaningfulness in Life of Adolescents Living in Hong Kong: Implications for Social Work Practice

Little is known about the moderation effect of social support on youth's civic engagement and meaning in life. To address this research gap, the current study examines the relationship among civic engagement, different sources of social support (family, significant others, and friends), and sense of meaningfulness in life. 1330 High school students in Hong Kong were recruited to participate into a survey in this study. Hierarchical regression analysis was used to examine the possible moderation effect of social support on youth's civic engagement and meaning in life. The results indicate a positive association between civic engagement and the sense of meaningfulness in life. Social support from family and significant others is also found to be associated positively with the sense of meaningfulness in life. Surprisingly, a negative moderation effect of social support from friends is found in the relationship between civic engagement and the sense of meaningfulness in life, which reminds us to reconsider the nature of friendship support. The results suggest that the government and social workers should continue to facilitate youth participation in civic engagement. Further, more focus should be put on nurturing positive family relationships and support from significant others, from which youth's sense of meaningfulness can be enhanced.

The perception of the leader as an attachment figure: can it mediate the relationship between work engagement and general/citizenship performance?

The study aimed to explore the perception of the leader as a security provider as a potential mediator of the relationship between work engagement and perceived general and citizenship work performance. Five hundred and forty-two adults completed the Leader as a security provider scale, Utrecht work engagement scale, General work performance questionnaire, and Citizenship organizational behavior questionnaire to self-report on their organizational behaviors. The perception of the leader as a secure attachment figure partially mediated loyalty and adherence to the organization's rules in engaged employees. Perceived separation distress can increase interpersonal citizenship performance; however, it can decrease organizational compliance in engaged employees. Fear of losing the leader can potentially harm the organizational goals by favoring the personal relationships before organizational compliance.

Continuing to Participate in the Dance of Life as Oneself: The Lived Experience of Meaning in Life for Older Adults With Alzheimer's Disease

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

Meaning in life is an important aspect of positive psychological functioning for older adults. Limited work suggests the relevance of the experience of meaning for people with dementia, but research into this experience from their personal perspective is lacking. The current study provides an in-depth investigation of the lived experience of meaning in life for older adults with Alzheimer's disease.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

The study was conducted following the phenomenological reflective lifeworld approach. In-depth interviews were conducted with 16 older adults (+65) with Alzheimer's disease living either at home or in a nursing home in Belgium. Data analysis was an iterative process aimed at illuminating the constituents and essence of the phenomenon.

RESULTS

The essence of the experience of meaning in life for participants was understood as "continuing to participate in the dance of life as oneself." This experience was further clarified in four closely intertwined constituents: (a) feeling connected and involved, (b) continuing everyday life as oneself, (c) calmly surrendering and letting go, and (d) desiring freedom, growth, and invigoration.

DISCUSSION AND IMPLICATIONS

Our findings contribute to a deeper understanding of meaning in life as experienced by older adults with Alzheimer's disease themselves. They emphasize the relevance of the concept for psychological dementia research and offer original insight for the inclusion of meaning in life as an important aspect of holistic dementia care.