Cerebellar Engagement In The Attachment Behavioral System

Brain structural bases of individual differences in attachment are not yet fully clarified. Given the evidence of relevant cerebellar contribution to cognitive, affective, and social functions, the present research was aimed at investigating potential associations between attachment dimensions (through the Attachment Style Questionnaire, ASQ) and cerebellar macro- and micro-structural measures (Volumetric and Diffusion Tensor Imaging data). In a sample of 79 healthy subjects, cerebellar and neocortical volumetric data were correlated with ASQ scores at the voxel level within specific Regions Of Interest. Also, correlations between ASQ scores and age, years of education, anxiety and depression levels were performed to control for the effects of sociodemographic and psychological variables on neuroimaging results.Positive associations between scores of the Preoccupation with Relationships (ASQ subscale associated to insecure/anxious attachment) and cortical volume were found in the cerebellum (right lobule VI and left Crus 2) and neocortex (right medial OrbitoFrontal Cortex, OFC) regions. Cerebellar contribution to the attachment behavioral system reflects the more general cerebellar engagement in the regulation of emotional and social behaviors. Cerebellar properties of timing, prediction, and learning well integrate with OFC processing supporting the regulation of attachment experiences. Cerebellar areas might be rightfully included in the attachment behavioral system.

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

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.

Collective Reactions to Epidemic Threat: Attachment and Cultural Orientations Predict Early COVID-19 Infection and Mortality Rates and Trajectories

Hypotheses on culture-level attachment and individualism/collectivism relationships with COVID-19 infection and death rates during a period at the beginning of the epidemic were tested in data from 53 countries and 50 U.S. states. Results from multilevel growth curve analyses showed group-average anxious attachment predicted a lower initial number of cases and deaths cross-culturally and in the United States, while avoidant attachment predicted a higher initial number of COVID-19 infections in the United States and a higher initial number of deaths in both studies. Yet, during this period, culture-level anxious attachment was associated with a higher growth rate of infections and deaths, while a lower growth rate of infections and deaths was observed in countries and U.S. states with higher individualism and avoidance. The research provides new insights into attachment and culture relationships and points to different mechanisms that may explain initial and growth rate trajectories at the beginning of the epidemic.

Attachment, Emotion, and Physiological Coregulation Among Elderly Mothers and Their Adult Daughters

Examination of physiological coregulation among marital partners suggests a dynamic interplay between partner physiology. Further, attachment dimensions of anxiety and avoidance mediate this coregulation during conflict. This study examined the role of attachment and race in predicting physiological coregulation for mothers and their adult daughters during emotional discussions. A sample of 23 African American and 17 Caucasian mother-daughter pairs (aged 26 to 83) completed interview sessions and Relationships Questionnaires. Pairs engaged in discussions (neutral, conflict, happy), while monitoring heart rate. HR difference scores were computed between pairs (bps; 0 meant no difference). Multiple Regressions revealed attachment anxiety and avoidance predicted HR variation between pairs for the neutral and happy discussions, differently by racial group (F(7,33)=3.297, p < 0.01). For African American women, increased anxiety predicted increased HR variation during neutral and happy discussions, whereas for Caucasian women, increased avoidance predicted increased HR variation. However, during conflict anxiety singularly predicted increased HR covariation (b = 5.03, p = 0.01), for both groups. Low anxiety and low avoidance predicted physiological coregulation (lower HR variance between pairs). Increased anxious attachment predicted partner dysregulation (increased HR variation between pairs) across all 3 discussions, moderated by avoidance for the Caucasian women. Results suggest attachment plays a role in regulating physiology under emotional stress, and that there may be important cultural differences in this relationship. Further examination will explore the dynamic interplay between attachment and physiological coregulation across adulthood and later life.

Investigation the Relationship between Anxiety Attachment Style, Anger Rumination, Spouse Forgiveness, and Marital Quality

Background: The quality of the marital relationship has received more attention from family researchers in recent years; as many factors can affect and be affected by it. Therefore, this study made an attempt to investigate the structural relationships between anxiety attachment style, anger rumination. Methods: The study population consisted of all married people in Shiraz. Among them, 204 married people (168 females and 36 males) were selected using the convenience sampling method and filling out Revised Adult Attachment Scale; Collins and Reid, Anger rumination scale; Sukhodolsky, Golub, Cromwell, Family Forgiveness Scale; Pollard, Anderson, Anderson, and Jennings, and Revision of the Dyadic Adjustment Scale Busby, Christensen, Crane, Larson. The method of research was correlation using path analysis. Then AMOS24 and SPSS24 were used for analyzing the data. Results: Data analysis indicated that the path between anxiety attachment style to anger rumination, (p<0.000, β=0.56), spouse forgiveness, (p<0.009, β=-0.19), anger rumination to spouse forgiveness, (p<0.002, β=-0.36) marital quality (p<0.001, β=-0.16), spouse forgiveness to marital quality, (p<0.000, β=-0.68) were significant. All the coefficients were significant in 0.01 level. Also fit model indicators were: GFI=0.99, CFI=0.99, TLI=0.98, RFI=0.97 and χ2/df= 1.57. The structural relationships of the anxiety attachment style, anger rumination, spouse forgiveness and the marital quality as proposed in the conceptual model were significant. Conclusion: Based on the results, it can be said that that married people with anxious attachment style regarding the challenges of marital life, ruminate more anger in relation to their spouse, which can reduce the amount of forgiveness and, ultimately marital quality.

Identifying with Asexuality and Belonging to the Ace Spectrum: More than Lacking Sexual Attraction

Asexuality is typically defined as a lack of sexual attraction, not representing the multitude of experiences in the ace community. To understand the complex ace identity, we explored the correlates cognitions, feelings, and desires of ace individuals. Results of a cross-sectional study (N = 447, 61.8% women; Mage = 24.62, SD = 6.98) showed that endorsing asexuality as a lack of sexual desire was associated with less experience with romantic partners, more experience with intimate affective relationships, more sex averse attitudes, and avoidant attachment. Sexual attraction was associated with more experience with romantic partners, less experience with intimate romantic and affective relationships, and more sex favorable attitudes. Romantic attraction was associated with more experience with romantic partners, less experience with intimate romantic relationships, and anxious attachment. Desire to establish intimate romantic relationships was associated with more experience with romantic partners, more sex favorable attitudes, and anxious attachment. Lastly, desire to establish intimate affective relationships was associated with more experience with affective relationships and anxious attachment. This study highlights the need to acknowledge diversity within the ace community by showing the importance of past experiences and individual differences in shaping the way ace individuals construe their identity and their relationships.

Physiological Factors Linking Insecure Attachment to Psychopathology: A Systematic Review

Although many studies have documented associations between insecure attachment and psychopathology, attachment may not confer risk for psychopathology independently, but rather through its interaction with emotional, social, and biological factors. Understanding the variables through which attachment may lead to psychopathology is therefore important. Within this domain of research, the role of physiological factors is poorly investigated. What are the relevant domains and why, when, or for whom do they influence mental disorders relating to attachment? The current systematic review aims to answer these questions. Results reveal that physiological indices of emotional regulation play a role in explaining and/or determining the relationship between attachment and psychopathology. Specifically: (1) combined with insecure attachment, higher skin conductance level (SCL), lower cardiac slowing, and respiratory sinus arrhythmia modulation (RSA) contribute to different psychopathological indicators and behavioral/psychological dysfunctions, although the latter predicts a contradictory pattern of findings; (2) insecure-avoidant attachment is more consistently linked with stress and emotional dysregulation when combined with RSA, while anxious attachment confers risk of depressive symptoms when combined with SCL. We concluded our discussion of the results of seven studies by outlining a plan to move the field forward. We discuss the quality of the assessment, methodological limitations, and future directions, highlighting the need to extend the research to clinical samples.

Patient social functioning in acute mental health inpatient wards: the role of emotional regulation, attachment styles and nurse–patient relationships

Background/aims Improvement in social functioning is an important aspect of recovery from severe mental health problems. Nurses on acute mental health wards play an important role in facilitating this recovery. Therefore, it is important to explore potential predictors of social functioning and the quality of nurse–patient relationships. The aim of this study was to explore associations between patient social functioning, nurse–patient therapeutic alliances, emotional regulation, attachment style and nurse distress in acute mental health settings. Methods: A questionnaire-based, cross-sectional approach with correlational and regression analyses was used for this study. A total of 50 nurse–patient dyads in acute mental health inpatient wards across four NHS trusts in the north-west of England took part. Patients and nurses completed questionnaires regarding demographic information, emotional regulation, attachment style and alliance. Nurses also rated patient social functioning and their own distress. Results The patient anxious attachment style was associated with difficulties in regulating emotions. Patient emotional regulation, patient insecure attachment and the patient-rated alliance predicted nurse-rated patient social functioning. Nurse emotion regulation, nurse insecure attachment style and nurse-rated alliance did not significantly predict nurse-rated patient social functioning and correlations were non-significant. Nurse distress was associated with nurse emotion regulation, nurse anxious attachment and nurse-rated alliance. These factors significantly predicted nurse distress. Conclusions: Patient social functioning is predicted by emotion regulation, attachment and alliance. Similarly, nurse distress is predicted by nurse emotion regulation, attachment style and alliance. Interventions targeting emotion regulation or attachment-informed wards would be beneficial.

Anxious and Status Signaling: Examining the Link between Attachment Style and Status Consumption and the Mediating Role of Materialistic Values

Attachment theory has recently been recognized as a potentially fruitful avenue for studying consumer behavior. However, few studies have examined the relationship between attachment styles and consumer preferences. Based on literature suggesting that individuals with anxious attachment styles have a particularly strong need for attention, we hypothesized and found that consumers with this attachment pattern displayed a higher propensity to purchase status-signaling goods than their peers with secure attachment styles. This effect was mediated by materialistic values, such that participants with an anxious attachment style reported the highest materialistic values. Additionally, and unlike previous scholarly work, we found evidence that an avoidant attachment style might be related to materialism. Together, the current findings highlight the importance of attachment theory in the study of status-signaling consumption and offer potential implications for research on social status and related research areas.