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Lecture 13

PSYC 215 Lecture Notes - Lecture 13: Attachment In Adults, Attachment Theory, Trait TheoryPremium

School
McGill University
Department
Psychology
Course Code
PSYC 215
Professor
Mark Baldwin
Lecture
13
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PSYC215–Lecture#13:AttachmentandCloseRelationships

Thecloserelationshipsliteratureexamines
∙Types(ex.Friendship,family,romantic)andstyles(companion,passionate)ofrelationships
∙Attractionandrelationshipinitiation
∙Selfdisclosureandintimacy
∙Satisfactionandcommitment
∙Relationshiptermination

Background
∙Bowlby’sAttachmentTheory(1969)
∙Evolutionhaswiredhumanstoseekclosenessand,thereby,emotionalsecurity
∙Welearnpatternsofcloseness,developing“workingmodels”ofhowbesttoachievecloseness
andemotionalsecurity;toknowhowtogettothatemotionalsecurity
∙Someonewecanrelyonifwearedistressed,inneed


AdultAttachmentTheory
∙Dosimilarattachmentprinciplesapplytoadultcloserelationships?
∙Unclearwhetherpeople’sattachmentpatternsinadulthoodaredirectlyderivedfromtheir
patternsinchildhood
∙Manypeoplebelieve:wewon’tconsiderwhetherthisisbasedonchildhood

AttachmentStyles
∙Secure:easytobecomeemotionallyclosetoothers
∙Anxious(preoccupied):wanttobeintimatewithothersbutfindthatothersarereluctanttoget
close
∙Dismissiveavoidant:comfortablewithoutcloseemotionalrelationships;importanttofeel
independent
∙Fearfulavoidant:uncomfortablegettingclosetoothers;difficulttotrustothers

AdultAttachment
∙Approximatepercentagesinmoststudiesusingathreecategoryapproach:
∙55%secure
∙25%avoidant
∙20%anxious
∙doesattachmentstylecorrelatewithanythinginterestinginadultcloserelationships?

Simpsonetal(1992)
∙Doesattachmentstylerelatetoreactionstostress?
∙Method:
∙Participants:datingcouples
∙Measuredattachmentstylesofeachperson
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∙Toldthewomanthatshewouldbetakingpartin“stressfulactivity”–toldtherewouldbeno
permanenttissuedamage;vagueandthreateningtomakethepersonfeelstressed
∙Thenleftherthereintheroomwiththedatingpartner
∙Couplevideotapedwhiletheywaitedfor5minutes;wouldattachmentstylepredictreaction?
∙Forsecurewomen,themorescaredtheylookedthemorecomforttheysought
∙Foravoidantwomen,themorescaredtheylookedthelesscomforttheysought;notcomfortable
inrelyingonherpartner
∙Foranxiouswomen,theresultswereunclear


Correlatesofsecurepattern(justasillustrations):
∙Highlyinvestedinrelationships;tendstohavelong,trustingones
∙Grievesfollowinglossbutachievesresolution
∙Enjoyssexbutusuallyinthecontextofalongtermrelationships
∙Feelswelllikedbycoworkers
∙Issupportiveofpartnerwhenpartnerisunderstress
∙Selfdisclosesappropriatelyandlikesothertoselfdisclose

Correlatesofavoidantpattern:
∙Lessinvestedinrelationships,expresseslessgrieffollowingloss
∙Hasmoreonnightstands
∙Preferstoworkalone;workisexcusetoavoidcloserelationships
∙Describesparentsascoldandrejecting
∙Withdrawssupportfrompartnerwhenpartnerorselfisstressed
∙Feelsboredanddistantduringsocialinteractions
∙Doesn’tliketoselfdisclose,doesn’tapproveofotherswhodisclose

Correlatesofanxiouspattern:
∙Investedinrelationshipsyethighbreakuprate
∙Grievesintenselyfollowingloss
∙Prefersthecuddlyratherthanthegenitalaspectsofsex
∙Preferstoworkwithothersfeelsunderappreciatedatwork
∙Worriesaboutrejectionduringdailyinteractions
∙Selfdisclosestoomuchandindiscriminately,likesdisclosures
∙Subjecttojealous,unregulatedanger
∙Isattachmentstylebestconsideredapersonalitytrait,developedwhenweareyoungandhighly
consistentthroughoutlife?
∙Baldwinsaysnotlikely:evidencesuggeststhatselfreportedstyleisonlymoderatelystable,
evenoverashortperiodoftime
∙Also,childrenandadultscanoftenhavedifferentstyleswithdifferentsignificantothers(ex.
Mother,father,orromanticpartner)
∙Mightitbeusefultotakeasocialcognitiveapproach,byexaminingattachment“working
models”?
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