Attachment, Forgiveness, and Generativity in Midlife

Current literature suggests secure attachment and forgiveness are positively correlated. However, to date, the relationship of adult attachment, forgiveness, and generativity has not been explored. In this current study, middle-aged adults, ages 45-80 from the George Fox University Alumni were surveyed to explore attachment (anxious and avoidant), generativity, and forgiveness. Since generativity is a prosocial trait, synonymous with altruism, suggesting one’s selfless service and concern for the well-being for others, it is predicted that generativity will have a positive relationship with forgiveness, and secure attachment. Further, multiple regression statistics were used to explore which of the independent variables (anxious attachment, avoidant attachment, and generativity) has the greatest effect on the dependent variable of trait forgiveness. Results indicated that there was a medium positive relationship between forgiveness and secure attachment, between generativity and secure attachment, and between forgiveness and generativity. Multiple regression found that each of the independent variables (anxious attachment, avoidant attachment, and generativity) were significant predictors of forgiveness with anxious attachment being the strongest predictor of forgiveness

Christians' attachment to God and mental health : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Psychology at Massey University

Irregular pagination: page 4 missingThis study used a prospective design to examine the relationship between attachment to God and certain aspects of mental health on a Christian sample. 1265 participants responded to a survey which assessed their attachment to God, attachment to others, mental health variables, such as depression, positive and negative affect and well-being. Three to five months later, the same survey was re-administered to 437 of the initial participants who agreed to take part a second time. Hypotheses predicted that higher levels of anxious and avoidant attachment to God would be associated with poorer levels of mental health, that the results would remain significant after controlling for attachment to others and initial mental health, and that higher levels of stress would moderate the relationship between attachment to God and mental health variables. Findings provided support for a strong association between attachment to God and mental health, and a less strong association between avoidant attachment to God and mental health. Attachment to God showed stability over time, and stress only moderated the relationship between anxious attachment to God and well-being. This result remained significant after controlling for attachment to others and time 1 mental health

An attachment theory perspective in the examination of relational processes associated with coach-athlete dyads

The aim of the current study was to examine actor and partner effects of (a) athletes' and coaches' attachment styles (avoidant and anxious) on the quality of the coach-athlete relationship, and (b) athletes' and coaches' quality of the coach-athlete relationship on relationship satisfaction employing the actor-partner interdependence model (Kenny, Kashy, & Cook, 2006). Coaches (N = 107) and athletes (N = 107) completed a questionnaire related to attachment styles, relationship quality, and relationship satisfaction. Structural equation model analyses revealed (a) actor effects for coaches' and athletes' avoidant attachment styles on their own perception of relationship quality and coaches' and athletes' perception of relationship quality on their own perception of relationship satisfaction, and (b) partner effects for athletes' avoidant attachment style on coaches' perceptions of relationship quality and for coaches' perceptions of relationship quality on athletes' perceptions of relationship satisfaction. The findings highlight that attachments styles can help us understand the processes involved in the formation and maintenance of quality relational bonds between coaches and athletes

Relationship maintenance behavior and adult attachment: an analysis of the actor-partner interdependence model

Associations between relationships maintenance behaviors (positivity, openness, assurances, and sharing tasks) and anxious and avoidant attachment were examined in 265 married couples. Using structural equation modeling to employ the actor-partner interdependence model, the use of positivity, assurances and sharing tasks were found to be negatively associated with anxious and avoidant attachment for both husbands and wives. Being open and self-disclosing in marriage was not strongly associated with attachment. Results indicated that the use of maintenance behaviors in marriages could have the potential to foster increased security in partners. Research and clinical implications are discussed

Infant-mother attachment and the growth of externalizing problems across the primary-school years

Background:  Some contend that attachment insecurity increases risk for the development of externalizing behavior problems in children. Method:  Latent-growth curve analyses were applied to data on 1,364 children from the NICHD Study of Early Child Care to evaluate the association between early attachment and teacher-rated externalizing problems across the primary-school years. Results:  Findings indicate that (a) both avoidant and disorganized attachment predict higher levels of externalizing problems but (b) that effects of disorganized attachment are moderated by family cumulative contextual risk, child gender and child age, with disorganized boys from risky social contexts manifesting increases in behavior problems over time. Conclusions:  These findings highlight the potentially conditional role of early attachment in children’s externalizing behavior problems and the need for further research evaluating causation and mediating mechanisms

Contribution of attachment in children’s separation anxiety

Literature suggests that child attachment and anxiety symptoms are related. The purpose of the present study was to assess whether attachment patterns related differently to separation anxiety symptoms (fear of being alone, and fear of abandonment). Three attachment patterns assessed were secure, avoidant and ambivalent attachment. The findings indicated that ambivalent attachment was related with higher separation anxiety symptoms (r=.57) compared to avoidant attachment (r=.53). More so, ambivalent attachment was also related to the fear of abandonment (r=.52), while avoidant attachment was related with the fear of being alone (r=.63). In conclusion, consistently responsive mothers are always receptive and supportive of their children’s mental healt

The role of adult attachment style, birth intervention and support in posttraumatic stress after childbirth: A prospective study

Background There is converging evidence that between 1% and 3% of women develop posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after childbirth. Various vulnerability and risk factors have been identified, including mode of birth and support during birth. However, little research has looked at the role of adult attachment style in how women respond to events during birth. This study prospectively examined the interaction between attachment style, mode of birth, and support in determining PTSD symptoms after birth. Method A longitudinal study of women (n=57) from the last trimester of pregnancy to three months postpartum. Women completed questionnaire measures of attachment style in pregnancy and measures of PTSD, support during birth, and mode of birth at three months postpartum. Results Avoidant attachment style, operative birth (assisted vaginal or caesarean section) and poor support during birth were all significantly correlated with postnatal PTSD symptoms. Regression analyses showed that avoidant attachment style moderated the relationship between operative birth and PTSD symptoms, where women with avoidant attachment style who had operative deliveries were most at risk of PTSD symptoms. Limitations The study was limited to white European, cohabiting, primiparous women. Future research is needed to see if these findings are replicated in larger samples and different sociodemographic groups. Conclusions This study suggests avoidant attachment style may be a vulnerability factor for postpartum PTSD, particularly for women who have operative births. If replicated, clinical implications include the potential to screen for attachment style during pregnancy and tailor care during birth accordingly

Sex differences between primary and secondary psychopathy, parental bonding, and attachment style.

Sex differences in primary and secondary psychopathic traits and behaviors are consistently evidenced, although less is known about the developmental trajectories of these differences and why they might arise. In this study (N = 362) we investigated whether men and women reporting higher levels of primary or secondary psychopathic traits differed in retrospective accounts of how cold and controlling both their mother and father were during childhood, and how anxious and avoidant they are about contemporary relationships. Primary psychopathic traits in men related to controlling mothers and avoidant attachment, whereas in women they related to uncaring fathers and both anxious and avoidant attachment. Secondary psychopathic traits in men were predicted by uncaring mothers and fathers, as well as anxious attachment, whereas in women, neither parental bonding nor attachment style were related. Results are discussed from an evolutionary, life history theory paradigm

Meeting the Expectations of Your Heritage Culture: Links between Attachment Style, Intragroup Marginalisation, and Psychological Adjustment

This article has been made available through the Brunel Open Access Publishing Fund.This article has been made available through the Brunel Open Access Publishing Fund.Do insecurely-attached individuals perceive greater rejection from their heritage culture? Few studies have examined the antecedents and outcomes of this perceived rejection – termed intragroup marginalisation – in spite of its implications for the adjustment of cultural migrants to the mainstream culture. The present study investigated whether anxious and avoidant attachment orientations among cultural migrants were associated with greater intragroup marginalisation and, in turn, with lower subjective well-being and flourishing, and higher acculturative stress. Anxious attachment was associated with heightened intragroup marginalisation from friends and, in turn, with increased acculturative stress; anxious attachment was also associated with increased intragroup marginalisation from family. Avoidant attachment was linked with increased intragroup marginalisation from family and, in turn, with decreased subjective well-being

Attachment and amae in Japanese romantic relationships

This is the post-print version for the Article. The official published version can be accessed from the link below - Copyright @ 2012 John Wiley & SonsAmae is a Japanese term that refers to an individual’s inappropriate behavior when he/she presumes indulgence from a significant other. The link between attachment style and amae has been debated, but few studies have examined this link empirically. This study examined the association of attachment style with amae behavior in Japanese dating couples over a two-week period. Results showed that for Japanese men, anxious attachment was positively associated with their amae behavior, and in turn, with their increased relationship quality. Conversely, avoidant attachment was negatively associated with their amae behavior, and in turn, with their decreased relationship quality.This research was supported by a Postdoctoral Fellowship grant awarded by the Japanese Society for the Promotion of Science to the author