scholarly journals The Impact of Attachment Style on the Family Drawings of School-Aged Children

2014 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 9-17 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rossella Procaccia ◽  
Guido Veronese ◽  
Marco Castiglioni

Objective: Primary school children's representations of themselves and their attachment figures were explored by assessing their family drawings. The main aim of the study was to empirically explore differences in the representations of children with secure versus insecure attachment. The study was theoretically informed by attachment theory and methodologically based on widely-used systems for analysing children’s drawings. Method: The Separation Anxiety Test was used to evaluate the attachment styles of 117 children (aged 6-10 years). This led to the identification of three groups, similar in age and gender distribution, with three different attachment styles (secure, anxious-ambivalent and avoidant). Each participant was asked to draw a family and the drawings produced were coded on 8 global scales and evaluated for the presence of 35 specific markers divided into five categories (characteristics of the figures; use of space; completeness of representation; emotional-affective tone; overall characteristics of the representation). Results: The drawings of securely attached children featured more positive markers, associated with a stable and well-integrated sense of self and others, whereas insecure children produced more markers of instability and negative emotion, with some interesting differences between anxious-ambivalent and avoidant attachment styles. Conclusion: Despite its limitations, the study confirmed that family drawings are a valid instrument for evaluating how children represent attachment, thereby facilitating early intervention to prevent later adjustment difficulties.

1998 ◽  
Vol 32 (6) ◽  
pp. 848-859 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stacy R. Ridge ◽  
Judith A. Feeney

Objective: The objective of the present study was to assess the applicability of attachment theory to the relationships of gay males and lesbians, with particular emphasis on parental relationships, relationship satisfaction, sexual attitudes and ‘coming out’ as being homosexual. Methods: Gay males (n = 77) and lesbians (n = 100) completed questionnaires assessing attachment style, working models of attachment, early relationships with parents and relationship history, status and functioning. A comparison sample of heterosexual participants completed measures of attachment style and relationship history. Results: Relative frequencies of attachment styles were similar for homosexual and heterosexual samples. Contrary to previous research using largely heterosexual respondents, no link between early parenting and attachment style was found. However, homosexual males reported more positive early relationships with mothers than did females. Associations of attachment style with working models, relationship variables and sexual attitudes largely supported those based on heterosexual samples. Gender and attachment style differences were found in reported effects of ‘coming out’ on relationships with parents. Conclusions: Overall, the results suggest that insecure attachment may not be over-represented in gay and lesbian samples, but that insecurity is associated with less relationship satisfaction and with problems related to the disclosure of sexual orientation. The implications of these findings for research and clinical practice are addressed.


2012 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 34 ◽  
Author(s):  
LO Ying Tuan ◽  
Huam Hon Tat ◽  
Ahmad Sharifuddin Shamsuddin ◽  
Amran Md Rasli ◽  
Ahmad Jusoh

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.


2013 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 20-27 ◽  
Author(s):  
Guido Veronese ◽  
Rossella Procaccia ◽  
Diego Romaioli ◽  
Gianpiero Barola ◽  
Marco Castiglioni

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.


Author(s):  
Serpil Aytac ◽  
Nazan Bilgel

This study is about the types of multiple intelligences and attachment styles among a group of Turkish university students. Participants were 450 students from one public university in Turkey. A demographic and socio-economic questionnaire, Multiple Intelligence Survey, Revised Adult Attachment Scale, Satisfaction with Life Scale and The Oxford Happiness Questionnaire -short version were used as study instruments. Of the 450 students, 63.8% were female and the mean age was 21.24±2.14 years. Bodily intelligence was reported more frequently by male students whereas intrapersonal and logical intelligences were reported at higher rates in female students. Attachment related avoidance was reported by 58.7% of the students. Male students reported more attachment related anxiety, and female students reported more attachment related avoidance. No significant correlations were determined between attachment style and economic status, age, class-year and Grade Point Average of the students. The relationship between students’ intelligence and attachment style was also insignificant. No significant relationship was determined between the happiness and life satisfaction scores of students with different types of intelligences. Female students were found to be significantly happier and satisfied with their lives than male students. Students with a poor economic status had the lowest happiness and life satisfaction scores and the difference was statistically significant. These findings are important to provide a more complete picture about the difficulties experienced by young adults when socially or emotionally adapting to university life. There is much to say regarding the impact of “multiple intelligences”, “attachment styles” and the “subjective well-being” of university students.


2019 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 14-30
Author(s):  
Danica J. Kulibert ◽  
Elle A. Moore ◽  
Melinda M. Dertinger ◽  
Ashley E. Thompson

Although romantic kissing is an important part of relationship functioning, little research has focused on motives for romantic kissing and how they may relate to other aspects of romantic relationships. To understand how romantic kissing impacts romantic relationship functioning, the current study assessed the relationship between romantic attachment, romantic kissing motives, and relationship satisfaction. Overall, it was hypothesized that (a) those reporting more sexual/explicit kissing motives and fewer goal attainment/insecurity motives would report higher relationship satisfaction, (b) those reporting a more secure attachment style would report higher relationship satisfaction, and (c) the relationship between romantic kissing motives and relationship satisfaction would vary according to one’s romantic attachment styles. Results from a hierarchical linear regression with 286 adults, all of whom were currently in romantic relationships, revealed that sexual/relational (β = 0.25) and goal attainment/insecurity kissing motives (β = -0.35) predicted relationship satisfaction. However, the impact of kissing motives on relationship satisfaction varied according to one’s romantic attachment. Specifically, the influence of sexual/relational motives was only significant for avoidantly attached individuals, whereas the influence of goal attainment/insecurity motives was significant for avoidantly and anxiously attachment individuals. Overall, this suggests that sexual/explicit romantic kissing motives serve to enhance the relationships of insecurely attached individuals, but not securely attached individuals. Furthermore, goal attainment/insecure motives had a negative effect on the relationship satisfaction of insecurely attached individuals, but not securely attached individuals. This study has important implications for both practitioners working with romantic couples and researchers studying romantic relationships.


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Talia Hashworth ◽  
Samantha Reis ◽  
Brin F. S. Grenyer

BackgroundPersonal agency- the degree to which one believes they have control over their life- is thought to influence how people understand their interpersonal relationships. Links between adult attachment and personal agency are theoretically relevant to the experience of borderline personality disorder (BPD) but this has yet to be empirically examined. The present research examines the impact of personal agency and adult attachment styles for individuals meeting criteria for BPD.MethodsParticipants consented to an online community study examining measures of locus of control (as an index of personal agency), BPD, and adult attachment. Participants meeting criteria for BPD (N = 96; mean age = 30.63; 70.5% female) were compared to age-matched healthy controls (N = 96; mean age = M = 31.99; 89.0% female).ResultsIndividuals who met criteria for BPD displayed lower personal agency and higher fearful and preoccupied attachment styles in their close relationships, compared to Controls. Controls reported greater personal agency and were more securely attached in their relationships. Using multiple mediation modeling, the indirect effect of personal agency on BPD was significant for preoccupied, fearful, and secure attachment, but was non-significant for dismissive attachment. Lower personal agency was associated with insecure adult attachment styles.ConclusionsFindings highlight the previously unexplored relationship between BPD and personal agency and indicate that adult attachment style plays a significant role. Low personal agency may increase challenges for individuals with symptoms of BPD by exacerbating relationship difficulties. People in treatment for BPD may benefit from focusing on both relationship insecurity and its impact on their perceived personal control.


Author(s):  
SakinehJulaieha ◽  
MahnazAliakbari Dehkordi ◽  
Farhad Shagaghi ◽  
Afsaneh Lak ◽  
Marziehkakanejadifard

The present study investigated the relationship between attachment style with adjustment   and resiliency in chronic pain patients and probable mediating role of resiliency between attachment and adjustment.  Adult Attachment Inventory; Depression‚ Anxiety‚ Stress Scale (DASS_21) Resiliency Scale (CS_RISC) and Roland–Morris Disability Questionnaire (RDQ). Data were analyzed using parson’s correlation and regression. Results revealed that avoidant and ambivalent attachment styles negatively correlated with adjustment (positively correlated with depression, anxiety and stress) and positively with resiliency. Secure attachment wasn’t correlated with none of them. Resiliency didn’t mediate the impact of attachment style on adjustment.  These findings suggest that insecure attachment style is a vulnerability factor for adjustment with chronic pain and predicts lower resiliency in these patients. Briefly present the conclusions and importance of the results. Concisely summarize the study’s implications. Please do not include any citations in the abstract.


2020 ◽  
Vol 28 (3) ◽  
pp. 329-336
Author(s):  
Khaled Bedair ◽  
Eid Abo Hamza ◽  
Samuel T. Gladding

This study assessed, for the first time, the relationship between security attachment and marital satisfaction in an Arab country, Qatar. Accordingly, we used the marital satisfaction assessment, the Experiences in Close Relationships Revised attachment style questionnaire, and the Goldsmith Support Measure. Using a path analysis model, the results showed that secured attachment style positively influenced marital satisfaction but did not positively influence mutual support in a relationship. Unsecure attachment styles negatively influenced the level of mutual support and marital satisfaction. Importantly, the findings revealed a gender effect, with females receiving less mutual support from their male partners, than vice versa. We discuss the importance of these results in the context of Arab culture and gender differences.


2018 ◽  
Vol 28 (2) ◽  
pp. 130-146 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sreejesh S. ◽  
Juhi Gahlot Sarkar ◽  
Abhigyan Sarkar ◽  
Abdolreza Eshghi ◽  
Anusree M.R.

Purpose Extant research evidence demonstrates that customer satisfaction in a service encounter is influenced by other customer perception (OCP). However, scholarly research on the impact of OCP on brand love and the moderating influence of customers’ attachment styles in the context of hospitality industry is scarce. The purpose of this paper is to fill this gap in the literature. Design/methodology/approach The data were collected from customers of five and three-star hotels in India. Regression-based process analysis (Hayes, 2013) was used to test the proposed set of hypotheses. Findings The data analysis shows that OCP predicts brand love through the mediation of satisfaction. Individual’s anxious attachment style positively moderates “other customer perception-satisfaction” relationship, and avoidant attachment style negatively moderates the same relationship. Thus the effect of OCP is positively moderated by anxious attachment style, and negatively moderated by avoidant attachment style. Originality/value The value of this study lies in quantitatively investigating the roles played by OCP and individual attachment styles in shaping brand love in hospitality industry. In contrast to findings from previous research, the findings from this study suggest that anxious attachment style positively influences brand satisfaction and formation of brand love.


2021 ◽  
pp. 026540752110208
Author(s):  
Qingting Tang ◽  
Ying Liu ◽  
Tianyu Wang ◽  
Xu Chen

We conducted two experimental studies to explore the mediating role of negative emotion and the moderating role of attachment styles when predicting mental state identification (MSI) in threatening contexts. The Chinese version of “Reading the Mind in the Eyes Task” (RMET) was used as a proxy for MSI. In Study 1, 123 participants were recruited to complete the RMET task after “recall-writing” threat inductions. In Study 2, we recruited another sample ( N = 121) and examined the effect of threats with induced cognitive loads on MSI. The results indicate that attachment threat induction can affect MSI performance through negative emotional arousal. The indirect threat effects were moderated by attachment styles; in the first stage, the mediated path effect was stronger for participants with higher attachment anxiety levels (Study 1), and in the second stage, it was stronger for participants with higher AV levels, under cognitive loads (Study 2) but independent of age and childhood trauma. These findings can contribute to a better understanding of how and when attachment threat increases the risk of MSI disruption. It suggests that, diminishing the negative impacts of attachment threat may require first training individuals to regulate emotions and promoting their attachment security.


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