scholarly journals The Attachment Dynamic: Dyadic Patterns of Anxiety and Avoidance in Relationship Functioning

2020 ◽  
pp. 026540752097585
Author(s):  
Lindsey M. Rodriguez ◽  
Anthony Coy ◽  
Benjamin W. Hadden
Keyword(s):  
Close Relationships ◽  
Attachment Anxiety ◽  
Relationship Functioning ◽  
Attachment Avoidance ◽  
Attachment Dimensions

Whereas attachment dimensions (i.e., anxiety and avoidance) are generally associated with lower levels of relationship evaluations (e.g., satisfaction, commitment), research has not yet fully incorporated how partner attachment is related to these evaluations, nor how dyadic patterns (actor × partner attachment interactions) are associated with evaluations. Across two dyadic studies ( N = 185, 123 dyads), we examine how actor, partner, and actor × partner interactions of attachment anxiety and avoidance are associated with reports of trust, satisfaction, and commitment. Results generally revealed that actor effects of attachment anxiety on lower relationship evaluations were weaker when partners were more anxious and stronger when partners were more avoidant. Moreover, actor effects of attachment avoidance on lower trust and satisfaction were stronger when partners were more anxious. Finally, own avoidance was more strongly negatively related to commitment in the presence of a more avoidant partner. These results suggest that the combination of attachment within relationships is important to consider for both close relationships researchers and clinicians.

Distinguishing Dismissing From Fearful Attachment in the Association Between Closeness and Commitment

2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 563-572 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yoobin Park ◽  
Anik Debrot ◽  
Stephanie S. Spielmann ◽  
Samantha Joel ◽  
Emily Impett ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Positive Association ◽  
Attachment Anxiety ◽  
The Self ◽  
Relationship Functioning ◽  
Attachment Avoidance ◽  
Internal Conflicts ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Attachment Dimensions

When avoidantly attached individuals are simultaneously high in attachment anxiety, they are inclined to experience strong internal conflicts between seeking and avoiding closeness. This research examined whether the extent to which closeness, assessed as the inclusion of other in the self (IOS), is associated with greater commitment varies within individuals high in attachment avoidance as a result of differences in ambivalence toward maintaining the relationship. In two studies ( N1 = 1,604, N2 = 2,271), we found that the positive association between IOS and commitment was significantly weaker when attachment avoidance was combined with high (vs. low) attachment anxiety. In Study 2, we found lingering relational ambivalence even at high levels of IOS among individuals simultaneously high in attachment avoidance and anxiety, which in turn was related to relatively low commitment. Our findings highlight the role of relational ambivalence in avoidants’ relationship functioning and the need to examine the interplay of the two attachment dimensions.

Partners’ Attachment Insecurity and Stress Predict Poorer Relationship Functioning During COVID-19 Quarantines

2021 ◽  
pp. 194855062199297
Author(s):  
Nickola C. Overall ◽  
Valerie T. Chang ◽  
Paula R. Pietromonaco ◽  
Rachel S. T. Low ◽  
Annette M. E. Henderson
Keyword(s):  
Relationship Quality ◽  
Family Environment ◽  
Family Cohesion ◽  
Attachment Anxiety ◽  
Relationship Functioning ◽  
Attachment Avoidance ◽  
Attachment Insecurity ◽  
Relationship Problems ◽  
Ongoing Relationship ◽  
Related Stress

The COVID-19 pandemic presents acute, ongoing relationship challenges. The current research tested how (1) preexisting vulnerabilities assessed prior to the pandemic (attachment insecurity) and (2) stress as couples endured a mandated quarantine predicted residual changes in relationship functioning. Controlling for prequarantine problems, relationship quality, and family environment, greater partners’ attachment anxiety predicted greater relationship problems, lower relationship quality, and a less stable and cohesive family environment when people were experiencing more stress. Greater partners’ attachment avoidance predicted lower problem-solving efficacy and family cohesion. The effects of partners’ preexisting vulnerabilities and pandemic-related stress demonstrate the utility of key models in relationship science in identifying who is at most risk of relationship problems in the unprecedented context of a mandated quarantine. The results emphasize that the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on relationship functioning will be shaped by the characteristics of partners with whom people are confined with during the pandemic.

Different effects of attachment anxiety and attachment avoidance on depressive symptoms: A meta-analysis

2020 ◽  
Vol 37 (12) ◽  
pp. 3028-3050
Author(s):  
Leying Zheng ◽  
Yadan Luo ◽  
Xu Chen
Keyword(s):  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Adult Attachment ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Cultural Orientation ◽  
Attachment Anxiety ◽  
Attachment Avoidance ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Attachment Dimensions ◽  
Significant Moderator

Although insecure adult attachment is thought to be associated with depressive symptoms, results of research on the link between attachment dimensions (attachment anxiety and attachment avoidance) and depressive symptoms have been inconsistent. The aim of this study was to use meta-analysis to examine the strength of the correlations between the two attachment dimensions and depressive symptoms. A total of 64 papers and 78 independent samples were included in this meta-analysis. Results showed significant associations between both attachment dimensions and depressive symptoms. Additional analyses indicated that attachment anxiety was more strongly related to depressive symptoms, whereas attachment avoidance was weakly related to depressive symptoms. Cultural orientation and sex were found to moderate the relationship between attachment anxiety and depressive symptoms. Age was a significant moderator of the relationships between both attachment anxiety and avoidance and depressive symptoms. Results of the meta-analysis and the implications were discussed.

Romantic attachment and mate retention behavior: The mediating role of perceived risk of partner infidelity

2018 ◽  
Vol 36 (3) ◽  
pp. 940-956 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicole Barbaro ◽  
Yael Sela ◽  
Mohammad Atari ◽  
Todd K. Shackelford ◽  
Virgil Zeigler-Hill
Keyword(s):  
Perceived Risk ◽  
Romantic Attachment ◽  
Attachment Anxiety ◽  
Psychological Perspective ◽  
Attachment Avoidance ◽  
Mate Retention ◽  
Mediating Role ◽  
Attachment Dimensions ◽  
Retention Study

Previous research indicates that the romantic attachment dimensions of anxiety and avoidance are associated with performance frequency of Benefit-Provisioning and Cost-Inflicting domains of mate retention. The current research aimed to replicate previous findings in a non-Western sample (Iran, Study 1) and to extend this research by investigating the mediating role of perceived risk of partner infidelity (Study 2). Studies 1 and 2 tested the hypotheses that attachment anxiety is positively associated with mate retention and that attachment avoidance is negatively associated with mate retention. Study 2 tested the hypothesis perceived risk of partner infidelity mediate the association between attachment dimensions and mate retention domains. Results of Studies 1 and 2 replicated previous research and also revealed that perceived risk of partner infidelity mediated the association between attachment anxiety, specifically, and mate retention. The current research advances our understanding of romantic attachment from an evolutionary psychological perspective.

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

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

scholarly journals Attachment-related differences in dispositional anger and its experience and expression following an insult-based anger induction

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zara Brodie ◽  
Karen Goodall ◽  
Stephen Darling ◽  
Chris McVittie
Keyword(s):  
Attachment Style ◽  
Attachment Anxiety ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Trait Anger ◽  
Attachment Avoidance ◽  
Significant Independent Predictor ◽  
Anger Suppression ◽  
Taylor Aggression Paradigm ◽  
Post Test ◽  
Attachment Dimensions

Variation in how individuals experience and express anger has been linked to their attachment style, particularly in close interpersonal contexts. However, little research has investigated attachment-related differences in anger and aggression in non-relational settings. This multi-method investigation reports two studies. The first investigated associations between adult attachment dimensions (anxiety and avoidance) in 270 participants. The second describes a lab-based anger provocation task, based on a modified version of the Taylor Aggression Paradigm, which examined associations between attachment dimensions and pre-post test change in self-reported anger, physiological responses, anger suppression and aggressive responding (N = 77). Results from study 1 indicate that attachment anxiety was a significant independent predictor of trait anger, while attachment avoidance was not. There were no significant interaction effects, suggesting distinct effects of attachment dimensions on anger. In study 2, attachment avoidance was negatively related to anger change scores from baseline to post-provocation and positively to anger suppression (measured by the discrepancy between self-report and physiological measures). Attachment anxiety was positively associated with aggressive responding. In summary, the findings support the high arousal-low control style previously associated with attachment anxiety, evidenced by elevated trait anger and higher aggressive responding. They also align with previous studies that support an association between attachment avoidance and emotion suppression, suggesting that the attachment framework can be usefully extended to understand anger and aggression in non-relational contexts.

Forgiveness and Attachment: A Link that Survives the Grave?

2011 ◽  
Vol 39 (4) ◽  
pp. 316-329 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elizabeth A. Gassin ◽  
Gregory J. Lengel
Keyword(s):  
Attachment Style ◽  
Cultural Factors ◽  
Two Dimensions ◽  
Attachment Anxiety ◽  
Attachment Avoidance ◽  
Deceased Person ◽  
Reliable Predictor ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Attachment Dimensions

The current project consists of two studies assessing the relationship between two attachment dimensions (anxiety and avoidance) and forgiveness in the context of bereavement. Using these two dimensions, the authors explore whether or not general attachment style and attachment to a deceased person in particular predict the degree to which one will forgive that individual. While most previous studies of extending forgiveness to living individuals suggest attachment anxiety is a more robust predictor of forgiveness, the current studies point to attachment avoidance as a more reliable predictor. The authors consider developmental and cultural factors in explaining the results and note implications for pastors and therapists.

scholarly journals Relationship Functioning During COVID-19 Quarantine

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nickola Overall ◽  
Valerie Chang ◽  
Paula Pietromonaco ◽  
Rachel S. T. Low ◽  
Annette M E Henderson
Keyword(s):  
Problem Solving ◽  
Relationship Quality ◽  
Family Environment ◽  
Family Cohesion ◽  
Attachment Anxiety ◽  
Relationship Functioning ◽  
Attachment Avoidance ◽  
Relationship Problems ◽  
Ongoing Relationship ◽  
Related Stress

The COVID-19 pandemic presents acute, ongoing relationship challenges. The current research tested how (1) pre-existing vulnerabilities assessed prior to the pandemic (attachment insecurity) and (2) stress as couples endured a mandated quarantine predicted residual changes in relationship functioning. Controlling for pre-quarantine problems, relationship quality and family environment, greater partners’ attachment anxiety predicted greater relationship problems, lower relationship quality, and a less stable and cohesive family environment when people were experiencing more stress. Greater partners’ attachment avoidance predicted lower problem solving efficacy and family cohesion. The effects of partners’ pre-existing vulnerabilities and pandemic-related stress demonstrate the utility of key models in relationship science in identifying who is at most risk of relationship problems in the unprecedented context of a mandated quarantine. The results emphasize that the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on relationship functioning will be shaped by the characteristics of partners with whom people are confined with during the pandemic.

Rorschach Texture Responses Are Related to Adult Attachment via Tactile Imagery and Emotion

2013 ◽  
Vol 34 (2) ◽  
pp. 115-136 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kazunori Iwasa ◽  
Toshiki Ogawa
Keyword(s):  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Adult Attachment ◽  
Poisson Regression ◽  
Emotional Responses ◽  
Underlying Mechanism ◽  
Attachment Anxiety ◽  
Attachment Avoidance ◽  
Poisson Regression Analysis ◽  
Close Relationship ◽  
Attachment Dimensions

This study examined an underlying mechanism of the relationships among Rorschach texture responses and adult attachment dimensions (attachment anxiety and attachment avoidance), focusing on the vividness of tactile imagery and emotion as mediators. In Study 1, Japanese undergraduate students (n = 20) completed the Rorschach and the Vividness of Tactile Imagery Scale. A poisson regression analysis revealed that greater vividness of tactile imagery was associated with an increased number of texture responses. In Study 2, Japanese undergraduate students (n = 224) completed the Experiences in Close Relationship Scale for the Generalized Other and the Vividness of Tactile Imagery Scale. A path analysis revealed that attachment avoidance weakened the strength of emotional responses accompanying the generation of tactile imagery, and greater emotional responses enhanced the vividness of tactile imagery. These results suggest the possibility that attachment avoidance indirectly reduces texture responses on the Rorschach.

Attachment Orientations Mediate the Effect of World Assumptions on Posttraumatic Stress in Survivors of Childhood Sexual Abuse

2021 ◽  
pp. 105413732110504
Author(s):  
Paulo Ferrajão ◽  
Ask Elklit
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Abuse ◽  
Childhood Sexual Abuse ◽  
Close Relationships ◽  
Attachment Anxiety ◽  
The Self ◽  
World Assumptions ◽  
Attachment Avoidance ◽  
Psychotherapeutic Treatment ◽  
Attachment Orientations ◽  
The World

Recent research indicates that world assumptions are broad cognitive-affective schemas that affect attachment orientations in close relationships which in turn affect psychological symptoms severity. The present study analyzed if adult attachment mediated the effect of world assumptions (worthiness of the self, benevolence and meaningfulness of the world) on PTSD symptoms (PTS), in survivors of childhood sexual abuse during treatment for PTSD. Sample included 327 individuals who were sexually abused in childhood. Variables were assessed using self-report measures. Structural equation modeling was conducted to examine if the effect of world assumptions at the beginning of psychotherapeutic treatment (T1) on PTS levels 12 months after the beginning of psychotherapeutic treatment (T3) was mediated by both attachment avoidance and attachment anxiety six months after the beginning of treatment (T2). Attachment avoidance fully mediated the effect of both worthiness of the self and benevolence of the world at T1 on PTS at T3 was mediated by both attachment anxiety and attachment avoidance at T2. Findings suggest that world assumptions are broad cognitive-affective schemas about the self and the world that have their actual expression in close relationships which mediate the effect of world assumptions on PTS levels.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document