Attachment anxiety, attachment avoidance, and internalizing disorder symptoms

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Graham Nelson
Keyword(s):  
Attachment Anxiety ◽  
Attachment Avoidance ◽  
Internalizing Disorder

The Relationship Between Texture Responses on the Rorschach and Adult Attachment

2010 ◽  
Vol 31 (1) ◽  
pp. 4-21 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kazunori Iwasa ◽  
Toshiki Ogawa
Keyword(s):  
Graduate Students ◽  
Adult Attachment ◽  
Japanese Population ◽  
Attachment Anxiety ◽  
Anxiety Scale ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Comprehensive System ◽  
Attachment Avoidance ◽  
Sensitive Measure ◽  
The Relationship

We examined the relationship between texture responses (T) on the Rorschach and adult attachment in the Japanese population. 47 Japanese undergraduate and graduate students (mean age = 20.16, SD = 1.87) completed a self-report adult attachment scale as well as the Rorschach. An ANOVA revealed that T = 1 participants were attached more securely than were other groups. T > 1 participants were more preoccupied with attachment and scored higher on an attachment anxiety scale than the T = 1 group. Although these results were consistent with the interpretation of the texture response according to the Comprehensive System (CS), the results obtained for T = 0 participants were inconsistent with hypotheses derived from the CS. T = 0 participants were high on preoccupied and attachment anxiety scores, although they were theoretically expected to be high on dismissing or attachment avoidance. These results indicated that – at least in Japan – T should be regarded as a sensitive measure of attachment anxiety.

Pet Attachment and the Interpersonal Theory of Suicide

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Valerie Jane Douglas ◽  
Mun Yee Kwan ◽  
Kathryn H. Gordon
Keyword(s):  
Suicide Risk ◽  
Attachment Anxiety ◽  
Interpersonal Theory ◽  
Pet Ownership ◽  
Thwarted Belongingness ◽  
Perceived Burdensomeness ◽  
Attachment Avoidance ◽  
Interpersonal Theory Of Suicide ◽  
Pet Attachment ◽  
The Relationship

Objective: Pet ownership is often assumed to have mental health benefits, but the effect of pets on suicide risk has a scant literature. Method: Using the interpersonal theory of suicide, we examined the relationships between perceived burdensomeness, thwarted belongingness, overall attachment to one’s pet (quality of the relationship), pet attachment avoidance (distrustful of the relationship) or anxiety (afraid of abandonment), and suicide risk. Three hypotheses were investigated: 1) higher levels of attachment would be associated with lower suicide risk via lower levels of thwarted belongingness/perceived burdensomeness, 2) lower levels of pet attachment would be associated with higher levels of suicide risk via attachment avoidance/attachment anxiety, and 3) attachment avoidance/anxiety would be associated with higher suicide risk via thwarted belongingness/perceived burdensomeness. Undergraduates (N = 187) completed surveys and indirect effect analyses were utilized. Results: Higher overall attachment was associated with decreased attachment anxiety, which was associated with lower suicide risk. Attachment anxiety was correlated with increased suicide risk. Overall attachment, attachment avoidance and attachment anxiety were not found to indirectly affect suicide risk. Conclusions: Findings suggest that pet ownership may provide both protective and deleterious effects in a nonclinical sample.

Perceptions of Sex Offenders’ Partners: Associated with Perceptions of Offenders and Influenced by Attachment

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jason P. Martens ◽  
Jessica L. Stewart
Keyword(s):  
Sex Offenders ◽  
Attachment Theory ◽  
Sexual Offenders ◽  
Attachment Styles ◽  
Attachment Anxiety ◽  
Attachment Avoidance ◽  
Negative Perceptions ◽  
Highly Correlated

Abstract Little research exists on how partners of sex offenders are perceived. Using attachment theory, we hypothesised that one's attachment would generalise to perceptions of sexual offenders and their partners. One hundred and six British adults’ attachment styles were assessed, as well as perceptions of sex offenders and their partners. Generally, perceivers’ attachment avoidance was associated with positive perceptions of both partners and offenders, while attachment anxiety was associated with negative perceptions of partners but positive perceptions of sex offenders. Perceptions of sex offenders and their partners were highly correlated and negative in nature, and sex offenders were more negatively perceived.

scholarly journals Attachment Characteristics Among Women Victimized in No, One, and Multiple IPV Relationships: A Case–Control Study

2021 ◽  
pp. 107780122098115
Author(s):  
Elisabeth Christie Ørke ◽  
Stål Bjørkly ◽  
Mariana Dufort ◽  
Solveig Karin Bø Vatnar
Keyword(s):  
Partner Violence ◽  
Emotional Abuse ◽  
Case Control Study ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Attachment Anxiety ◽  
Multiple Relationships ◽  
Attachment Avoidance ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Violent Relationships ◽  
Control Study

This cross-sectional study compared attachment characteristics among women victimized by intimate partner violence (IPV) in no, one, and multiple relationships ( N = 154). Results indicated that compared with the nonvictimized, victimized women had increased likelihood of higher attachment avoidance. Compared with women victimized in one relationship, women victimized in multiple relationships had higher likelihood of higher attachment anxiety scores. Adjusting for childhood adversities, childhood sexual abuse was an independent risk factor for IPV. Childhood emotional abuse mediated the association between attachment anxiety and IPV victimization in multiple relationships in particular. Attachment theory appeared useful for better understanding women’s vulnerability for multiple violent relationships.

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.

scholarly journals Neural basis underlying the trait of attachment anxiety and avoidance revealed by the amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations and resting-state functional connectivity

2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Min Deng ◽  
Xing Zhang ◽  
Xiaoyan Bi ◽  
Chunhai Gao
Keyword(s):  
Functional Connectivity ◽  
Resting State ◽  
Low Frequency ◽  
Cingulate Cortex ◽  
Posterior Cingulate Cortex ◽  
Attachment Anxiety ◽  
Frequency Fluctuation ◽  
Resting State Functional Connectivity ◽  
Attachment Avoidance ◽  
Posterior Cingulate

Abstract Background Attachment theory demonstrates that early attachment experience shapes internal working models with mental representations of self and close relationships, which affects personality traits and interpersonal relationships in adulthood. Although research has focused on brain structural and functional underpinnings to disentangle attachment styles in healthy individuals, little is known about the spontaneous brain activity associated with self-reported attachment anxiety and avoidance during the resting state. Methods One hundred and nineteen individuals participated in the study, completing the Experience in Close Relationship scale immediately after an 8-min fMRI scanning. We used the resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) signal of the amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation and resting-state functional connectivity to identify attachment-related regions and networks. Results Consequently, attachment anxiety is closely associated with the amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations in the right posterior cingulate cortex, over-estimating emotional intensity and exaggerating outcomes. Moreover, the functional connectivity between the posterior cingulate cortex and fusiform gyrus increases detection ability for potential threat or separation information, facilitating behavior motivation. The attachment avoidance is positively correlated with the amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation in the bilateral lingual gyrus and right postcentral and negatively correlated with the bilateral orbital frontal cortex and inferior temporal gyrus. Functional connection with attachment avoidance contains critical nodes in the medial temporal lobe memory system, frontal-parietal network, social cognition, and default mode network necessary to deactivate the attachment system and inhibit attachment-related behavior. Conclusion and implications These findings clarify the amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation and resting-state functional connectivity neural signature of attachment style, associated with attachment strategies in attachment anxiety and attachment avoidance individuals. These findings may improve our understanding of the pathophysiology of the attachment-related disorder.

scholarly journals An Investigation of the Effect of Attachment on Distress among Partners of Patients with Ovarian Cancer and Their Relationship with the Cancer Care Providers

2021 ◽  
Vol 28 (4) ◽  
pp. 2950-2960
Author(s):  
Danielle Petricone-Westwood ◽  
Jacqueline Galica ◽  
Sarah Hales ◽  
Elisa Stragapede ◽  
Sophie Lebel
Keyword(s):  
Ovarian Cancer ◽  
Postsecondary Education ◽  
Social Relations ◽  
Cancer Care ◽  
Attachment Anxiety ◽  
Depression And Anxiety ◽  
Care Providers ◽  
Attachment Avoidance ◽  
Attachment Insecurity ◽  
Cross Sectional

Caregivers of patients with ovarian cancer experience distress related to caregiving difficulties within cancer care. Attachment insecurity is a well-known protector of distress, particularly as it relates to support from others. Using multivariate analyses, this study sought to determine the contribution of attachment insecurity and experiences with cancer care on symptoms of depression and anxiety, and investigated whether attachment insecurity moderated the relationship between caregiving experiences and distress. Multiple hierarchical regression analyses were conducted as part of a larger cross-sectional questionnaire study of distress among partners of patients with ovarian cancer. Participants (n = 82) were predominantly male, white, had household incomes over $100,000 and postsecondary education. Caregiving experiences explained 56% of the variance in depression, and 28% of the variance in anxiety. Specifically, lack of time for social relations as a result of caregiving significantly predicted depression and anxiety. Attachment anxiety correlated with both depression and anxiety, but attachment avoidance did not. Neither attachment anxiety nor attachment avoidance significantly contributed to distress variance, and neither moderated any of the relationships between caregiving experiences and distress outcomes. This study highlights the importance for cancer care to recognize the effect of caregiving responsibilities upon caregivers’ mental health, regardless of vulnerability to distress.

scholarly journals Outside the Eye of the Storm: Can Moderate Hurricane Exposure Improve Social, Psychological, and Attachment Functioning?

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anthony D Mancini ◽  
Maren Westphal ◽  
Paul Griffin
Keyword(s):  
Social Support ◽  
Negative Emotion ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Hurricane Sandy ◽  
Attachment Anxiety ◽  
Moderate Intensity ◽  
Social Psychological ◽  
Attachment Avoidance ◽  
Matched Comparison ◽  
Global Distress

High-intensity disaster can harm psychological functioning. Could moderate-intensity disaster improve psychological and attachment functioning through its effects on social functioning? We used a prospective quasi-experimental cohort design to investigate this possibility among college students. Hurricane cohort participants (N = 209) completed assessments before, two weeks, and six weeks after Hurricane Sandy. Two matched comparison cohorts (Ns > 140) were assessed four months and one year later. The hurricane cohort, in contrast to matched comparison cohorts, reported increased social support, reduced global distress, reduced negative emotion, and reduced attachment avoidance at the end of the semester. Increased social support mediated the relationship between hurricane cohort and reduced global distress, negative emotion, attachment avoidance, and attachment anxiety, and increased positive emotion and self-esteem at six weeks post-storm. The results suggest moderate disaster exposure can benefit short-term social, psychological, and attachment functioning, underscoring the critical role of the social context in stress adaptation.

Exploring Insecure Romantic Attachment and Justifications for the Use of Intimate Partner Psychological Aggression in Couples

2021 ◽  
pp. 088626052110551
Author(s):  
Marie-Eve Leclerc ◽  
Marie-France Lafontaine ◽  
Audrey Brassard ◽  
Katherine Péloquin
Keyword(s):  
Community Sample ◽  
Positive Association ◽  
Romantic Attachment ◽  
Intimate Partner ◽  
Attachment Anxiety ◽  
Psychological Aggression ◽  
Attachment Avoidance ◽  
Therapeutic Benefits ◽  
Actor Partner Interdependence Model ◽  
And Function

The attachment theory has commonly been used to examine intimate partner psychological aggression (IPPA), but few studies have examined its association with self-reported justifications for one’s own use of IPPA. Behaviors, including the use of IPPA, are influenced, maintained, and function within the context of their justifications, highlighting the importance of investigating these justifications to obtain a clearer picture of IPPA. This study examined whether insecure romantic attachment (i.e., attachment anxiety and attachment avoidance) in both partners of a couple was associated with their justifications for their own use of IPPA. A community sample of 81 mixed-sex couples who reported using IPPA in the last year completed self-reported questionnaires on adult romantic attachment and their justifications for their use of IPPA. Results of a path analysis based on the actor-partner interdependence model revealed moderate positive associations between attachment anxiety and one’s use of internal and external justifications for their IPPA perpetration in men and women. An unexpected dyadic positive association is discussed. These results suggest that the use of justifications for one’s use of IPPA may reflect a strategy of hyperactivation that could contribute to the cycle of psychological aggression. Uncovering the function of these justifications could provide important therapeutic benefits, which are discussed in the study’s implications.

scholarly journals Coach–Athlete Attachment and the Subjective Well-Being of Athletes: A Multiple-Mediation Model Analysis

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (13) ◽  
pp. 4675
Author(s):  
Jiaxi Peng ◽  
Jiaxi Zhang ◽  
Luming Zhao ◽  
Peng Fang ◽  
Yongcong Shao
Keyword(s):  
Well Being ◽  
Self Esteem ◽  
Attachment Anxiety ◽  
Mediating Effect ◽  
Subjective Well Being ◽  
Mediation Model ◽  
Multiple Mediation ◽  
Attachment Avoidance ◽  
A Chain ◽  
The Relationship

The current study aims to explore how coach–athlete attachment affects the subjective well-being (SWB) of athletes and is primarily focused on the confirmation of the mediating roles of athletes’ perceived coach support and self-esteem in the relationship between them. A total of 179 Chinese athletes participated in this study, in which they responded to questions comprising a coach–athlete attachment scale, a perceived coach support measurement, the Rosenberg self-esteem scale, and SWB measures. The results suggest that both attachment anxiety and attachment avoidance significantly predict SWB in athletes. The effects of attachment anxiety on SWB are partially mediated by perceived coach support and self-esteem, and the effects of attachment avoidance on SWB are completely mediated by perceived coach support and self-esteem. Moreover, a chain mediating effect was found: coach–athlete attachment → perceived coach support → self-esteem → SWB. These findings extend the conclusions of prior reports and shed light on how coach–athlete attachment influences the athlete’s well-being.

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