Sex- and Context-dependent Effects of Oxytocin on Social Reward Processing

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiaole Ma ◽  
Weihua Zhao ◽  
Ruixue Luo ◽  
Feng Zhou ◽  
Yayuan Geng ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Attachment Style ◽  
Reward Processing ◽  
Attachment Anxiety ◽  
The Other ◽  
Emotional Impact ◽  
Social Reward ◽  
Double Blind ◽  
Functional Connections ◽  
Social Sharing ◽  
The Impact

AbstractWe interact socially and form bonds with others because such experiences are rewarding. However, an insecure attachment style or social anxiety can reduce these rewarding effects. The neuropeptide oxytocin (OXT) may facilitate social interactions either by increasing their rewarding experience or by attenuating anxiety, although effects can be sex- and attachment-style dependent. In this study, 64 pairs of same-sex friends completed a social sharing paradigm in a double-blind, placebo-controlled, between-subject design with one friend inside an MRI scanner and the other in a remote behavioral testing room. In this way we could examine whether intranasal-OXT differentially modulated the emotional impact of social sharing and associated neural processing. Additionally, we investigated if OXT effects were modulated by sex and attachment style. Results showed that in women, but not men, OXT increased ratings for sharing stimuli with their friend but not with a stranger, particularly in the friend in the scanner. Corresponding neuroimaging results showed that OXT decreased both amygdala and insula activity as well as their functional connectivity in women when they shared with friends but had the opposite effect in men. On the other hand, OXT did not enhance responses in brain reward circuitry. In the PLC treated group amygdala responses in women when they shared pictures with their friend were positively associated with attachment anxiety and OXT uncoupled this. Our findings demonstrate that OXT facilitates the impact of sharing positive experiences with others in women, but not men, and that this is associated with differential effects on the amygdala and insula and their functional connections. Furthermore, OXT particularly reduced increased amygdala responses during sharing in individuals with higher attachment anxiety. Thus, OXT effects in this context may be due more to reduced anxiety when sharing with a friend than to enhanced social reward.

Potential of Brand Personality: Attachment Styles as Moderator

2012 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 34 ◽  
Author(s):  
LO Ying Tuan ◽  
Huam Hon Tat ◽  
Ahmad Sharifuddin Shamsuddin ◽  
Amran Md Rasli ◽  
Ahmad Jusoh
Keyword(s):  
Empirical Study ◽  
Attachment Style ◽  
Coming Out ◽  
Attachment Styles ◽  
Brand Personality ◽  
The Other ◽  
Anxious Attachment ◽  
Brand Attachment ◽  
Avoidant Attachment ◽  
The Impact

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effect of consumer’s attachment styles as a moderator in the impact of brand personality on its brand attachment. This research investigated the preferred brand personality of anxious and avoidant attachment consumer, their likelihood to be attached to that brand and how they respond to any changes in brand personality. A total of 300 students were surveyed. Their attachment style and their response towards sincere and exciting personality and its brand attachment were assessed. Empirical study shows that anxious attachment style consumer preferred sincere brand personality, tends to be attached with it and did not respond to any changes in brand personality.  Avoidant attachment style people on the other hand have a stronger relationship with the exciting brand personality, are not likely to be attached to it and will respond to changes in brand personality. This study implies that marketers should get to know their targeted market’s attachment style prior coming out with the suitable brand personality.

scholarly journals Is Self-Other distinction malleable? Egocentric and altercentric biases in empathy are modulated by priming attachment style and similarity mindsets

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Henryk Bukowski ◽  
Magdalena Boch ◽  
Claus Lamm ◽  
Giorgia Silani
Keyword(s):  
Attachment Style ◽  
Contextual Factors ◽  
The Other ◽  
Interpersonal Distance ◽  
Anxious Attachment ◽  
Affective Touch ◽  
Avoidant Attachment ◽  
Egocentric Bias ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Experienced Emotion

Empathic abilities are increasingly shown to be modulated by interpersonal and contextual factors. However, causal evidence regarding self-other distinction abilities in empathy, as measured by egocentric and altercentric biases, is virtually non-existent. This study aimed to demonstrate how malleable such biases are by investigating the impact of two priming manipulations. Prior to completion of an affective touch task, experiment 1 primed a secure, avoidant, or anxious attachment style, whereas experiment 2 primed a similarities or dissimilarities focus. We predicted that, unlike affect sharing, self-other distinction benefits from interpersonal distance primed by avoidant attachment and dissimilarities focus. Experiment 1 revealed a modulation of the altercentric bias: the extent the other person’s feelings biased self-perspective judgments was significantly lower in the avoidant attachment group than in the secure and anxious attachment groups. Experiment 2 demonstrated that egocentric bias – the extent to which first-hand experienced emotion biases judgments of another person’s emotion – was significantly lower in the group primed with a similarities focus. These findings suggest that self-other distinction abilities in empathy are modulated by interpersonal and contextual factors, but in ways that differ from affect sharing (in Experiment 1), and non-affective self-other distinction (in Experiment 2).

scholarly journals Communication modes during romantic dissolution: The impact of attachment and intimacy on initiator breakup strategies

2020 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 87-103
Author(s):  
William Hoffman
Keyword(s):  
Attachment Style ◽  
Adult Attachment ◽  
Romantic Relationship ◽  
Communication Strategies ◽  
Attachment Anxiety ◽  
Communication Strategy ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Emotional Intimacy ◽  
Pair Bonds ◽  
The Impact

A majority of romantic pair-bonds will not remain together. Surprisingly, however, less is known about relationship dissolution compared with other stages of romantic relationships, such as initiation and maintenance. The present study addresses this gap by investigating breakup initiators’ communication strategies as outcomes for the individual’s attachment style and the emotional intimacy of a recent terminated romantic relationship. Participants (N = 174) completed a series of empirically reliable and valid Likert-scale measures to assess both predictors: (a) adult attachment and (b) emotional intimacy. Emotional intimacy was a significant predictor of each of the four breakup communication strategies, and adult attachment style – particularly attachment anxiety - was significantly related to specific communication strategies, primarily those related to openness. This researcher concluded that emotional intimacy better predictors of breakup communication strategy compared with attachment style. Limitations and a general discussion or summary of findings are provided, followed by some suggestions for future research.

scholarly journals Die impak van selfmoord op dié wat agterbly

2007 ◽  
Vol 41 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
G. Breed
Keyword(s):  
The Other ◽  
Emotional Impact ◽  
Loved One ◽  
Left Behind ◽  
The People ◽  
The Impact

The impact of suicide on those who are left behind In order to offer pastoral guidance to someone who has lost a loved one to suicide, it is essential to be informed on the un- paralleled impact that suicide has on those who are left behind. Without this knowledge the pastoral intervention can be re- jected or counselling can fail entirely. In this article an attempt is made to firstly discover the nature of suicide and then to establish how many people are touched by suicide. After that the physical and emotional impact on the people who are left behind comes up for discussion. The processing of suicide in relation to its impact as well as its social and spiritual aspects is also investigated. It is important to determine who has been impacted on by the suicide in order to ensure that no one is overlooked during counselling. The trauma has a far-reaching impact on the spiritual lives of those who are left behind and for this reason the spiritual or religious impact of a suicide must be the counsellor’s main focus. Although all the other facets should also be thoroughly attended to, true healing cannot take place if an individual’s inner struggle and spiritual questions are not addressed.

scholarly journals Parental Attachment Style and Young Persons’ Adjustment to Bereavement

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Antigonos Sochos ◽  
Sadia Aleem
Keyword(s):  
Psychological Distress ◽  
Attachment Style ◽  
Parental Attachment ◽  
Complicated Grief ◽  
Attachment Anxiety ◽  
Post Traumatic Stress ◽  
Attachment Avoidance ◽  
Bereaved Children ◽  
Internalising Problems ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Background Previous clinical and theoretical work supports the idea that parental attachment style and complicated grief affect young persons’ mental health, but empirical research investigating their impact on young person’s adjustment to bereavement is lacking. Objective This study investigated the impact of parental attachment style and complicated grief on young person’s adjustment to bereavement. It was hypothesised that a) parental attachment anxiety, avoidance, and complicated grief would moderate the link between bereavement experience and psychological distress in young persons and b) parental attachment style would moderate the link between parental complicated grief and psychological distress experienced by bereaved young persons. Method This was a questionnaire-based case control study, involving two participant groups: 133 parents of young persons who had experienced the loss of the loved one and 101 parents of young persons with no bereavement experience. Results Bereaved young persons experienced greater externalising and internalising problems than the non-bereaved only when they were raised by an anxiously attached parent, but when parental attachment anxiety was low, bereaved children had fewer problems than the non-bereaved. When parental attachment avoidance was low, bereaved children also had fewer externalising problems than the non-bereaved. Among the bereaved, high levels of parental attachment anxiety and attachment avoidance amplified the link between parental complicated grief and child post-traumatic stress, while in the presence of low parental anxiety, complicated grief was negatively associated with an immediate distressing response and numbing-dissociative symptomatology. Conclusions Psychological vulnerability in bereaved young persons was associated with an insecure parental attachment style.

scholarly journals Burnout, Attachment and Mentalization in Nursing Students and Nurse Professionals

Healthcare ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (11) ◽  
pp. 1576
Author(s):  
Giulia Bordoagni ◽  
Edita Fino ◽  
Alessandro Agostini
Keyword(s):  
Nursing Students ◽  
Attachment Style ◽  
Protective Role ◽  
Attachment Anxiety ◽  
Secure Attachment ◽  
Clinical Environment ◽  
Attachment Avoidance ◽  
Professional Nurses ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Attachment Style Questionnaire

(1) Background. In caretaking professions, attachment style and mentalization capacities are essential factors for establishing an effective caretaker–patient relationship and for buffering burnout. While attachment avoidance and dependency are considered risk factors for burnout, impairment in mentalization capacity is associated with psychological distress and ineffective emotion regulation. (2) Objective: Evaluating the attachment style and mentalization capacity in nurse professionals and nursing students. We further investigated the impact of these factors on burnout in professional nurses. (3) Method: 94 nursing students and 94 controls and 34 professional nurses completed the Attachment Style Questionnaire (ASQ) and the Reflective Functioning Questionnaire (RFQ). For professional nurses, the Maslach’s Burnout Inventory (MBI) was also administered. (4) Results: Nursing students exhibited lower scores in secure attachment and higher scores in anxiety over relationships compared to controls while no difference in mentalization capacity was found between both groups. Importantly, attachment anxiety resulted a significant predictor of burnout in professional nurses. (5) Conclusions: Nursing students might compensate their attachment insecurity with high mentalization. Attachment security may play a protective role against burnout in the professional nurses. Education programs aimed at enhancing mentalizing abilities might facilitate nursing students’ entrance in the forthcoming clinical environment and practice. Implementing training strategies based on attachment theory may contribute to burnout prevention in nurse professionals.

Interpersonal Processes and Attachment in Voice-Hearers

2014 ◽  
Vol 43 (6) ◽  
pp. 655-668 ◽  
Author(s):  
George Robson ◽  
Oliver Mason
Keyword(s):  
Attachment Style ◽  
Attachment Anxiety ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Interpersonal Processes ◽  
Relationship Beliefs ◽  
Mediation Analyses ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
The Voice ◽  
Voice Relationship

Background: Studies of both clinical and non-clinical voice hearers suggest that distress is rather inconsistently associated with the perceived relationship between voice and hearer. It is also not clear if their beliefs about voices are relevant. Aims: This study investigated the links between attachment anxiety/avoidance, interpersonal aspects of the voice relationship, and distress whilst considering the impact of beliefs about voices and paranoia. Method: Forty-four voice-hearing participants completed a number of self-report measures tapping attachment, interpersonal processes in the voice relationship, beliefs about voices, paranoia, distress and depression. Results: Attachment avoidance was related to voice intrusiveness, hearer distance and distress. Attachment anxiety was related to voice intrusiveness, hearer dependence and distress. A series of simple mediation analyses were conducted that suggest that the relationship between attachment and voice related distress may be mediated by interpersonal dynamics in the voice-hearer relationship, beliefs about voices and paranoia. Conclusions: Beliefs about voices, the hearer's relationship with their voices, and the distress voices sometimes engender appear to be meaningfully related to their attachment style. This may be important to consider in therapeutic work.

Metabolic and exercise endurance effects of coffee and caffeine ingestion

1998 ◽  
Vol 85 (3) ◽  
pp. 883-889 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. E. Graham ◽  
E. Hibbert ◽  
P. Sathasivam
Keyword(s):  
Young Adults ◽  
The Other ◽  
Plasma Epinephrine ◽  
Double Blind ◽  
Caffeine Ingestion ◽  
The Subject ◽  
Exercise Endurance ◽  
The Impact

Caffeine (Caf) ingestion increases plasma epinephrine (Epi) and exercise endurance; these results are frequently transferred to coffee (Cof) consumption. We examined the impact of ingestion of the same dose of Caf in Cof or in water. Nine healthy, fit, young adults performed five trials after ingesting (double blind) either a capsule (Caf or placebo) with water or Cof (decaffeinated Cof, decaffeinated with Caf added, or regular Cof). In all three Caf trials, the Caf dose was 4.45 mg/kg body wt and the volume of liquid was 7.15 ml/kg. After 1 h of rest, the subject ran at 85% of maximal O2consumption until voluntary exhaustion (∼32 min in the placebo and decaffeinated Cof tests). In the three Caf trials, the plasma Caf and paraxanthine concentrations were very similar. After 1 h of rest, the plasma Epi was increased ( P < 0.05) by Caf ingestion, but the increase was greater ( P < 0.05) with Caf capsules than with Cof. During the exercise there were no differences in Epi among the three Caf trials, and the Epi values were all greater ( P < 0.05) than in the other tests. Endurance was only increased ( P < 0.05) in the Caf capsule trial; there were no differences among the other four tests. One cannot extrapolate the effects of Caf to Cof; there must be a component(s) of Cof that moderates the actions of Caf.

scholarly journals Altered reward network responses to social touch in major depression

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Clemens Mielacher ◽  
Dirk Scheele ◽  
Maximilian Kiebs ◽  
Laura Schmitt ◽  
Torge Dellert ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Caudate Nucleus ◽  
Antidepressant Treatment ◽  
Body Awareness ◽  
Reward Processing ◽  
Social Reward ◽  
Social Touch ◽  
Interpersonal Touch ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Reward Network ◽  
The Impact

Introduction: Affective touch is highly rewarding and an integral part of social relationships. Major depressive disorder (MDD) is characterized by severe impairments in reward processing, but the neural effects of social touch in MDD are still elusive. Objective: We aimed to determine whether the neural processing of social touch is impaired in MDD and to assess the impact of antidepressant therapy. Methods: Before and after antidepressant treatment, 53 MDD patients and 41 healthy controls underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) while receiving social touch. We compared neural responses to social touch in the reward network, behavioral ratings of touch comfort and general aversion to interpersonal touch in MDD patients to controls. Additionally, we examined the effect of treatment response on those measures. Results: Clinical symptoms decreased after treatment and 43.4% of patients were classified as responders. Patients reported higher aversion to social touch and lower comfort ratings during the fMRI paradigm than controls. Patients showed reduced responses to social touch in the nucleus accumbens, caudate nucleus and putamen than controls, both before and after treatment. Non-responders exhibited blunted response in the caudate nucleus and the insula compared to responders, again irrespective of treatment. Conclusions: These findings confirm our hypothesis that interpersonal touch as an indicator of social reward processing is impaired in MDD. Persistent dysfunctional processing of social touch despite clinical improvements may constitute a latent risk factor for social withdrawal and isolation. New treatment approaches are necessary to specifically target social reward processing and disturbed body awareness in MDD.

Effects of Attachment Styles on the Experience of Equity in Heterosexual Couples Relationships

2003 ◽  
Vol 50 (4) ◽  
pp. 298-310 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ina Grau ◽  
Jörg Doll
Keyword(s):  
Attachment Theory ◽  
Attachment Style ◽  
Intimate Relationships ◽  
Attachment Styles ◽  
Experimental Studies ◽  
The Other ◽  
Heterosexual Couples ◽  
Secure Attachment ◽  
Dependent Variables ◽  
Equity Ratio

Abstract. Employing one correlational and two experimental studies, this paper examines the influence of attachment styles (secure, anxious, avoidant) on a person’s experience of equity in intimate relationships. While one experimental study employed a priming technique to stimulate the different attachment styles, the other involved vignettes describing fictitious characters with typical attachment styles. As the specific hypotheses about the single equity components have been developed on the basis of the attachment theory, the equity ratio itself and the four equity components (own outcome, own input, partner’s outcome, partner’s input) are analyzed as dependent variables. While partners with a secure attachment style tend to describe their relationship as equitable (i.e., they give and take extensively), partners who feel anxious about their relationship generally see themselves as being in an inequitable, disadvantaged position (i.e., they receive little from their partner). The hypothesis that avoidant partners would feel advantaged as they were less committed was only supported by the correlational study. Against expectations, the results of both experiments indicate that avoidant partners generally see themselves (or see avoidant vignettes) as being treated equitably, but that there is less emotional exchange than is the case with secure partners. Avoidant partners give and take less than secure ones.

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