scholarly journals Autism and adult attachment: Issues with current measurement practices

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Abigail Davis ◽  
Robin Stewart Samuel Kramer
Keyword(s):  
Romantic Relationships ◽  
Adult Attachment ◽  
Attachment Styles ◽  
Statistical Power ◽  
Current Measurement ◽  
Insecure Attachment ◽  
Adults With Autism ◽  
Use Of Time ◽  
Measurement Practices ◽  
Sufficient Statistical Power

Attachment styles in individuals with autism are not well understood, and research into the topic is limited to date. Authors regularly utilise standardised measures to classify attachment in adulthood, and this is the case for research with neurotypical and autistic populations. Here, we argue that there may be fundamental problems with using such measures, developed for neurotypical populations, in order to quantify attachment in those with autism. Crucially, such tools may be unable to differentiate between autistic behaviours and behaviours associated with insecure attachment styles. Furthermore, many studies which have investigated attachment and autism may lack sufficient statistical power due to the use of time-consuming attachment interviews or student populations which typically do not contain sufficient numbers of adults with autism. We argue that it is essential that measures are developed which accurately distinguish between insecure attachment styles and behaviours associated with autism, with the goal of better understanding attachment in those with autism for both parental and romantic relationships.

scholarly journals Exploring How UK Adults' Attachment Style in Romantic Relationships Affects Engagement in Controlling Behaviours

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Molly C. Gilbert ◽  
Robert Blakey
Keyword(s):  
Romantic Relationships ◽  
Attachment Style ◽  
Adult Attachment ◽  
Attachment Styles ◽  
Clinical Sample ◽  
Interpersonal Relationship ◽  
Insecure Attachment ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Online Questionnaire ◽  
Anxious Attachment

Copious studies have identified a link between disorganised attachment and engagement in controlling caregiving or controlling punitive behaviours. Studies have suggested that consistently engaging in these behaviours can cause difficulties within relationships and contribute to the development of a personality disorder. Most of the literature thus far has focused on engagement in controlling behaviours by children with a disorganised attachment style, despite there being theoretical grounds to suggest they may also be used by adults and across all types of insecure attachment. This study aimed to address these gaps by looking at adult attachment style and engagement in controlling behaviours in romantic relationships, across all insecure attachment styles; avoidant, anxious and disorganised. The current study recruited a non-clinical sample; specifically, 149 English-speaking adults, living in the UK, between the ages of 18 and 77 years old (M = 34.28, SD = 14.90). The participants answered an anonymous online questionnaire containing four self-report measures which assessed the participants' attachment security and organisation, caregiving style and engagement in punitive behaviours. The results indicated that participants who scored higher in disorganised attachment were more likely to use controlling punitive behaviours in their romantic relationships. Moreover, participants who reported a more insecure-anxious attachment style were more likely to use compulsive caregiving behaviours in their romantic relationships. In contrast, participants who reported a higher insecure avoidant attachment style were less likely to use compulsive caregiving behaviours in their romantic relationships. These results have implications for adult attachment theory and aid the understanding of some of the behaviours that can be harmful within romantic relationships. The findings could be used to help at-risk individuals develop healthy interpersonal relationship going forward.

Romantic relationships in adults with ADHD: The effect of partner attachment style on relationship quality

2020 ◽  
Vol 38 (1) ◽  
pp. 42-64
Author(s):  
Katherine Knies ◽  
Elizabeth A. Bodalski ◽  
Kate Flory
Keyword(s):  
Romantic Relationships ◽  
Relationship Quality ◽  
Attachment Style ◽  
Attachment Styles ◽  
Romantic Relationship ◽  
Insecure Attachment ◽  
Adhd Symptoms ◽  
Anxious Attachment ◽  
Avoidant Attachment ◽  
Romantic Relationship Quality

Prior literature indicates that insecure attachment styles (i.e., anxious or avoidant) and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) both have negative impacts on romantic relationships, but relatively little is known about how these factors interact among couples where one partner has ADHD and the other does not. One hundred and fifty-nine partners of adults with significant ADHD symptoms completed measures of their own attachment styles, their partner’s ADHD symptoms, and relationship quality. Anxious attachment was associated with lower romantic relationship quality, but avoidant attachment was associated with more positive relationship outcomes. Results also indicated that the negative effect of ADHD symptoms on romantic relationship quality may be exacerbated by a partner’s high level of anxious attachment. Though insecure attachment styles are generally thought to have a negative impact on romantic relationships, avoidant attachment was generally associated with more positive outcomes in this study. Several possible explanations based on theoretical support are included in the discussion along with clinical applications and future directions.

Attachment Styles and the Ideal Image of a Mate

2004 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 87-95 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rami Tolmacz ◽  
Gil Goldzweig ◽  
Ruth Guttman
Keyword(s):  
Romantic Relationships ◽  
Attachment Style ◽  
Attachment Styles ◽  
Insecure Attachment ◽  
Young Males ◽  
Relational Patterns ◽  
Ideal Image ◽  
Personality Patterns ◽  
The Ideal

The study examines, within the framework of attachment theory, relationships of ideal images of young males with respect to their ideal image of a mate. A review of previous studies dealing with partner selection reveals the lack of a theoretical model that combines developmental processes and specific personality patterns with the process of creating an ideal image of the partner. The present study uses Facet Theory and Facet Design to construct a unified conceptual framework for the research in which attachment style and ideal image of the spouse are viewed as two modes of relating to one another. Intercorrelations among replies to the attachment and ideal image questionnaires were subjected to Smallest Space Analysis (SSA). The results indicate a relation between attachment style, the subjects' ideal image of a mate and the ideal images of oneself and one's mother. As predicted, persons with a secure style tended to have high levels of flexibility in their descriptions of the ideal image of the spouse. Males with insecure attachment styles exhibited different relational patterns of ideal image of themselves and their mothers. The SSA results suggest a hierarchic relation between attachment styles and the ideal image of a mate. These findings are consistent with the understanding that attachment styles affect the character and quality of the individual's romantic relationships.

Insecure attachment and frequent attendance in primary care: a longitudinal cohort study of medically unexplained symptom presentations in ten UK general practices

2011 ◽  
Vol 42 (4) ◽  
pp. 855-864 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. E. Taylor ◽  
T. Marshall ◽  
A. Mann ◽  
D. P. Goldberg
Keyword(s):  
Primary Care ◽  
Physical Function ◽  
Attachment Style ◽  
Adult Attachment ◽  
Attachment Styles ◽  
Insecure Attachment ◽  
Consultation Rate ◽  
Frequent Attendance ◽  
Medically Unexplained

BackgroundIn primary care frequent attenders with medically unexplained symptoms (MUS) pose a clinical and health resource challenge. We sought to understand these presentations in terms of the doctor–patient relationship, specifically to test the hypothesis that such patients have insecure emotional attachment.MethodWe undertook a cohort follow-up study of 410 patients with MUS. Baseline questionnaires assessed adult attachment style, psychological distress, beliefs about the symptom, non-specific somatic symptoms, and physical function. A telephone interview following consultation assessed health worry, general practitioner (GP) management and satisfaction with consultation. The main outcome was annual GP consultation rate.ResultsOf consecutive attenders, 18% had an MUS. This group had a high mean consultation frequency of 5.24 [95% confidence interval (CI) 4.79–5.69] over the follow-up year. The prevalence of insecure attachment was 28 (95% CI 23–33) %. A significant association was found between insecure attachment style and frequent attendance, even after adjustment for sociodemographic characteristics, presence of chronic physical illness and baseline physical function [odds ratio (OR) 1.96 (95% CI 1.05–3.67)]. The association was particularly strong in those patients who believed that there was a physical cause for their initial MUS [OR 9.52 (95% CI 2.67–33.93)]. A possible model for the relationship between attachment style and frequent attendance is presented.ConclusionsPatients with MUS who attend frequently have insecure adult attachment styles, and their high consultation rate may therefore be conceptualized as pathological care-seeking behaviour linked to their insecure attachment. Understanding frequent attendance as pathological help seeking driven by difficulties in relating to caregiving figures may help doctors to manage their frequently attending patients in a different way.

Interparental conflict and relational attitudes within romantic relationships: The mediating role of attachment orientations

2022 ◽  
pp. 026540752110616
Author(s):  
Rami Tolmacz ◽  
Rachel Bachner-Melman ◽  
Lilac Lev-Ari ◽  
Karen Almagor
Keyword(s):  
Romantic Relationships ◽  
Attachment Style ◽  
Attachment Styles ◽  
Interparental Conflict ◽  
Structural Equations ◽  
Insecure Attachment ◽  
Couple Relationships ◽  
Anxious Attachment ◽  
Attachment Orientations ◽  
Avoidant Attachment

Early experiences and childhood perceptions of interparental conflict (IPC) have consistently been shown to have detrimental consequences for future psychological adjustment, in particular for attachment and couple relationships during adolescence and adulthood. We hypothesized that 1. IPC would predict anxious and avoidant attachment styles, and three relational attitudes associated with couple relationships: sense of relational entitlement, pathological concern, and authenticity; and 2. Attachment style would mediate the associations between IPC and these three relational attitudes. Measures of perceived IPC, attachment orientations, relational entitlement, pathological concern, and authenticity in romantic relationships were completed online by 280 young adults aged 19–32. IPC was positively correlated with anxious and avoidant attachment styles, restricted and inflated sense of entitlement, and pathological concern and negatively with authenticity. A structural equations model showed that IPC predicted avoidant and anxious attachment styles, which positively predicted an inflated and restricted sense of relational entitlement and pathological concern and negatively predicted authenticity. Attachment styles fully mediated the relationships between IPC and the relational attitudes. IPC therefore seems to be related to imbalanced attitudes in romantic relationships, due in part to a propensity toward insecure attachment orientations. Children with insecure attachment who are exposed to significant levels of IPC may be at high risk for relationship problems later in life because of difficulties exposing their vulnerability, assessing need fulfillment realistically, and caring for themselves as well as others. They should therefore be helped to communicate their relational needs to significant others, in particular to their partners.

The subclinical psychopath in love: Mediating effects of attachment styles

2017 ◽  
Vol 36 (2) ◽  
pp. 421-449 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexis M. Unrau ◽  
Marian M. Morry
Keyword(s):  
Romantic Relationships ◽  
Attachment Styles ◽  
Romantic Relationship ◽  
Psychopathic Traits ◽  
Insecure Attachment ◽  
Mediating Effects ◽  
Attachment Avoidance ◽  
Univariate Analyses ◽  
Linear Regressions ◽  
Poor Relationship

Central to both psychopathy and insecure attachment is a failure to bond with others. In addition, avoidance is linked to both primary and secondary psychopathic variants. To date, there have been no published studies that examine psychopathic traits, attachment, and romantic relationships. We tested whether attachment avoidance mediated the psychopathy–interpersonal outcome relations. University students ( N = 167) in a romantic relationship completed measures of psychopathic traits, attachment, and romantic relationship variables. Linear regressions, univariate analyses, and multivariate analyses indicated that secondary, but not primary, traits were associated with poor relationship quality, more active prowling and less willful disinterest in alternative partners, and more deactivation and hyperactivation. Avoidance significantly mediated these relations. Therefore, improving attachment impairments may benefit individuals high in secondary traits.

scholarly journals Adult attachment styles and alcohol consumption in young adults

2021 ◽  
Vol 25 (111) ◽  
pp. 183-190
Author(s):  
Francis Segundo Cevallos Robayo ◽  
Diana Carolina Garcia Ramos ◽  
Carmen Varina Barba Guzman ◽  
Gabriela Lorena Abril Lucero
Keyword(s):  
Young Adults ◽  
Alcohol Consumption ◽  
Alcohol Use ◽  
Attachment Style ◽  
Adult Attachment ◽  
Attachment Styles ◽  
Protective Factor ◽  
Buenos Aires ◽  
Insecure Attachment ◽  
Secure Attachment

The objective of this study was to describe the styles of adult attachment and alcohol consumption in young adults, measured through the CaMir-R test and the AUDIT questionnaire, analyzed under the InfoStat statistical program, respectively. Based on a sample of 167 young adults, men and women, between the ages of 18 and 32. The results show that 82.6% of the population is a consumer of alcohol with the highest prevalence in the secure attachment style, followed by the preoccupied insecure, insecure avoidant attachment style and the disorganized attachment indicator. The higher the level of alcohol consumption, the secure attachment scores decrease and rise in preoccupied insecure attachment style. The result does not statistically infer the linear causality of the study variables. The secure attachment style can function as a protective factor and the preoccupied insecure attachment as a risk factor for increasing the level of alcohol consumption. Keywords: adult attachment, alcohol use, alcoholism, risk of addiction. References [1]Organización Panamericana de la Salud; Organización Mundial de la Salud, «Agenda de Salud Sostenible para las Américas 2018-2030: Un llamado a la acción para la salud y el bienestar en la región,» de 29.a Conferencia Sanitaria Panamericana, Washington, 2017. [2]Comisión Interamericana para el Control del Abuso de Drogas; Organización de los Estados Americanos , «Informe sobre el Consumo de Drogas en las Américas 2019,» Organización de los Estados Americanos, Washington, D.C., 2019. [3]Instituto Nacional de Estadísticas y Censos, «Compendio de Resultados de la Encuesta de Condiciones de Vida ECV 2014,» INEC, Quito, 2014. [4]E. Becoña Iglesias, E. Fernández del Río, A. Calafat and J. Fernández-Hermida, «Apego y consumo de sustancias en la adolescencia: Una revisión de aspectos conceptuales y metodológicos,» Adicciones, vol. 26, nº 1, pp. 1-11, 2014. [5]K. MacDonald, The Interfaces Between Sociobiology and Devolopmental Psychology, New York: Springer, 1988. [6]J. Feeney and P. Noller, Apego Adulto, Bilbao: Desclée de Brouwer, 2001. [7]J. Bowlby, Vínculos afectivos: Formación, Desarrollo y Pérdida, Madrid: Ediciones Morata, 2014. [8]O. Barroso, «El Apego Adulto: La relación de los Estilos de Apego Desarrollados en la Infancia en la Elección y las Dínamicas de Pareja,» Revista Digital de Medicina Psicosomática y PSicoterapia, vol. 4, nº 1, pp. 1-25, 2014. [9]S. Freud, El malestar de la cultura, Obras Completas, Buenos Aires: Amorrortu, 1930. [10]F. Naparstek, Introducción a la clínica con toxicomanías y alcoholismo, Buenos Aires: Grama Ediciones, 2005. [11]J. A. Miller, La experiencia de lo real en la cura psicoanalítica, Buenos Aires: Paidós, 2003. [12]M. Barradas, N. Fernández and L. Gutierrez, «Prevalencia de consumo de alcohol en estudiantes universitarios, » Revista Iberoamericana para la Investigación y el Desarrollo Educativo, vol. 6, nº 12, 2016. [13]M. Cornellà-Font, F. Viñas-Poch, J. Juárez-López, M. d. l. M. Martín-Perpiñá and S. Malo-Cerrato, «Temperament and attachment as predictive factors for the risk of addiction to substances in adolescents,» Revista De Psicopatología Y Psicología Clínica, vol. 23, nº 3, pp.179-187, 2019. [14]L. Anderson, J. Connor, J. Voisey, R. Young and M. Gullo, «The unique role of attachment dimensions and peer drinking in adolescent alcohol use,» Personality and Individual Differences, vol. 149, pp. 118-122, 2019. [15]C. Pinto-Cortez, M. Beyzaga, M. F. Cantero, X. Oviedo and V. Vergara, «Apego y psicopatología en adolescentes del Norte de Chile,» Revista de PsicologíaClínica con Niños y Adolescentes, vol. 5, nº 3, pp. 23-29, 2018. [16]K. Ward and G. Limb, «Emerging Adult Attachment and Alcohol Abuse Among American Indians Raised in Stepfamilies,» The British Journal of Social Work, vol. 49, nº 6, pp. 1452-1471, 2019. [17]C. Fairbairn, D. Briley, D. Kang, C. Fraley, B. Hankin and T. Ariss, «A meta-analysis of longitudinal associations between substance use and interpersonal attachment security,» Psychological Bulletin, vol. 144, nº 5, pp. 532-555, 2018.

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