The Vulnerable Attachment Style Questionnaire (VASQ): an interview-based measure of attachment styles that predict depressive disorder

2003 ◽  
Vol 33 (6) ◽  
pp. 1099-1110 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. BIFULCO ◽  
J. MAHON ◽  
J.-H. KWON ◽  
P. M. MORAN ◽  
C. JACOBS
Keyword(s):  
Depressive Disorder ◽  
Attachment Style ◽  
Attachment Styles ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Adult Attachment Style ◽  
Attachment Relationship ◽  
Two Factors ◽  
Highly Correlated ◽  
Attachment Style Questionnaire ◽  
Report Measure

Background. The Vulnerable Attachment Style Questionnaire (VASQ) was developed to provide a brief self-report tool to assess adult attachment style in relation to depression and validated against an existing investigator-based interview (Attachment Style Interview – ASI). This paper describes the development and scoring of the VASQ and its relationship to poor support and major depression.Method. Items for the VASQ reflected behaviours, emotions and attitudes relating to attachment relationship style, drawn directly from the ASI. The VASQ was validated against the ASI for 262 community-based subjects. Test–retest was determined on 38 subjects.Results. Factor analysis derived two factors, labelled ‘insecurity’ and ‘proximity-seeking’. The VASQ insecurity dimension had highest mean scores for those with interview-based Angry-dismissive and Fearful styles and was significantly correlated with degree of interview-based insecurity. The proximity-seeking VASQ scores had highest mean for those with Enmeshed interview attachment style and was uncorrelated with ASI insecurity. VASQ scores were highly correlated with a well-known self-report measure of insecure attachment (Relationship Questionnaire) and text–retest reliability of the VASQ was satisfactory. The total VASQ score and the insecurity subscale proved highly related to poor support and to depressive disorder. This was not the case for the proximity-seeking subscale.Conclusion. The VASQ is a brief self-report measure that distinguishes individuals with attachment styles vulnerable for depressive disorder. The use of the measure for screening in research and clinical contexts is discussed.

Stamina in Adults: Is Attachment Style a Factor?

2000 ◽  
Vol 87 (2) ◽  
pp. 643-648 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert J. Pellegrini ◽  
Robert A. Hicks ◽  
Terry Roundtree ◽  
Genevieve M. Inman
Keyword(s):  
Attachment Style ◽  
Relative Frequency ◽  
Attachment Styles ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Pairwise Comparisons ◽  
Secure Attachment ◽  
Adult Attachment Style ◽  
Potential Effectiveness ◽  
Close Relationship ◽  
Preliminary Support

The study was designed to extend inquiry on adult attachment style to include the variable of personal stamina. The data were derived from an anonymous survey administered to 163 college students (82 women and 81 men) in introductory psychology classes. Attachment style was measured by the Close Relationship Questionnaire, based on a four-category scheme suggested by Bartholomew. Stamina was evaluated with a self-report scale developed by R. A. Hicks. The pattern of statistically significant differences ( p < .001) in the relative frequency with which respondents self-identified with descriptions of each of the four attachment styles on the questionnaire diverged somewhat from those reported previously. Respondents who identified themselves as most accurately described by the questionnaire's alternative defined as characterizing secure attachment had significantly higher stamina scores than did those who self-endorsed the fearful or preoccupied alternatives in that categorical measure. No other pairwise comparisons of stamina scores were statistically significant. The results provide preliminary support for the hypothesis that secure attachment is more facilitative of personal stamina than are insecure styles. Methodological limits on inferences and corresponding alternative interpretations, the potential effectiveness of defensive suppression of the attachment system in dismissing-avoidant adults, and directions for research are discussed.

scholarly journals Measuring attachment and parental bonding in psychosis and its clinical implications

2014 ◽  
Vol 25 (2) ◽  
pp. 142-149 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Mathews ◽  
J. Onwumere ◽  
S. Bissoli ◽  
M. Ruggeri ◽  
E. Kuipers ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Attachment Theory ◽  
Attachment Style ◽  
Attachment Styles ◽  
Parental Bonding ◽  
Insecure Attachment ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Clinical Implications ◽  
Term Outcome ◽  
Long Term Outcome

Background.Attachment theory proposes that psychological functioning and affect regulations are influenced by the attachment we form with others. Early relationships with parents or caregivers lay the foundations for attachment styles. These styles are proposed to influence how we relate to others during our life can be modified by the relationships and events we experience in our lifespan. A secure attachment style is associated with a capacity to manage distress, comfort with autonomy and the ability to form relationships with others, whereas insecure attachment can lead to dysfunctional relationships, emotional and behaviour avoidance. Attachment theory provides a useful framework to inform our understanding of relationship difficulties in people with psychosis. This paper aims to complement recent systematic reviews by providing an overview of attachment theory, its application to psychosis, including an understanding of measurement issues and the clinical implications offered.Method.A narrative review was completed of the measures of attachment and parental bonding in psychosis. Its clinical implications are also discussed. The paper also explores the link between insecure attachment styles and illness course, social functioning and symptomatology. The following questions are addressed: What are the key attachment measures that have been used within the attachment and psychosis literature? What are the results of studies that have measured attachment or parental bonding in psychosis and what clinical implications can we derive from it? What are some of the key questions for future research from these findings in relation to the onset of psychosis research field?Results.The most commonly used measures of attachment in psychosis research are reviewed. Self-report questionnaires and semi-structured interviews have mainly been used to examine attachment styles in adult samples and in recent years comprise a measure specifically developed for a psychosis group. The review suggests that insecure attachment styles are common in psychosis samples. Key relationships were observed between insecure, avoidant and anxious attachment styles and psychosis development, expression and long-term outcome.Conclusions.Attachment theory can provide a useful framework to facilitate our understanding of interpersonal difficulties in psychosis that may predate its onset and impact on observed variability in outcomes, including treatment engagement. Greater attention should be given to the assessment of attachment needs and to the development of interventions that seek to compensate for these difficulties. However, further investigations are required on specifying the exact mechanisms by which specific attachment styles impact on the development of psychosis and its course.

Attachment to work, job satisfaction and work centrality

2014 ◽  
Vol 35 (6) ◽  
pp. 555-565 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aharon Tziner ◽  
Alla Ben-David ◽  
Lior Oren ◽  
Gil Sharoni
Keyword(s):  
Job Satisfaction ◽  
Attachment Style ◽  
Attachment Styles ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Turnover Intentions ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Work Centrality ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Additional Tool

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate the associations between attachment styles, work centrality and job satisfaction with turnover intentions. Design/methodology/approach – A self-report questionnaire that included psychometrically sound measures of the key constructs was completed by a sample of 125 employees. A structural equation model was conducted to test the proposed relations and mediating hypotheses. Findings – Attachment styles were found to be linked directly to turnover intentions, and not mediated by job satisfaction and work centrality, as predicted. Avoidant and anxious employees showed higher levels of turnover intentions. A positive relationship was found between work centrality and job satisfaction; job satisfaction was negatively related with turnover intentions. Research limitations/implications – Although the study involved cross-sectional self-report data, it shed light on the associations between attachment theory and the costly organizational phenomena of voluntary turnover. Practical implications – Managers should pay particular attention to employees characterized by an insecure attachment style. Efforts should be made to improve work centrality and job satisfaction among employees. Originality/value – The study adds attachment styles as an additional tool available to managers in their efforts to manage turnover.

THE SUSCEPTIBILITY OF THREE ATTACHMENT STYLE MEASURES TO SOCIALLY DESIRABLE RESPONDING

2001 ◽  
Vol 29 (1) ◽  
pp. 21-29 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gary K. Leak ◽  
Chad J. Parsons
Keyword(s):  
Attachment Style ◽  
Impression Management ◽  
Adult Attachment ◽  
Attachment Styles ◽  
Theoretical Issue ◽  
Socially Desirable Responding ◽  
Attachment Style Questionnaire ◽  
The Relationship

This study investigated the susceptibility of three popular measures of attachment styles to impression management (other-deception) and unconscious defensiveness (self-deception). Specifically, responses to the Attachment Style Questionnaire, Adult Attachment Scale, and the Relationship Questionnaire were correlated with the Balanced Inventory of Desirable Responding. Results indicate that all three measures are, to varying degrees, contaminated by impression management tendencies, while only the Relationship Questionnaire is free from a self-deceptive bias. These results have implications for interpreting responses to several frequently used measures of attachment styles, also for the theoretical issue of whether the avoidance attachment style is based on defensiveness.

scholarly journals Sensitivity to Affective Touch Depends on Adult Attachment Style

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Charlotte Krahé ◽  
Mariana von Mohr ◽  
Antje Gentsch ◽  
Lisette Guy ◽  
Chiara Vari ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Social Cognition ◽  
Attachment Style ◽  
Adult Attachment ◽  
Attachment Styles ◽  
Attachment Anxiety ◽  
Adult Attachment Interview ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Affective Touch ◽  
Standard Assessment ◽  
Explicit Representations

AbstractAffective touch supports affiliative bonds and social cognition. However, it remains unknown whether pre-existing models of social relating influence the perception of affective touch. Here, we present the first study (N=44) to examine how individual differences in attachment styles relate to the perception of affective touch, as well as to a different non-social modality of interoception, namely cardiac perceived accuracy. Using the gold standard assessment of adult attachment (Adult Attachment Interview), we found that insecure attachment was associated with reduced pleasantness discrimination between affective vs. non-affective, neutral touch. Acknowledging the different traditions in measuring attachment, we also used a well-validated self-report questionnaire that pertains to explicit representations of current close relationships. Using this measure, we found that higher scores on an attachment anxiety dimension (but not an attachment avoidance) were associated with reduced pleasantness discrimination between affective vs. non-affective, neutral touch. Attachment patterns (in both measures) were not related to cardiac perception accuracy. These results corroborate and extend previous literature on the affectivity of touch and its relation with affiliative bonds and social cognition. Given that attachment was not related to perceived cardiac accuracy, these findings point to the specificity of the relationship between affective touch and attachment.

scholarly journals Psychopathological Organizations and Attachment Styles in Patients with Fear of Flying: A Case Study

2013 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 20-27 ◽  
Author(s):  
Guido Veronese ◽  
Rossella Procaccia ◽  
Diego Romaioli ◽  
Gianpiero Barola ◽  
Marco Castiglioni
Keyword(s):  
Attachment Style ◽  
Attachment Styles ◽  
Clinical Work ◽  
Insecure Attachment ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Fear Of Flying ◽  
And Gender ◽  
Experimental Group

Objectives: The scope of the study is to identify the leading “organization of meaning” in patients affected by aviophobia and the related attachment style. Specifically we hypothesized that participants with fear of flying would predominantly display a phobic organization of meaning, associated with an anxious-ambivalent attachment style. Methods: 150 adults, divided between an experimental group (FOF) and a control group (CON), completed three research instruments: two self-report questionnaires assessing attachment style (AAQ and ASQ) and the self-characterization, a qualitative constructivist tool. Results: The insecure attachment style prevailed in aviophobics rather than control group. Socio-economic and gender differences were found. The vocabulary used by the group with flying phobia featured a system of meaning referring to “freedom” family semantics. Conclusions: Attachment style appears to be a necessary but insufficient condition for predicting fear of flying. A greater role in the disorder is played by the organization of patients' personality, as argued by socio-constructionist and constructivist authors. Implication for clinical work and psychotherapy are discussed.

scholarly journals Family Dysfunction and Childhood Abuse and Trauma among Offenders

2015 ◽  
Vol 2 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Behanan, S. E. ◽  
Rejani, T.G
Keyword(s):  
Childhood Abuse ◽  
Attachment Style ◽  
Research Design ◽  
Parenting Style ◽  
Parenting Styles ◽  
Attachment Styles ◽  
Family System ◽  
Female Offenders ◽  
Family Dysfunction ◽  
Self Report

Introduction: In trying to understand the cycle between family dysfunction, childhood trauma and abuse and criminal behaviour, most studies have focused individually on different aspects of family dysfunction. Aim: To assess the family dysfunction and childhood abuse and trauma in offenders. Methodology: The research design used was cross-sectional research design. Sample size: Thirty adults with criminal back ground were selected from the prison. Purposive sampling was used for selecting the sample. Tools: Tools were used individually to assess family dysfunction, parenting styles, attachment styles and childhood abuse and trauma. The tools were Self-Report Family Inventory, Parental Authority Questionnaire, The Relationship’s Questionnaire and The Childhood Traumatic Events Scale. Results: Eighty percent of offenders have undergone childhood abuse and trauma. The predominant attachment style among male offenders was found to be dismissing avoidant attachment style. The predominant attachment style among female offenders was found to be secure attachment style. Among male and female offenders, the predominant parenting style of their parents was found to be authoritative parenting style. Majority of the offenders have reported their family system as problematic. Implication: The study throws light on family dysfunction in offenders and would be beneficial in a future rehabilitation model which could include therapeutic work to resolve childhood distress and trauma.

scholarly journals The Role of Attachment Styles and Spiritual Intelligence in Predicting Women’s Emotional Divorce

2121 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 17-26
Author(s):  
Zahra Shirzadi ◽  
◽  
Reza Khakpour ◽  
Anahita Khodabakhshi-Koolaee ◽  
◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Attachment Style ◽  
Attachment Styles ◽  
Couple Therapy ◽  
Negative Relationship ◽  
Study Data ◽  
Spiritual Intelligence ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Psychiatric Nurses ◽  
Avoidant Attachment

Background: Emotional divorce refers to a situation in which the emotional relationship, support, passion, warmth, attention, love, and intimacy between couples (husband & wife) decline or diminish. Such conditions lead to an unaffectionate marital life to the point that the couples are only together under one roof. Accordingly, the present study aimed to explore the role of attachment styles and spiritual intelligence in predicting emotional divorce in women. Methods: This study employed a descriptive-correlational design. The research population included all women filing for divorce who were referred to marriage counseling and couple therapy centers in districts 5 and 6 in Tehran City, Iran, in 2020. In total, 400 women who met the inclusion criteria were selected as the study participants using voluntary response and convenience sampling techniques. The required data were collected by the Emotional Divorce Scale, the Adult Attachment Scale, and the Self-Report Measure of Spiritual Intelligence. The collected data were analyzed using the multiple regression analysis method in SPSS V. 22. Results: The obtained results suggested a significant positive relationship between the anxious-avoidant attachment style and emotional divorce (P<0.01). Furthermore, there was a significant negative relationship between spiritual intelligence and emotional divorce; the higher the spiritual intelligence, the lower the emotional divorce (P=0.02). Accordingly, spiritual intelligence and anxious-avoidant attachment style can predict emotional divorce (Multiple Regressions= -0.58). Conclusion: The present study data suggested that premarital education and counseling before spouse selection help in examining the personality traits of the parties. Moreover, paying attention to the role of health professionals, such as family counselors, psychologists, and psychiatric nurses in providing premarital counseling and education to couples and emphasizing the role of spiritual intelligence and attachment styles may prevent emotional separation and divorce among couples.

scholarly journals Quantifying the Predictive Role of Temperament Dimensions and Attachment Styles on the Five Factor Model of Personality

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (10) ◽  
pp. 145
Author(s):  
Efrat Barel ◽  
Yonathan Mizrachi ◽  
Maayan Nachmani
Keyword(s):  
Individual Differences ◽  
Personality Traits ◽  
Attachment Style ◽  
Adult Attachment ◽  
Attachment Styles ◽  
Attachment Security ◽  
Factor Model ◽  
Five Factor Model ◽  
Self Report

Background: The present study investigated the role of temperament and attachment security in predicting individual differences in the five factor personality traits among adults. As previous studies suggested the potential moderating role of attachment in the association between temperament and personality traits, the present study sought to examine an interactionist model combining attachment and temperament in explaining individual differences in personality traits. Methods: A sample of 1871 participants (1151 women and 719 men) completed self-report measures of adult attachment style (the Relationships Questionnaire—RQ), temperament dimension (the Fisher Temperament Inventory—FTI), and personality domain (the Five Factor Model—FFM). Results: Partial correlational analyses revealed associations between attachment security and each of the five domains of the FFM, and few associations between some temperament dimensions and several domains of the FFM. Moderated regression analyses showed that attachment security moderated the associations between temperament dimensions and the Agreeableness domain of the FFM. Among secure individuals, those with higher scores on the Curious/Energetic, Cautious/Social Norm Compliant and Prosocial/Empathetic scales exhibited higher Agreeableness scores, whereas among insecure individuals, those with higher scores on the Analytic/Tough-minded scale exhibited lower scores on the Agreeableness scale. Conclusion: Overall, the current study provides evidence in support of the substantive role of social-environmental factors (Adult Attachment) as a moderating element bridging temperament-related personality elements and a number of their FFM manifestations.

“I want it now!” Intertemporal Choice Through the Lens of Valence Weighting Bias

2021 ◽  
Vol 39 (2) ◽  
pp. 243-258
Author(s):  
Javier A. Granados Samayoa ◽  
Russell H. Fazio
Keyword(s):  
Individual Differences ◽  
Intertemporal Choice ◽  
Choice Task ◽  
Self Control ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Negative Valence ◽  
Two Factors ◽  
Positive And Negative Valence ◽  
Characteristic Manner ◽  
Report Measure

The current research presents a novel perspective regarding individual differences in intertemporal choice preferences. We postulate that such differences are partly rooted in individuals’ valence weighting proclivities—their characteristic manner of weighting positive and negative valence when constructing an initial evaluation. Importantly, valence weighting bias should predict intertemporal choice most strongly (a) for those who are relatively low in trait self-control and (b) when the magnitude of the available rewards is relatively small, because these two factors are associated with lesser motivation/resources to deliberate extensively about one's decision. More specifically, we propose that those with a more positive weighting bias give greater weight to the clearly positive immediate reward that is under consideration, and under these conditions, the resulting appraisal shapes choice more strongly. Using a performance-based measure of valence weighting tendencies, a hypothetical intertemporal choice task, and a self-report measure of trait self-control, we provide evidence for our hypothesis.

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