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Evans HE, Sansom-Daly UM, Bryant RA. Attachment as a mechanism influencing end-of-life communication: An analogue investigation. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0303652. [PMID: 39083512 PMCID: PMC11290637 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0303652] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2023] [Accepted: 04/29/2024] [Indexed: 08/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Talking about dying when faced with end-of-life may be important for achieving optimal outcomes for young people and their families. Given the lack of research on young people's communication around end-of-life and death, this analogue study examined the role of attachment theory in conversations about dying. Experiment 1 assessed attachment security of 80 healthy young adults and randomised them to receive either an induction that raised awareness of one's attachment figures or a neutral induction, and then primed them with an imagined scenario where they were diagnosed with an incurable illness. Participants then completed a self-report measure of their willingness to discuss end-of-life topics with family, friends, or a psychologist. The experimental attachment induction did not increase willingness to talk about end-of-life concepts. Experiment 2 extended this design and asked participants to describe these conversations and assessed the content of their imagined end-of-life conversations. Experiment 2 replicated the finding that enhancing individuals' awareness of key attachment figures did not increase participants' willingness to engage in end-of-life conversations. However, heightened attachment awareness led participants to talk more about their relationship with the person they were hypothetically talking with. Across both experiments, avoidant attachment tendencies reduced the likelihood that participants receiving the attachment prime would want to engage in end-of-life conversation. Overall, it seems there are important differences between individuals on willingness to talk about death, and this may be influenced by one's attachment style. These results raise implications for the importance of attachment in the therapeutic relationship for healthcare professionals working with young people with life-limiting illnesses, such as cancer. Further research may shed light on how an individually tailored approach, taking into account attachment security, achieves the best outcomes for individuals who require end-of-life conversations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Holly E Evans
- School of Psychology, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
- School of Clinical Medicine, UNSW Medicine & Health, Randwick Clinical Campus, Discipline of Paediatrics, University of New South Wales (UNSW) Sydney, Randwick, New South Wales, Australia
- Behavioural Sciences Unit, Kids Cancer Centre, Sydney Children's Hospital, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Ursula M Sansom-Daly
- School of Clinical Medicine, UNSW Medicine & Health, Randwick Clinical Campus, Discipline of Paediatrics, University of New South Wales (UNSW) Sydney, Randwick, New South Wales, Australia
- Behavioural Sciences Unit, Kids Cancer Centre, Sydney Children's Hospital, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
- Sydney Youth Cancer Service, Nelune Comprehensive Cancer Centre, Prince of Wales Hospital, Randwick, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Richard A Bryant
- School of Psychology, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
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2
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Richardson E, Beath A, Boag S. The Development of the Attachment Defenses Questionnaire (ADQ-50): A Preliminary Examination of Reliability, Validity, and Factor Structure. J Pers Assess 2024:1-15. [PMID: 38776445 DOI: 10.1080/00223891.2024.2353142] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2023] [Accepted: 04/28/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024]
Abstract
This paper marks the initial phase in the development of the Attachment Defenses Questionnaire (ADQ-50), a self-report tool crafted to assess defense mechanisms associated with attachment processes, catering to both clinical and research contexts. Anchored in the theoretical framework of attachment theory, the ADQ posits that an individual's internalized attachment style plays a influential role in predicting their defense mechanisms. The paper outlines the comprehensive development and refinement process of the ADQ-50. In Study 1 a preliminary 176-item version of the ADQ was examined. Data was collected online drawing from participants sourced from Prolific and undergraduate students (N = 1994). Study 2 further refined the ADQ, evaluating its initial convergent validity with a diverse participant pool (N = 726), including undergraduates, Prolific contributors, general practice medical patients, and individuals from social media. Exploratory factor analysis revealed a robust ten-factor structure, resulting in a 50-item scale aligning with theoretical expectations and demonstrating good psychometric properties. Findings, limitations, strengths and future research directions are discussed. We posit that the ADQ holds great potential to deepen our comprehension of defense mechanisms linked to attachment, with wide-ranging implications for clinical practices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emma Richardson
- School of Psychological Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia
| | - Alissa Beath
- School of Psychological Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia
| | - Simon Boag
- School of Psychological Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia
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3
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Ali M, Veneziani G, Aquilanti I, Wamser-Nanney R, Lai C. Overcoming the civil wars: the role of attachment styles between the impact of war and psychological symptoms and post-traumatic growth among Libyan citizens. Eur J Psychotraumatol 2023; 14:2287952. [PMID: 38088170 PMCID: PMC10993805 DOI: 10.1080/20008066.2023.2287952] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2023] [Accepted: 11/22/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Background: Civil wars in Libya have impacted the mental health of the general population. The ways in which individuals cope with traumatic events are influenced by several psychological variables.Objectives: The present study aimed to investigate how post-traumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) are associated with psychological symptoms and post-traumatic growth (PTG), and to evaluate the role of avoidant and anxious attachment dimensions as mediators in these associations, among Libyan citizens.Method: Three-hundred participants (147 females; age 31.0 ± 8.4 years) completed the Impact of Event Scale - Revised, Experiences in Close Relationships, Patient Health Questionnaire, and Post-traumatic Growth Inventory - Short Form.Results: The structural equation model revealed that insecure attachment dimensions mediated the association between PTSS and psychological symptoms and PTG. PTSS were positively associated with psychological symptoms, PTG, and both insecure attachment dimensions. Insecure attachment dimensions were positively associated with psychological symptoms and negatively with PTG.Conclusion: The present findings contribute to growing empirical research on the roles of insecure attachment dimensions in the association between the impact of war, psychological symptoms, and PTG.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohamed Ali
- Department of Dynamic and Clinical Psychology, and Health Studies, Sapienza University, Rome, Italy
| | - Giorgio Veneziani
- Department of Dynamic and Clinical Psychology, and Health Studies, Sapienza University, Rome, Italy
| | - Ilaria Aquilanti
- Department of Dynamic and Clinical Psychology, and Health Studies, Sapienza University, Rome, Italy
| | | | - Carlo Lai
- Department of Dynamic and Clinical Psychology, and Health Studies, Sapienza University, Rome, Italy
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4
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Fernandez AM, Barbato MT, Cordero B, Acevedo Y. What's love got to do with jealousy? Front Psychol 2023; 14:1249556. [PMID: 37842714 PMCID: PMC10568137 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1249556] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2023] [Accepted: 09/04/2023] [Indexed: 10/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Romantic love and jealousy seem antagonistic, but the expression of both emotions have evolutionary functions that can go in the same direction of maintaining a relationship. Considering natural selection designed adaptations to solve the problems surrounding reproduction, then love and romantic jealousy are emotions aimed at staying cooperative for a period of time, where love solves the adaptive challenges of promoting pair bonding, cooperation, and protecting offspring; and jealousy is triggered by a threat or the loss of a valuable cooperative relationship, either on behalf of descendants in need of resources, or a close romantic bond. Consequently, understanding love and romantic jealousy points in the same adaptive functional domain of protecting a romantic pair bond. Specifically, love can be comprehended in two different ways and in regard to jealousy. First, conceiving love as the attachment to significant others one develops throughout lifetime, and secondly, it contemplates affective dependence. Results from a sample of single and committed individuals (n = 332) show the predicted positive correlation between attachment and jealousy as stable traits, consistent with previous literature. In addition, there is a non-significant and low correlation, respectively, between attachment and love as a measure of dependence. Furthermore, in the single participants group, jealousy was associated with love. The discussion emphasizes the need for expanding a functional account of love and jealousy as complementary emotions of our human affective endowment. Finally, it would be informative to study attachment as a relational trait and love as a specific affection for a romantic partner that could be manipulated to elucidate the functional design of jealousy.
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5
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Rebillon J, Codou O, Hamel JF, Moffat E, Scrima F. The Mediating Role of Perceived Comfort between Workplace Attachment Style and Perceived Stress. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2023; 20:5377. [PMID: 37047989 PMCID: PMC10094370 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph20075377] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2023] [Revised: 03/30/2023] [Accepted: 03/31/2023] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
Past studies highlight the relevance of attachment theory to the study of workplace stress and the impact of employee assessments about the physical-spatial work environment on their health. This paper is one of a number of works studying the points of connection between Bowlby's attachment theory and the place attachment theory adopted by environmental psychologists. We proposed that a secure workplace attachment style would be negatively associated with perceived stress (and vice versa for insecure workplace attachment styles). Perceived comfort was hypothesized to mediate these effects. A convenience sample of French white-collar workers (N = 379) completed an online survey. Hypotheses were tested using the PROCESS macro. Both insecure workplace attachment styles (i.e., avoidant and preoccupied) were negatively associated with perceived comfort, which partially mediated their positive effect on perceived stress. The preventive influence of a secure workplace attachment on perceived stress was entirely mediated by its positive effect on perceived comfort. By setting different expectations regarding the work environment, workplace attachment styles could translate into a more or less stressful and comfortable employee experience. The more secure the bond employees internalize with their workplace, the more they might benefit from its comforts' restorative potential.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justine Rebillon
- Department of Psychology, University of Rouen Normandy, 76130 Mont-Saint-Aignan, France
| | - Olivier Codou
- Department of Psychology, University of Rouen Normandy, 76130 Mont-Saint-Aignan, France
| | - Jean-Félix Hamel
- Department of Psychology, University of Rouen Normandy, 76130 Mont-Saint-Aignan, France
| | - Eva Moffat
- Department of Social and Economic Administration, Center for Studies and Research on Organizations and Strategy, University of Paris Nanterre, 92001 Nanterre, France
| | - Fabrizio Scrima
- Department of Psychology, University of Rouen Normandy, 76130 Mont-Saint-Aignan, France
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6
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Bryant RA. Attachment processes in posttraumatic stress disorder: A review of mechanisms to advance theories and treatments. Clin Psychol Rev 2023; 99:102228. [PMID: 36493729 DOI: 10.1016/j.cpr.2022.102228] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2022] [Revised: 10/31/2022] [Accepted: 11/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Current conceptualisations of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are driven by biological, learning, and cognitive models that have shaped current treatments of the disorder. The strong influence of these models has resulted in a relative neglect of social mechanisms that can influence traumatic stress. There is abundant evidence from experimental, observational, and clinical studies that social factors can moderate many of the mechanisms articulated in prevailing models of PTSD. In this review it is proposed that attachment theory provides a useful framework to complement existing models of PTSD because it provides explanatory value for social factors can interact with biological, learning, and cognitive processes that shape traumatic stress response. The review provides an overview of attachment theory in the context of traumatic stress, outlines the evidence for how attachment factors can moderate stress responses and PTSD, and considers how harnessing attachment processes may augment recovery from and treatment of PTSD. This review emphasizes that rather than conceptualizing attachment theory as an independent theory of traumatic stress, there is much to gain by integrating attachment mechanisms into existing models of PTSD to accommodate the interactions between cognitive, biological, and attachment processes.
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7
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Gutiérrez F, Valdesoiro F. The evolution of personality disorders: A review of proposals. Front Psychiatry 2023; 14:1110420. [PMID: 36793943 PMCID: PMC9922784 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1110420] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2022] [Accepted: 01/12/2023] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Personality disorders (PDs) are currently considered dysfunctions. However, personality differences are older than humanity and are ubiquitous in nature, from insects to higher primates. This suggests that a number of evolutionary mechanisms-other than dysfunctions-may be able to maintain stable behavioral variation in the gene pool. First of all, apparently maladaptive traits may actually improve fitness by enabling better survival or successful mating or reproduction, as exemplified by neuroticism, psychopathy, and narcissism. Furthermore, some PDs may harm important biological goals while facilitating others, or may be globally beneficial or detrimental depending on environmental circumstances or body condition. Alternatively, certain traits may form part of life history strategies: Coordinated suites of morphological, physiological and behavioral characters that optimize fitness through alternative routes and respond to selection as a whole. Still others may be vestigial adaptations that are no longer beneficial in present times. Finally, variation may be adaptative in and by itself, as it reduces competition for finite resources. These and other evolutionary mechanisms are reviewed and illustrated through human and non-human examples. Evolutionary theory is the best-substantiated explanatory framework across the life sciences, and may shed light on the question of why harmful personalities exist at all.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fernando Gutiérrez
- Hospital Clínic de Barcelona, Institute of Neuroscience, Barcelona, Spain
- Institut d’Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain
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8
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Li M, Leidner B, Hirschberger G, Park J. From Threat to Challenge: Understanding the Impact of Historical Collective Trauma on Contemporary Intergroup Conflict. PERSPECTIVES ON PSYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCE 2023; 18:190-209. [PMID: 35943827 PMCID: PMC9893309 DOI: 10.1177/17456916221094540] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Collective memories of trauma can have profound impact on the affected individuals and communities. In the context of intergroup conflict, in the present article, we propose a novel theoretical framework to understand the long-term impact of historical trauma on contemporary intergroup relations from both victim and perpetrator perspectives. Integrating past research on intergroup conflict and the biopsychosocial model of threat and challenge, we argue that people appraise their group's past victimization and perpetration differently, either as a threat or as a challenge. Shaped by contextual factors and individual differences, these differential appraisals will subsequently influence how group members respond to contemporary intergroup conflict, with both adaptive and maladaptive consequences. This model contributes to unifying the previous research that has shown diverse effects of historical trauma on present-day intergroup dynamics. We present preliminary empirical evidence in support of the framework and discuss its theoretical and practical implications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mengyao Li
- Max Planck Institute for Research on Collective Goods,School of Psychology, Queen’s University Belfast,Mengyao Li, School of Psychology, Queen’s University Belfast
| | - Bernhard Leidner
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Massachusetts Amherst
| | | | - Jiyoung Park
- Department of Psychology, University of Texas at Dallas
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9
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Cook SH, Wood EP, Martinez V, Alvarez GM, Lazar J. Young men of color lower on adult attachment anxiety have higher carotid-intima media thickness compared to white young men: The exploration of an unexpected finding. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2022; 143:105825. [PMID: 35689986 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2022.105825] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2022] [Revised: 06/01/2022] [Accepted: 06/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains the number one cause of death among men in the United States. Emerging research demonstrates that socioemotional mechanisms such as adult attachment, or the ways in which individuals are able to form and maintain socioemotional bonds, may impact physical health via alterations in physiological stress functioning. However, there may be key differences in the relation between attachment and physical health by race and sexual orientation. Thus, this study sought to examine the potential moderating effect of race and sexual orientation on the association between adult attachment and carotid-intima media thickness (cIMT), a measure of subclinical cardiovascular disease, among young men. The sample consisted of 72 young men (mean [SD] age = 22.92 [3.23]: 30.6 % identified as White, 30.6 % as Black, and 38.8 % as Other), each of which were surveyed and underwent an ultrasound to measure cIMT. Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) regression was used in order to examine our study hypotheses. We first ran a main effects model to examine adult attachment's (i.e., anxiety and avoidance) association with mean cIMT. We then ran two interaction models with an interaction between race/ethnicity and adult-related attachment and sexual orientation and adult attachment. We found that race significantly moderated the association between attachment-related anxiety and mean cIMT in our study sample. However, we did not find evidence to suggest that race moderated the association between attachment-related avoidance and mean cIMT in our study sample. In comparison to White individuals, Black individuals and those who identified as "Other" race with lower scores on attachment-related anxiety had higher mean cIMT. Additionally, higher scores on attachment-related anxiety were associated with lower mean cIMT among Black and "Other" respondents, but not among White respondents. We did not find evidence to suggest that sexual orientation moderated the association between adult attachment and mean cIMT in our study sample. Our findings suggest that adult attachment anxiety may be protective for young men of color but not for White young men. Future research should utilize longitudinal study designs in order to better understand how adult attachment influences CVD risk among racially/ethnically diverse young men.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie H Cook
- Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, School of Global Public Health, New York University, New York, NY, USA; Department of Biostatistics, School of Global Public Health, New York University, New York, NY, USA.
| | - Erica P Wood
- Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, School of Global Public Health, New York University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Valerie Martinez
- Department of Biostatistics, School of Global Public Health, New York University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Gabriella M Alvarez
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Jason Lazar
- College of Medicine, SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University, Brooklyn, NY, USA; College of Molecular and Cell Biology and Neurology, SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University, Brooklyn, NY, USA; School of Public Health, SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University, Brooklyn, NY, USA
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10
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Does group cohesion moderate associations between attachment, caregiving, and OCB? JOURNAL OF MANAGEMENT & ORGANIZATION 2022. [DOI: 10.1017/jmo.2019.25] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
AbstractThis research focused on the role of group cohesion as moderating the psychological manifestations of attachment and caregiving in performing organizational citizenship behaviors (OCBs). Data were collected from 147 employees, who took part in a 9-week training course. Participants completed questionnaires assessing their attachment and caregiving dimensions as well as group cohesion. Participant OCB levels were assessed by their trainers at the end of the course. Anxious individuals tended to express higher levels of OCB-individual under high levels of group cohesion. However, compulsive caregivers tended to perform OCBI under low levels of group cohesion. The results highlight the contribution of Bowlby's relational perspective in work settings and the importance of contextual factors in predicting OCB.
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11
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Gruneau Brulin J, Lindholm T, Granqvist P. In the state we trust? Attachment-related avoidance is related to lower trust, both in other people and in welfare state institutions. JOURNAL OF SOCIAL AND POLITICAL PSYCHOLOGY 2022. [DOI: 10.5964/jspp.8381] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Social and political trust are crucial for societal well-being and are linked to lower levels of corruption as well as to the size of the welfare state. Interpersonal trust is shaped through attachment-related experiences in close interpersonal relationships. However, previous research has not linked these two strands of research, yielding an important knowledge gap about the potential implications of attachment for social and political trust. Therefore, we investigated whether attachment orientations are related to both social trust and trust in the welfare state. Data were collected in two countries with different organization and size of the welfare state, the United States (n = 284) and Sweden (n = 280). In both countries, attachment-related avoidance (but not anxiety) was negatively related both to social trust and trust in the welfare state, even after controlling for pertinent confounds. Our findings also suggested that social trust may mediate the link between avoidance and trust in the welfare state. These results cohere with an assumption that people’s attachment-related working models may extend to their models of the world at large. We conclude that interpersonal parameters should be considered to fully understand the development of trust in political institutions.
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12
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Uccheddu S, Ronconi L, Albertini M, Coren S, Da Graça Pereira G, De Cataldo L, Haverbeke A, Mills DS, Pierantoni L, Riemer S, Testoni I, Pirrone F. Domestic dogs (Canis familiaris) grieve over the loss of a conspecific. Sci Rep 2022; 12:1920. [PMID: 35210440 PMCID: PMC8873218 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-05669-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2021] [Accepted: 01/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Behavioural reactions towards a dead conspecific have been observed rarely in wild canids and there is no documented scientific evidence of grief in pet dogs. A quantitative analysis of grief-related responses in both dogs and owners was conducted, using the validated online Mourning Dog Questionnaire. The survey was completed by 426 Italian adults who had owned at least two dogs, one of whom died while the other was still alive. This research aims to explore whether, how and what a dog may experience over the loss of a companion dog. Multiple logistic regression indicates that both a friendly or parental relationship between two dogs but also the fact that dogs used to share food and the owner’s grief and anger are principal predictors of negative behavioural changes. According to dog owners’ answers, the surviving dog after the death of the companion dog changed both in terms of activities (“playing”, “sleeping”, and “eating”) and emotions (fearfulness), which occurred as a function of the quality of the relationship between the two animals. By contrast, the time the two dogs had spent together had no effect on the behaviours of surviving dog. Owner perceptions about their dog’s reactions and emotions were not related to the memory or suffering of the event that tended to diminish over time. These findings indicate that a dog may show grief-related behavioural and emotional patterns when a close conspecific dies, with aspects of the latter possibly related to the owner’s emotional status.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefania Uccheddu
- San Marco Veterinary Clinic and Laboratory, 35130, Veggiano, Padua, Italy
| | - Lucia Ronconi
- Department of Philosophy, Sociology, Education and Applied Psychology, University of Padua, 35122, Padua, Italy
| | - Mariangela Albertini
- Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, University of Milan (UNIMI), 26900, Lodi, Italy.
| | - Stanley Coren
- Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, V5V 3K3, Canada
| | - Gonçalo Da Graça Pereira
- Departamento de Medicina Veterinária, Universidade de Évora (EU), Évora, Portugal.,Escola Superior Agrária de Elvas (ESAE), Instituto Politécnico de Portalegre (IPP), 7350-092, Elvas, Portugal
| | - Loriana De Cataldo
- Department of Philosophy, Sociology, Education and Applied Psychology, University of Padua, 35122, Padua, Italy
| | - Anouck Haverbeke
- Vet Ethology, 3090, Overijse, Belgium.,Salto Research Group, Odisee University College, Hospitaalstraat 23, 9100, Sint-Niklaas, Belgium
| | - Daniel Simon Mills
- School of Life Sciences, University of Lincoln, Lincoln, LN6 7DL, Lincolnshire, UK
| | - Ludovica Pierantoni
- Veterinary Behaviour & Consulting Services, CAN Training Centre, 80128, Naples, Italy
| | - Stefanie Riemer
- Companion Animal Behaviour Group, Division of Animal Welfare, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, 3012, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Ines Testoni
- Department of Philosophy, Sociology, Education and Applied Psychology, University of Padua, 35122, Padua, Italy
| | - Federica Pirrone
- Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, University of Milan (UNIMI), 26900, Lodi, Italy
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13
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A Comparative Analysis of Divergent Evolutionary Models of Attachment and a New Biobehavioral Conceptualization. PSYCHOLOGICAL RECORD 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s40732-021-00501-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
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14
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Méndez-Méndez MD, Fontanil Y, Martín-Higarza Y, Fernández-Álvarez N, Ezama E. Configurations of Adult Attachment, Indicators of Mental Health and Adverse Childhood Experiences in Women: A Cross-Sectional Study. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2021; 18:ijerph182413385. [PMID: 34948994 PMCID: PMC8707459 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph182413385] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2021] [Revised: 12/14/2021] [Accepted: 12/17/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
The relationship between adverse childhood experiences, attachment and adult mental health has been pointed out in a large amount of studies. In a sample of 339 women receiving support from mental health and social services, this research analyzed the association between three adult attachment variables (fear of rejection or abandonment—FRA; desire for closeness—DC; preference for independence—PI) and four mental health indicators. After dichotomizing these variables, we constructed eight configurations of attachment and examined their association with mental health indicators. BAB people (those below the median in FRA, above in DC and below in PI) obtained the most favorable scores in mental health, whereas the ABA configuration (above the median in FRA, below in DC and above in PI) was the least favorable. The association between attachment configurations and mental health indicators was different to what might be expected, aggregating the effects of individual attachment variables. When analyzing the relationship between configurations and adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), women with an ABA configuration reported the highest number of ACEs and eight ACE types had a higher-than-expected contingency coefficient. In conclusion, these findings suggest that certain adult attachment configurations are associated with a greater number of ACEs and poorer mental health indicators in adult women.
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Affiliation(s)
- María Dolores Méndez-Méndez
- Central University Hospital of Asturias, Mental Health Services of the Principality of Asturias, 33011 Oviedo, Spain
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +34-985-111-109
| | - Yolanda Fontanil
- Department of Psychology, University of Oviedo, 33003 Oviedo, Spain; (Y.F.); (N.F.-Á.)
| | - Yolanda Martín-Higarza
- Institute of Legal Medicine, Government of the Principality of Asturias, 33001 Oviedo, Spain;
| | | | - Esteban Ezama
- Cabueñes University Hospital, Mental Health Services of the Principality of Asturias, 33201 Gijón, Spain;
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15
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Stern JA, Jones JD, Nortey BM, Lejuez CW, Cassidy J. Pathways linking attachment and depressive symptoms for Black and White adolescents: do race and neighborhood racism matter? Attach Hum Dev 2021; 24:304-321. [PMID: 34528475 DOI: 10.1080/14616734.2021.1976924] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Decades of evidence demonstrate that insecure attachment is associated with increased risk for depressive symptoms. Yet research has focused on predominantly White samples, with little attention to whether developmental pathways vary by social-contextual factors like racial identity and neighborhood racism. This study examines whether longitudinal links between attachment style and depressive symptoms differ for White and Black American adolescents or by exposure to neighborhood racism (N = 171, Mage at Time 1 = 14 years). Multigroup measured variable path analyses controlling for gender and household income revealed that attachment avoidance predicted relative increases in depressive symptoms for White adolescents, but not for Black adolescents. Links between attachment style and depressive symptoms did not differ based on exposure to neighborhood racism. Experiences of neighborhood racism were associated with greater attachment avoidance but not anxiety. Results highlight the importance of examining attachment in different socioecological contexts to illuminate the unique pathways characterizing Black youth development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica A Stern
- Department of Psychology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA
| | - Jason D Jones
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA.,Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Bridget M Nortey
- Department of Psychology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA
| | - Carl W Lejuez
- Office of the Provost and Department of Psychology, University of Connecticut, Mansfield, CT, USA
| | - Jude Cassidy
- Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, United States
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16
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Rooksby M, Di Folco S, Tayarani M, Vo DB, Huan R, Vinciarelli A, Brewster SA, Minnis H. The School Attachment Monitor-A novel computational tool for assessment of attachment in middle childhood. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0240277. [PMID: 34292952 PMCID: PMC8297900 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0240277] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2020] [Accepted: 07/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Attachment research has been limited by the lack of quick and easy measures. We report development and validation of the School Attachment Monitor (SAM), a novel measure for largescale assessment of attachment in children aged 5–9, in the general population. SAM offers automatic presentation, on computer, of story-stems based on the Manchester Child Attachment Story Task (MCAST), without the need for trained administrators. SAM is delivered by novel software which interacts with child participants, starting with warm-up activities to familiarise them with the task. Children’s story completion is video recorded and augmented by ‘smart dolls’ that the child can hold and manipulate, with movement sensors for data collection. The design of SAM was informed by children of users’ age range to establish their task understanding and incorporate their innovative ideas for improving SAM software. Methods 130 5–9 year old children were recruited from mainstream primary schools. In Phase 1, sixty-one children completed both SAM and MCAST. Inter-rater reliability and rating concordance was compared between SAM and MCAST. In Phase 2, a further 44 children completed SAM complete and, including those children completing SAM in Phase 1 (total n = 105), a machine learning algorithm was developed using a “majority vote” procedure where, for each child, 500 non-overlapping video frames contribute to the decision. Results Using manual rating, SAM-MCAST concordance was excellent (89% secure versus insecure; 97% organised versus disorganised; 86% four-way). Comparison of human ratings of SAM versus the machine learning algorithm showed over 80% concordance. Conclusions We have developed a new tool for measuring attachment at the population level, which has good reliability compared to a validated attachment measure and has the potential for automatic rating–opening the door to measurement of attachment in large populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maki Rooksby
- University of Glasgow, Institute of Health and Wellbeing, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - Simona Di Folco
- University of Edinburgh, School of Health in Social Science, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Mohammad Tayarani
- School of Computing Science, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - Dong-Bach Vo
- School of Computing Science, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - Rui Huan
- School of Computing Science, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | | | | | - Helen Minnis
- University of Glasgow, Institute of Health and Wellbeing, Glasgow, United Kingdom
- * E-mail:
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17
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Gleeson A, Curran D, Reeves R, J Dorahy M, Hanna D. A meta-analytic review of the relationship between attachment styles and posttraumatic growth. J Clin Psychol 2021; 77:1521-1536. [PMID: 34013521 DOI: 10.1002/jclp.23156] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2020] [Revised: 03/06/2021] [Accepted: 04/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The present review aimed to examine the relationship between attachment styles and posttraumatic growth in adults exposed to traumatizing events. METHOD A systematic literature search resulted in the inclusion of 14 studies in the review. Four correlational meta-analyses of the relationship between the attachment styles of secure, dismissive, preoccupied, and fearful, and posttraumatic growth, were conducted. RESULTS These revealed a significant small positive relationship between secure attachment and posttraumatic growth (r = 0.21, p < 0.001); a significant small negative relationship between dismissive attachment and posttraumatic growth (r = -0.12, p < 0.001), and a weak relationship between preoccupied attachment and posttraumatic growth (r = -0.04, p = 0.235), and fearful attachment and posttraumatic growth (r = 0.08, p = 0.248). CONCLUSIONS The relationship between attachment styles and posttraumatic growth is modest and may be better explained by other variables. Nonetheless, findings provide useful information for clinicians regarding the potential small impact of attachment style following traumatizing exposure. Implications for future research are highlighted with respect to methodological rigor and the role of other potentially influential variables.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - David Curran
- School of Psychology, Queen's University, Belfast, UK
| | - Rachel Reeves
- School of Psychology, Queen's University, Belfast, UK
| | - Martin J Dorahy
- School of Psychology, Speech and Hearing, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand
| | - Donncha Hanna
- School of Psychology, Queen's University, Belfast, UK
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18
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White LO, Schulz CC, Schoett MJS, Kungl MT, Keil J, Borelli JL, Vrtička P. Conceptual Analysis: A Social Neuroscience Approach to Interpersonal Interaction in the Context of Disruption and Disorganization of Attachment (NAMDA). Front Psychiatry 2020; 11:517372. [PMID: 33424647 PMCID: PMC7785824 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2020.517372] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2019] [Accepted: 11/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Humans are strongly dependent upon social resources for allostasis and emotion regulation. This applies especially to early childhood because humans-as an altricial species-have a prolonged period of dependency on support and input from caregivers who typically act as sources of co-regulation. Accordingly, attachment theory proposes that the history and quality of early interactions with primary caregivers shape children's internal working models of attachment. In turn, these attachment models guide behavior, initially with the set goal of maintaining proximity to caregivers but eventually paving the way to more generalized mental representations of self and others. Mounting evidence in non-clinical populations suggests that these mental representations coincide with differential patterns of neural structure, function, and connectivity in a range of brain regions previously associated with emotional and cognitive capacities. What is currently lacking, however, is an evidence-based account of how early adverse attachment-related experiences and/or the emergence of attachment disorganization impact the developing brain. While work on early childhood adversities offers important insights, we propose that how these events become biologically embedded crucially hinges on the context of the child-caregiver attachment relationships in which the events take place. Our selective review distinguishes between direct social neuroscience research on disorganized attachment and indirect maltreatment-related research, converging on aberrant functioning in neurobiological systems subserving aversion, approach, emotion regulation, and mental state processing in the wake of severe attachment disruption. To account for heterogeneity of findings, we propose two distinct neurobiological phenotypes characterized by hyper- and hypo-arousal primarily deriving from the caregiver serving either as a threatening or as an insufficient source of co-regulation, respectively.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lars O. White
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Charlotte C. Schulz
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
- Department of Neurology, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
| | | | - Melanie T. Kungl
- Department of Psychology, University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Jan Keil
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Jessica L. Borelli
- THRIVE Laboratory, Psychology and Social Behavior, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
| | - Pascal Vrtička
- Research Group “Social Stress and Family Health”, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
- Department of Psychology, Centre for Brain Science, University of Essex, Colchester, United Kingdom
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19
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Reizer A, Schechter O, Ein‐Dor T. The Effect of Attachment Diversity on Team Performance and the Moderating Role of Perceived Organizational Support. APPLIED PSYCHOLOGY-AN INTERNATIONAL REVIEW-PSYCHOLOGIE APPLIQUEE-REVUE INTERNATIONALE 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/apps.12280] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
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20
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Long M, Verbeke W, Ein-Dor T, Vrtička P. A functional neuro-anatomical model of human attachment (NAMA): Insights from first- and second-person social neuroscience. Cortex 2020; 126:281-321. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cortex.2020.01.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2019] [Revised: 10/14/2019] [Accepted: 01/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
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21
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Granqvist P. Attachment, culture, and gene-culture co-evolution: expanding the evolutionary toolbox of attachment theory. Attach Hum Dev 2020; 23:90-113. [PMID: 31894723 DOI: 10.1080/14616734.2019.1709086] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
I argue that attachment relationships, and particularly secure ones, are important contexts for social learning and cultural transmission. Bowlby originally treated the attachment-behavioral system as serving only one evolutionary function: protection, via physical proximity. Yet the time is ripe to consider learning, especially social learning, as an additional functional consequence of attachment. Updated accordingly, attachment theory has the potential to serve as a much-needed developmental anchor for models of cultural evolution and gene-culture co-evolution. To support my arguments, I review progress in evolutionary science since Bowlby's lifetime, highlighting the growing recognition of ecological flexibility and the cultural embeddedness of animal behavior. I also review research pointing to a facilitating role of secure attachment relationships for social learning from caregivers among humans. For illustrational purposes, I show how one important aspect of human culture - religion - is culturally transmitted within attachment relationships, and of how the generalization of attachment-related working models biases the cultural transmission of religion from parents to offspring. I end the paper with a call for empirical research to test the role of attachment in cultural transmission beyond religion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pehr Granqvist
- Department of Psychology, Stockholm University , Stockholm, Sweden
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22
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Strand PS, Vossen JJ, Savage E. Culture and Child Attachment Patterns: a Behavioral Systems Synthesis. Perspect Behav Sci 2019; 42:835-850. [PMID: 31976462 PMCID: PMC6901642 DOI: 10.1007/s40614-019-00220-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
We propose that the two dominant culture institutions (individualist and collectivist) are neither learned nor cognitively represented by the people who practice them. Instead, they exist as group-level payoff structures that reflect differential distributions of child attachment patterns within a society. Individualist societies reflect an overrepresentation of insecure-avoidant attachments and collectivist societies reflect an overrepresentation of insecure-anxious attachments. Moreover, attachment patterns are embodied rather than representational-schedule-induced rather than incrementally shaped or verbally learned. If attachment patterns are schedule-induced, the prospects are poorer for effecting cultural change through economic incentives or informational campaigns (top-down). Rather, cultural practices will be responsive to changes in family practices-to the extent they affect attachment patterns (bottom-up). For example, if breastfeeding rates decline or the workforce participation of women increases, a society will become more individualist and less collectivist. That is because those practices increase avoidant as compared to anxious attachments. Moreover, because insecurely attached children are behaviorally less flexible than are securely attached children, the former have a greater impact on cultural practices than do the latter.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul S. Strand
- Department of Psychology, Washington State University, Tri-Cities, 2710 Crimson Way, Richland, WA 99354 USA
| | - Jordan J. Vossen
- Department of Psychology, Washington State University, 322 Johnson Tower, Pullman, WA 99164 USA
| | - Erinn Savage
- Department of Psychology, Washington State University, 322 Johnson Tower, Pullman, WA 99164 USA
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23
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Kirrane M, Kilroy S, Kidney R, Flood PC, Bauwens R. The relationship between attachment style and creativity: The mediating roles of LMX and TMX. EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF WORK AND ORGANIZATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY 2019. [DOI: 10.1080/1359432x.2019.1646247] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Melrona Kirrane
- Organizational Psychology, DCU Business School, Dublin City University, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Steven Kilroy
- Human Resource Studies, Tilburg University, Tilburg, Tilburg, The Netherlands
| | - Rachel Kidney
- DCU Business School, Dublin City University, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Patrick C. Flood
- Organizational Behavior, DCU Business School, Dublin City University, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Robin Bauwens
- Human Resource Studies, Tilburg University, Tilburg, Tilburg, The Netherlands
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24
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Fernandez AM, Muñoz-Reyes JA, Buunk AP, Pavez P, Figueroa O. Attachment and intrasexual competitiveness in committed individuals from chile. INTERPERSONA: AN INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL ON PERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS 2019. [DOI: 10.5964/ijpr.v13i1.326] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The present research examined the association between intrasexual competitiveness (as an adaptive feature of human mating) and adult attachment dimensions (which develop throughout ontogeny and are relatively stable patterns of relationship approaching in adulthood), postulating that the dimensions of attachment will be predictive of intrasexual competitiveness (the negative perception of same sex-others as potential mating rivals), but in particular attachment anxiety should be correlated to intrasexual competitiveness. We assessed intrasexual competitiveness and the attachment dimensions (closeness, dependence, anxiety, and avoidance) in a sample of 323 adult heterosexual men and women which were currently involved in a romantic relationship and were married or in a cohabiting living arrangement. The results show the expected prediction of intrasexual competitiveness by attachment anxiety, but not by any other adult attachment dimension, suggesting that individuals who develop attachment anxiety are characterized by increased same-sex rivalry and competitiveness, which may negatively affect their same-sex close relationships, in addition to other interpersonal realms.
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25
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Ein-Dor T, Hirschberger G, Tsur N, Mikulincer M, Bazak SB, Solomon Z. The link between attachment orientations and cellular aging among former prisoners of war. Attach Hum Dev 2019; 22:352-366. [PMID: 30909807 DOI: 10.1080/14616734.2019.1589545] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
Objective: Ex-prisoners of war (ex-POWs) experience prolonged distress that in some cases may influence their cellular aging (telomere length). The current research examines whether attachment orientations of ex-POWs and their spouses can explain individual differences in telomere length 40 years after the experience of captivity.Methods: Eighty-eight Israeli ex-POWs were assessed at four time points since captivity, whereas their spouses at three time points. Attachment orientations (anxiety, avoidance) were assessed in three time points and telomere length was measured at time four.Results: Findings indicated that ex-POWs' attachment avoidance was associated with shorter telomere length. In addition, spouses' attachment anxiety was associated with shorter telomere length among ex-POWs, whereas spouses' attachment avoidance was unexpectedly related to longer telomere length among ex-POWs.Conclusions: Results suggest that the effects of trauma on cellular aging are not uniform and that intrapersonal and interpersonal variables may moderate responses to trauma at the cellular level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tsachi Ein-Dor
- Baruch Ivcher School of Psychology, Interdisciplinary Center (IDC) Herzliya, Herzliya, Israel
| | - Gilad Hirschberger
- Baruch Ivcher School of Psychology, Interdisciplinary Center (IDC) Herzliya, Herzliya, Israel
| | - Noga Tsur
- I-Core Research Center for Mass Trauma, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel.,Bob Shapell School of Social Work, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Mario Mikulincer
- Baruch Ivcher School of Psychology, Interdisciplinary Center (IDC) Herzliya, Herzliya, Israel.,I-Core Research Center for Mass Trauma, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel
| | - Shira Buchris Bazak
- Baruch Ivcher School of Psychology, Interdisciplinary Center (IDC) Herzliya, Herzliya, Israel
| | - Zahava Solomon
- I-Core Research Center for Mass Trauma, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel.,Bob Shapell School of Social Work, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
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26
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Fraley RC. Attachment in Adulthood: Recent Developments, Emerging Debates, and Future Directions. Annu Rev Psychol 2019; 70:401-422. [DOI: 10.1146/annurev-psych-010418-102813] [Citation(s) in RCA: 79] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Some of the most emotionally powerful experiences result from the development, maintenance, and disruption of attachment relationships. In this article, I review several emerging themes and unresolved debates in the social-psychological study of adult attachment, including debates about the ways in which attachment-related functions shift over the course of development, what makes some people secure or insecure in their close relationships, consensual nonmonogamy, the evolutionary function of insecure attachment, and models of thriving through relationships.
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Affiliation(s)
- R. Chris Fraley
- Department of Psychology, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, Illinois 61820, USA
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27
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Zhang Z, Warren CM, Lei Y, Xing Q, Li H. Commentary: Are groups more or less than the sum of their members? The moderating role of individual identification. Front Psychol 2018; 9:999. [PMID: 29962995 PMCID: PMC6013690 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2018.00999] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2018] [Accepted: 05/28/2018] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Zhonglu Zhang
- Department of Psychology, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou, China.,Research Centre for Brain Function and Psychological Science, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
| | | | - Yi Lei
- Research Centre for Brain Function and Psychological Science, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China.,Shenzhen Institute of Neuroscience, Shenzhen, China.,Institute of Affective and Social Neuroscience, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Qiang Xing
- Department of Psychology, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Hong Li
- Research Centre for Brain Function and Psychological Science, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China.,Shenzhen Institute of Neuroscience, Shenzhen, China.,Institute of Affective and Social Neuroscience, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
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28
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Ein-Dor T, Verbeke WJMI, Mokry M, Vrtička P. Epigenetic modification of the oxytocin and glucocorticoid receptor genes is linked to attachment avoidance in young adults. Attach Hum Dev 2018. [PMID: 29513137 DOI: 10.1080/14616734.2018.1446451] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Attachment in the context of intimate pair bonds is most frequently studied in terms of the universal strategy to draw near, or away, from significant others at moments of personal distress. However, important interindividual differences in the quality of attachment exist, usually captured through secure versus insecure - anxious and/or avoidant - attachment orientations. Since Bowlby's pioneering writings on the theory of attachment, it has been assumed that attachment orientations are influenced by both genetic and social factors - what we would today describe and measure as gene by environment interaction mediated by epigenetic DNA modification - but research in humans on this topic remains extremely limited. We for the first time examined relations between intra-individual differences in attachment and epigenetic modification of the oxytocin receptor (OXTR) and glucocorticoid receptor (NR3C1) gene promoter in 109 young adult human participants. Our results revealed that attachment avoidance was significantly and specifically associated with increased OXTR and NR3C1 promoter methylation. These findings offer first tentative clues on the possible etiology of attachment avoidance in humans by showing epigenetic modification in genes related to both social stress regulation and HPA axis functioning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tsachi Ein-Dor
- a School of Psychology , Interdisciplinary Center (IDC) Herzliya , Herzliya , Israel
| | - Willem J M I Verbeke
- b Department of Business Economics, Erasmus School of Economics , Erasmus University Rotterdam , Rotterdam , The Netherlands
| | - Michal Mokry
- c Division of Pediatrics , University Medical Centre Utrecht , Utrecht , The Netherlands
| | - Pascal Vrtička
- d Department of Social Neuroscience , Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences , Leipzig , Germany
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29
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Ein-Dor T, Perry-Paldi A, Hirschberger G. Friend or foe? Evidence that anxious people are better at distinguishing targets from non-targets. EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY 2017. [DOI: 10.1002/ejsp.2262] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
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30
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Ein-Dor T, Perry-Paldi A, Zohar-Cohen K, Efrati Y, Hirschberger G. It takes an insecure liar to catch a liar: The link between attachment insecurity, deception, and detection of deception. PERSONALITY AND INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/j.paid.2017.03.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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31
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Ein-Dor T, Perry-Paldi A, Merrin J, Efrati Y, Hirschberger G. Effective Disengagement: Insecure People Are More Likely to Disengage From an Ongoing Task and Take Effective Action When Facing Danger. J Pers 2017; 86:233-246. [PMID: 28192852 DOI: 10.1111/jopy.12308] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE People believe that they can respond effectively to threats, but actually they experience difficulties in disengaging from ongoing tasks and shifting their attention to life-threatening events. We contend that this tendency is especially true for secure people with respect to their worldview and perception of others and not for insecure individuals. METHOD In Study 1 (N = 290), we examined individuals' reactions to various threat scenarios. In Study 2 (N = 65), we examined these reactions using a behavioral design high in ecological validity. In Study 3 (N = 78), we examined group-level benefits for the actions of insecure individuals by manipulating asocial behavior in response to an emergency. RESULTS Study 1 indicated that anxiously attached individuals stayed away from threats and sought help; avoidant people tended to take action by either assessing the risk of the event and/or enacting an asocial action such as fight or flight. Study 2 added ecological validity to these findings, and Study 3 showed that priming asocial behavior responses promoted actions that increased group members' chances of survival. CONCLUSION Results validate the central tenets of social defense theory and indicate that actions that are deemed asocial may paradoxically promote the survival of individuals and groups.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Yaniv Efrati
- Interdisciplinary Center (IDC) Herzliya.,Beit Berl College
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