Volitional Change in Adult Attachment: Can People Who Want to Become Less Anxious and Avoidant Move Closer towards Realizing those Goals?

People value relationships and want to relate to both friends and romantic partners in a secure and comfortable fashion. But can individuals move towards realizing this goal of their own volition? To address this question, across three studies with a combined total of more than 4000 participants, we developed and validated a new measure of people's desires to change their attachment anxiety and avoidance. In Study 1, we created the new, 16–item Change Goals—Experiences in Close Relationships measure. In Study 2, we replicated the Change Goals—Experiences in Close Relationships’ factor structure and demonstrated that it correlates in theoretically expected ways with criterion variables (e.g. people who were high in undesirable traits such as anxiety or avoidance generally wanted to change those traits; change goals were linked to dissatisfaction with relevant life domains). Finally, in Study 3, we conducted a 16–wave, weekly longitudinal study. Results indicated that goals to change attachment anxiety and avoidance predicted corresponding growth across time (e.g. people who wanted to become less anxious tended to experience declines in attachment anxiety across time). Thus, our research provides a new measure for studying changes in attachment and suggests people may be able to increase in attachment security per their own volition. © 2019 European Association of Personality Psychology

Download Full-text

Attachment and Images of Parents and of the Romantic Partner of Russian Young Men and Women

Behavioral Sciences ◽

10.3390/bs10050087 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 10 (5) ◽

pp. 87

Author(s):

Natalia Sabelnikova ◽

Dmitry Kashirsky ◽

Olga Garvard

Keyword(s):

Regression Analysis ◽

Romantic Relationship ◽

Close Relationships ◽

Attachment Security ◽

Parental Behavior ◽

Romantic Partners ◽

Romantic Partner ◽

Interpersonal Behavior ◽

Men And Women

The study investigated young adults’ perceptions of their parents and romantic partners with respect to the quality of attachment to the loved ones. The sample consisted of 78 young Russian men and women aged 19–25 involved in a romantic relationship for at least for 12 months. The employed instruments were the Attachment to Close People Questionnaire (ACOQ), based on the Experiences in Close Relationships (ECR) questionnaire, the Adolescents’ Report of Parental Behavior Inventory, and Leary’s Interpersonal Behavior Measure. Regression analysis was used to analyze the data. The results indicated that the attachment to the mother contributed to attachment to the romantic partner more than the attachment to the father. The attachment security with the partner was associated with the image of the partner.

Download Full-text

Pengaruh Attachment terhadap Self-Disclosure pada Pria Dewasa Awal yang Berpacaran

Humanitas (Jurnal Psikologi) ◽

10.28932/humanitas.v4i1.2406 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 4 (1) ◽

pp. 87-100

Author(s):

Helen Xaveria Pangestu ◽

Jessica Ariela

Keyword(s):

Close Relationships ◽

Attachment Anxiety ◽

Attachment Avoidance ◽

Self Disclosure ◽

Experiences In Close Relationships

Berpacaran merupakan suatu tahapan bagi manusia untuk membangun attachment dengan lawan jenis yang umumnya dijalani saat berada di usia dewasa awal. Konflik tidak dapat dihindari dalam hubungan pacaran dan isu ini sering dikaitkan dengan masalah komunikasi. Self-disclosure dianggap menjadi salah satu cara untuk meminimalisir konflik. Individu yang merasa aman dalam membangun attachment memiliki kecenderungan untuk lebih banyak melakukan self-disclosure dan komunikasi secara langsung dibandingkan individu yang merasa tidak aman dalam membangun attachment. Studi ini bertujuan untuk meneliti apakah attachment yang terdiri dari dua dimensi, yaitu anxiety dan avoidance, memiliki pengaruh terhadap self-disclosure pada 72 pria dewasa awal yang sedang berpacaran. Penelitian dilakukan secara kuantitatif dengan menggunakan instrumen penelitian yaitu Experiences in Close Relationships-Revised dan Revised Self-Disclosure Scale. Hasil menunjukkan bahwa terdapat pengaruh negatif yang signifikan antara attachment anxiety terhadap self-disclosure (R2=.09, F= 7.127, p<.05) dan attachment avoidance terhadap self-disclosure (R2=.22, F= 20.258, p<.05). Artinya, semakin tinggi tingkat attachment anxiety dan/atau attachment avoidance seseorang, maka semakin rendah tingkat self-disclosure seseorang, dan sebaliknya. Namun, saat diperhitungkan bersama sebagai sebuah konstruk, hanya attachment avoidance yang memiliki pengaruh signifikan terhadap self-disclosure. Penemuan lain yang berkaitan dengan attachment dan self-disclosure juga turut didiskusikan. Kata Kunci: attachment, self-disclosure, berpacaran, dewasa awal

Download Full-text

ATTACHMENT SECURITY AND VIEWS TOWARD AGING IN OLDER COUPLES: A DYADIC PERSPECTIVE

Innovation in Aging ◽

10.1093/geroni/igz038.319 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽

pp. S82-S82

Author(s):

E-Shien Chang ◽

Seline O Goktas ◽

Joan K Monin

Keyword(s):

Close Relationships ◽

Attachment Security ◽

Married Couples ◽

Attachment Anxiety ◽

Older Couples ◽

Interpersonal Closeness ◽

Positive Effects ◽

Care Recipients ◽

Actor Partner Interdependence Model ◽

Emotional Safety

Abstract Research has shown that attachment security–feelings of emotional safety from interpersonal closeness and responsiveness– is associated with better appraisal of stressful situations. Individuals’ views toward aging could be one avenue such appraisals are expressed that in turn contribute to better health in late life. However, no studies to our knowledge have examined the dyadic associations between attachment security and views towards aging in the context of close relationships. We hypothesized that attachment insecurity would be associated with individuals’ own and partners’ negative views toward aging in older married couples. The study sample was comprised of 77 older persons with a self-reported musculoskeletal condition and their caregiving spouses. The Experiences in Close Relationships Scale and the open-ended Image of Aging questions were used to measure attachment security and views toward aging. Data were analyzed with SPPS mixed models using the Actor Partner Interdependence Model. Mean age of care-recipients were 65.9 and 64.8 for their spouses. Contrary to our hypothesis, results showed no significant associations between each individual’s attachment security and their own views toward aging. However, care-recipients reported particularly positive views toward aging when caregivers had low attachment anxiety (p=.03), and caregivers reported more negative views toward aging when care-recipients had low attachment avoidance (p=.02). Findings suggest that having a close partner who is securely attached may be protective of one’s own views of aging, which may in turn have positive effects on health.

Download Full-text

In Person, Online, and up Close: The Cross–contextual Consistency of Expressive Accuracy

European Journal of Personality ◽

10.1002/per.2272 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. per.2272 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Lauren J. Human ◽

Katherine H. Rogers ◽

Jeremy C. Biesanz

Keyword(s):

Social Media ◽

Individual Difference ◽

Psychological Adjustment ◽

European Association ◽

Close Relationships ◽

Social Contexts ◽

Personality Psychology ◽

Face To Face ◽

Different Types ◽

Context Specific

People vary widely in their expressive accuracy, the tendency to be viewed in line with one's unique traits. It is unclear, however, whether expressive accuracy is a stable individual difference that transcends social contexts or a more piecemeal, context–specific characteristic. The current research therefore examined the consistency of expressive accuracy across three social contexts: face–to–face initial interactions, close relationships, and social media. There was clear evidence for cross–contextual consistency, such that expressive accuracy in face–to–face first impressions, based on brief round–robin interactions, was associated with expressive accuracy with close others (Sample 1; Ntargets = 514; Ndyads = 1656) and based on Facebook profiles (Samples 2 and 3: Ntargets = 126–132; Ndyads = 1170–1476). This was found on average across traits and for high and low observability traits. Further, unique predictors emerged for different types of expressive accuracy, with psychological adjustment and conscientiousness most consistently linked to overall expressive accuracy, extraversion most consistently linked to high observability expressive accuracy, and neuroticism most consistently linked to low observability expressive accuracy. In sum, expressive accuracy appears to emerge robustly and consistently across contexts, although its predictors may differ depending on the type of trait. © 2020 European Association of Personality Psychology

Download Full-text

Measuring attachment security in patients with advanced cancer: psychometric properties of a modified and brief Experiences in Close Relationships scale

Psycho-Oncology ◽

10.1002/pon.1417 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 18 (5) ◽

pp. 490-499 ◽

Cited By ~ 87

Author(s):

Christopher Lo ◽

Andrew Walsh ◽

Mario Mikulincer ◽

Lucia Gagliese ◽

Camilla Zimmermann ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Psychometric Properties ◽

Advanced Cancer ◽

Close Relationships ◽

Attachment Security ◽

Experiences In Close Relationships

Download Full-text

Selecting the Best Items for a Short-Form of the Experiences in Close Relationships Questionnaire

European Journal of Psychological Assessment ◽

10.1027/1015-5759/a000243 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 32 (2) ◽

pp. 140-154 ◽

Cited By ~ 41

Author(s):

Marie-France Lafontaine ◽

Audrey Brassard ◽

Yvan Lussier ◽

Pierre Valois ◽

Philip R. Shaver ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Psychometric Properties ◽

Item Response ◽

Close Relationships ◽

Short Form ◽

Attachment Anxiety ◽

Mental Health Practitioners ◽

Same Sex ◽

Health Practitioners ◽

Experiences In Close Relationships

Abstract. Five studies were conducted to develop a short form of the Experiences in Close Relationships (ECR) questionnaire with optimal psychometric properties. Study 1 involved Item Response Theory (IRT) analyses of the responses of 2,066 adults, resulting in a 12-item form of the ECR containing the most discriminating items. The psychometric properties of the ECR-12 were further demonstrated in two longitudinal studies of community samples of couples (Studies 2 and 3), in a sample of individuals in same-sex relationships (Study 4), and with couples seeking therapy (Study 5). The psychometric properties of the ECR-12 are as good as those of the original ECR and superior to those of an existing short form. The ECR-12 can confidently be used by researchers and mental health practitioners when a short measure of attachment anxiety and avoidance is required.

Download Full-text

Impact of Adult Attachment Anxiety on Deception Judgments: Examining the Moderating Effect of Motivation

Psychological Reports ◽

10.1177/0033294117726288 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 121 (2) ◽

pp. 253-264 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Song Wu ◽

Wei Cai ◽

Yanjun Zhang ◽

Ying Liu ◽

Shenghua Jin

Keyword(s):

Individual Differences ◽

Adult Attachment ◽

Close Relationships ◽

Deception Detection ◽

Moderating Effect ◽

Attachment Anxiety ◽

Lower Accuracy ◽

Experiences In Close Relationships ◽

The Relationship

Several psychologists have paid attention to individual differences in deception detection, but only a few studies have found significant results. The present study aimed to explore the relationship between attachment anxiety and deception judgment when there are no obvious cues to distinguish lies from truth, and to examine the moderating effect of motives. Participants were instructed to judge each of 10 audios on whether they were true or false. Subsequently, the attachment anxiety of participants was assessed using the Experiences in Close Relationships questionnaire. Results revealed that, compared with people who had low attachment anxiety, those with high attachment anxiety tend to have higher truth biases in the low-motive condition and lower accuracy in the high-motive condition.

Download Full-text

Measuring Attachment Dimensions in Adolescents: Development and Validation of the Experiences in Close Relationships — Revised — General Short Form

Journal of Relationships Research ◽

10.1375/jrr.2.1.53 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 2 (1) ◽

pp. 53-62 ◽

Cited By ~ 15

Author(s):

Ross B. Wilkinson

Keyword(s):

Close Relationships ◽

Discriminant Validity ◽

Factor Model ◽

Short Form ◽

Measurement Model ◽

Attachment Anxiety ◽

Confirmatory Factor Analyses ◽

Experiences In Close Relationships ◽

Relationship Attachment ◽

Attachment Dimensions

AbstractThe assessment of attachment in adolescence remains problematic, with the most widely used measure, the Inventory of Parent and Peer Attachment (IPPA; Armsden & Greenberg, 1987), argued to have major short-comings. This article reports two studies examining the psychometric properties of a shortened and modified version of the Experiences in Close Relationships — Revised (ECR-R) (Fraley, Waller, & Brennan, 2000), the Experiences in Close Relationships — Revised — General Short Form (ECR-R-GSF), for the assessment of general relationship attachment anxiety and avoidance in adolescents and young adults. Confirmatory factor analyses in two independent samples of high school and university students (TotalN= 1187, 11 to 22 years) demonstrate support for the two-factor model of attachment anxiety and avoidance. The measurement model was supported across data sets and was not significantly different with respect to either age or sex. While the ECR-R-GSF demonstrated appropriate convergent and discriminant validity with the Relationships Questionnaire (RQ (Bartholomew & Horowitz, 1991) it did not converge with specific, parental relationship attachment as assessed by the IPPA. The ECR-R-GSF is argued to be a reliable and psychometrically sound instrument for assessing general attachment dimensions across a wide age range.

Download Full-text