A 'Problematic' Pattern of Power-system Functioning and its Association with psychopathological Symptoms.

Following the well-researched two-dimensional model of attachment-system functioning, based on the concepts of hyperactivation and deactivation, a two-dimensional model of the power behavioral system has recently been proposed. The power system is aimed at activating, organizing, and implementing action patterns that protect or restore a sense of power or dominance. Here, we tested predictions derived from the two-dimensional model of power-system functioning regarding the contribution of a 'problematic' high-high pattern, characterized by the coexistence of both hyperactivating and deactivating strategies, to psychopathological symptoms. A non-clinical sample of Italian adults (N = 385) completed the Power Behavioral System Scale together with self-report measures of anxiety and depression symptoms and difficulties in executive control. Multiple regression analyses showed that higher deactivation and hyperactivation scores, characteristic of the 'problematic' pattern, significantly predicted anxiety and depression symptoms as well as executive function difficulties. These results provide initial support for the pathogenic implications of the 'problematic' high-high pattern of power-system functioning.

Security-enhancement Processes within Group Settings: Revising Insecure Working Models of Attachment During Playful Group Interactions.

According to attachment theory and research, a supportive social or therapeutic group can assuage relational worries and promote members' sense of attachment security (or felt security, confidence that others will be supportive when needed), which is crucial for sustaining goal pursuit, social relations, and mental health. As yet, however, little is known about the group provisions that move attachment-insecure members toward greater security. In this article, we propose that the Attachment Security Enhancement Model, which was originally developed to explain attachment processes within couples, can also explain security enhancement in group settings. Within this framework, we first conceptualize the specific group provisions that are critical for fostering security among attachment-insecure members. We then discuss how a particular kind of group interactions-playful ones-might facilitate security-enhancement processes, and we present a clinical vignette illustrating the therapeutic value of such interactions.

Validation and psychometric properties of the Italian version of the Power Behavioural System Scale.

The power behavioural system is a neurobehavioral system that motivates a person to acquire and control resources that are important for survival and reproductive success. When activated, its function is to protect or restore the sense of power, influence, or dominance. Repeated experiences of failure in achieving this goal may result in hyperactivation or deactivation of power-oriented behaviours (analogous to the secondary strategies observed with respect to the attachment behavioural system). Gaining a reliable and valid measure of hyperactivation and deactivation of the power system can be important for understanding an individual's responses to different social contexts and, in clinical settings, can help the therapist identify the client's difficulties that may undermine the therapeutic process. In the present study, we developed the Italian version of the Power Behavioural System Scale (PBSS), a self-report measure developed by Shaver et al. (2011) to assess individual differences in hyperactivation and deactivation of the power system. Results indicated an adequate fit to the expected two-factor model, and the measure proved to be reliable and had good convergent and structural validity, allowing the quantification of individual differences in power system hyperactivation and deactivation.

Attachment Security Priming Affecting Mating Strategies Endorsement among College Students.

Exposure to environmental cues reflecting potential threats to future survivability is associated with a stronger endorsement of short-term mating strategies. Less is known, however, about the effects of safety and security cues. In four studies, we examined the effects of attachment-related security cues compared to neutral cues on preferences for short- and long-term mating strategies. Preferences were assessed using self-report and behavioral measures. In line with Life History Theory (LHT) and our hypotheses, exposure to attachment-related security cues was mainly associated with a stronger preference for long-term mating strategies and a weaker preference for short-term strategies. Our internal meta-analysis of the experimental security manipulations across studies provided further support for the association between state attachment security and endorsement of mating strategies. We also found some predictable effects of gender and relationship status. Implications for LHT and attachment theory are discussed. (139 words).

An attachment perspective on loss and grief.

Attachment theory provides a useful framework for understanding emotional reactions to separation and loss and the process of adapting to these painful events. In this article, we review adult attachment studies that have examined emotional reactions and adjustment to separation and loss in romantic and marital relationships. We begin with a brief account of attachment theory. Next, we review studies examining the emotional consequences of losing a relationship partner and the coping responses that can help a person adjust to this loss. Throughout the article, we also summarize research documenting attachment-related individual differences in responses to separation and loss. (99 words).

Attachment goes to court: child protection and custody issues.

Attachment theory and research are drawn upon in many applied settings, including family courts, but misunderstandings are widespread and sometimes result in misapplications. The aim of this consensus statement is, therefore, to enhance understanding, counter misinformation, and steer family-court utilisation of attachment theory in a supportive, evidence-based direction, especially with regard to child protection and child custody decision-making. The article is divided into two parts. In the first, we address problems related to the use of attachment theory and research in family courts, and discuss reasons for these problems. To this end, we examine family court applications of attachment theory in the current context of the best-interest-of-the-child standard, discuss misunderstandings regarding attachment theory, and identify factors that have hindered accurate implementation. In the second part, we provide recommendations for the application of attachment theory and research. To this end, we set out three attachment principles: the child's need for familiar, non-abusive caregivers; the value of continuity of good-enough care; and the benefits of networks of attachment relationships. We also discuss the suitability of assessments of attachment quality and caregiving behaviour to inform family court decision-making. We conclude that assessments of caregiver behaviour should take center stage. Although there is dissensus among us regarding the use of assessments of attachment quality to inform child custody and child-protection decisions, such assessments are currently most suitable for targeting and directing supportive interventions. Finally, we provide directions to guide future interdisciplinary research collaboration.

Attachment and attitudes toward children: effects of security priming in parents and non-parents.

The present two-study investigation is the first to examine whether experimentally boosting attachment security (security priming) affects attitudes in the parenting domain for both parents and non-parents. Mothers (n = 72) and childless undergraduates (n = 82) were randomly assigned to a neutral or a secure prime condition and then completed measures of implicit attitudes (a child-focused version of the Go/No-Go Association Task) and explicit attitudes (self-reported) toward children. Following the priming manipulation, mothers in the secure prime condition had more positive implicit attitudes toward their child compared to mothers in the neutral prime condition. Security priming also increased mothers' positive explicit attitudes toward their children, but only among mothers who scored high on self-reported attachment-related avoidance. No priming effects emerged among non-parents. These results provide the first evidence for a causal link between parental attachment security and parental attitudes toward children.

Enhancing the "broaden-and-build" cycle of attachment security as a means of overcoming prejudice, discrimination, and racism.

Attachment theory emphasizes both the importance of supportive relationship partners, beginning in infancy, for developing a sense of security, and the adaptive benefits of this sense. In this article, we consider bolstering the sense of attachment security as a means of reducing and overcoming prejudice, discrimination, and racism. We review basic concepts of attachment theory, focusing on what we call the broaden-and-build cycle of attachment security. We review studies showing that the sense of attachment security is associated with reduced prejudice and less discriminatory attitudes and behavior toward people outside one's own social or racial group. Finally, we propose theoretical ideas and research suggesting that attachment security can protect against the adverse psychological effects of others' acts of prejudice and discrimination toward oneself. We conclude that, despite large gaps in the research literature, attachment theory is a useful conceptual framework for understanding and combatting prejudice, discrimination, and racism.

Attachment in the time of COVID-19: Insecure attachment orientations are associated with defiance of authorities' guidelines during the pandemic.

Previous research has linked people's relational attachment orientations to emotional reactions and coping during crises, and to social trust and trust in societal institutions. The COVID-19 pandemic is a global crisis for which collective efforts, such as social distancing, are necessary to stop the spread of the virus. During previous pandemics, people high in trust have typically adhered to such efforts. In the present study, we investigated whether attachment orientations were related to people's adherence to authorities' guidelines to stop the spread of COVID-19. We also tested whether previous mediational findings-linking attachment-related avoidance to welfare state trust via social trust-would replicate. We used a web-based survey of 620 participants. Our findings showed that attachment-related anxiety was linked to low adherence to social distancing regulations. This finding was especially noteworthy because high attachment-anxious participants also experienced more negative emotions, yet negative emotions were generally linked to high adherence. Thus, people higher in attachment anxiety seem to have more difficulties in avoiding social situations despite heightened risk of catching and spreading the virus. In addition, attachment-related avoidance was negatively related to adherence and to welfare state trust, and its effects on welfare state trust were statistically mediated by low social trust.

Security Providing Leadership: A Job Resource to Prevent Employees' Burnout.

Leadership styles in work contexts play a role in employees' well-being, contributing to better health or, on the contrary, being a source of stress. In this study we propose that security providing leadership may be considered as a resource to prevent employees' job burnout. First, we examine the relationship between employees' perception of their leader's degree of security in providing leadership and the employees' degree of job-related burnout. Second, the underlying processes by which leaders as security providers exert their influence on burnout are analyzed with a focus on the mediating role of two variables: an organizational climate oriented to psychological safety and organizational dehumanization. A total of 655 Spanish employees (53.7% women) completed a paper-and-pencil self-report questionnaire. To recruit participants, we employed an exponential non-discriminative snowball sampling. Results, using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) to test hypotheses, show that security providing leadership was related negatively to burnout. Furthermore, psychological safety climate and organizational dehumanization mediated the relationship between security providing leadership and burnout. These findings support the attachment approach to leadership and open new avenues for creating better organizational environments. Security-providing leaders, by supporting employees and treating them in a personalized way, can enhance the psychological safety climate and prevent organizational dehumanization and consequent job burnout.

Parents' attachment orientation, interviewers' support, and children's memory for a mildly distressing event.

Parents' attachment orientations predict children's memory about distressing life events, such that parents who are less secure in close relationships tend to have children who are less accurate in their memory reports. This study examined whether socially supportive interviewing would reduce differences in children's memory performance associated with parents' attachment. Children (3 to 5 years, N = 63) and their primary caretakers took part in the Preschool Attachment Classification System (PACS), a moderately distressing event for children of preschool age that is based on the Strange Situation Procedure. Children's memory for the event was then tested shortly thereafter by either a supportive or a non-supportive interviewer. In the non-supportive condition, children whose parents scored higher on attachment avoidance provided lower proportions of correct free recall. However, the association was not significant for children in the supportive condition. In addition, higher parental attachment anxiety predicted lower proportions of correct free recall for children of highly avoidant parents, but not for children of parents lower in attachment avoidance. For direct questions, age differences in proportion correct and proportion incorrect favoured older children. Findings provide insight into interviewing techniques at time of memory retrieval that benefit children of insecure parents.

Attachment theory and religion.

Attachment theory deals with the development and dynamics of interpersonal affectional bonds. It also provides a framework for understanding individuals' relationship with God, which is central to religion. We review basic concepts of attachment theory and survey research that has examined religion both in terms of normative attachment processes and individual differences in attachment. We cite evidence from cross-sectional, experimental, and longitudinal studies showing that many religious individuals experience God as a source of resilience (e.g. a safe haven and secure base). We also summarize proposed attachment-related developmental pathways to religion. Finally, we review research on religion and mental health undertaken from an attachment viewpoint and discuss future directions.

A secure base for mindful dreaming: dispositional and contextually variable attachment security and the experiential quality of dreams.

In this study, we examined the utility of attachment theory for explaining individual differences in dream experiences. Seventy-six Israeli undergraduates completed a measure of attachment anxiety and avoidance and participated in a daily diary study for 15 consecutive days. Each evening, they rated their daily sense of attachment security. Each morning, they described in writing any dreams they recalled and rated the extent to which they (a) were aware of their sensations and mental states while dreaming and (b) reflected on their subjective experience during the dream. Two judges made similar ratings for each dream. Dispositional attachment anxiety and avoidance were associated with lower levels of within-dream awareness and reflection across the 15-day period. In addition, attachment security on a given day was associated with higher within-dream awareness and reflection that night. The findings provide new evidence concerning the contribution of attachment orientations to the experiential quality of dreams.

Mothers never retire: Contextual priming of working models of mother affects adults' representations of self and romantic partners.

OBJECTIVES: The main goal of these studies is to provide an experimental test of a core hypothesis based on attachment theory: Working models of mother are active in adults' minds and can bias their views of self and romantic partners. METHOD: In two studies, we conducted clinical interviews to identify positive and negative core traits that participants used to describe their mothers. We then implicitly primed either positive or negative traits extracted from the interviews and compared this priming condition to control conditions in which we primed either positive or negative control traits (traits that described the mother of another study participant). Following this manipulation, we assessed participants' self-appraisals (Study 1) and explanations of their romantic partner's hurtful behaviors (Study 2). RESULTS: Priming with one's mother's positive traits led to more positive views of self and romantic partner (compared with the effects of priming with positive control traits). In contrast, as compared to negative control traits, the priming of one's mother's negative traits led to less positive views of self and romantic partner. CONCLUSIONS: Findings support the hypothesis that working models of mother play a causal role in shaping adults' representations of self and romantic partners.

The development and validation of the leader as security provider scale / Desarrollo y validación de la escala del líder como proveedor de seguridad

In three studies we examined, from an attachment perspective, the utility and the validity of a scale assessing followers' perceptions of leaders as security providers (LSPS). Based on the literature, we designed a 15-item scale tapping the five functions of a security-enhancing attachment figure (secure base, safe haven, proximity seeking, emotional ties, and separation distress) within organizational contexts. The scale showed acceptable reliability and a one-factor structure in all the studies. In Study 1 (N = 237), the LSPS was positively associated with transformational leadership and inversely associated with passive-avoidant leadership. Moreover, employees' perceptions of their leader as a security provider made a unique contribution to their satisfaction with the manager and perception of the manager's efficacy. In Study 2 (N = 263), the LSPS was positively associated with authentic leadership. Employees' ratings of their leader on the LSPS were positively associated with employees' organizational identification, work engagement, and work satisfaction. In Study 3 (N = 263), we found that employees' perceptions of their leader as a security provider had a protective effect on their job burnout. The findings indicate that research on the follower-leader relationship can benefit from the adoption of an attachment perspective

A través de tres estudios examinamos desde una perspectiva basada en la teoría del apego la utilidad y la validez de una escala que mide la percepción que los seguidores tienen de sus líderes como proveedores de seguridad LSPS. Con base en estudios previos, se diseñó una escala de 15 elementos que cubrían las cinco funciones de la figura de apego que aumenta la seguridad (base segura, puerto seguro, búsqueda de proximidad, lazos emocionales y malestar por la separación) en contextos organizativos. En todos los estudios la escala mostraba una fiabilidad aceptable y una estructura unifactorial. En el estudio 1 (N = 237), se encontró que las puntuaciones en la escala LSPS estaban positivamente relacionadas con el liderazgo transformacional y negativamente con el liderazgo pasivo-evitador. En el estudio 2 (N = 263), se encontró que la escala LSPS estaba positivamente relacionada con el liderazgo auténtico y con la identificación organizacional, la implicación en el trabajo y la satisfacción en el trabajo de los empleados. Finalmente, en el estudio 3 (N = 263) se encontró que las percepciones de los empleados de su líder como proveedor de seguridad tenían un efecto protector sobre el burnout. Estos hallazgos en su conjunto indican que la investigación de las relaciones entre líderes y seguidores puede beneficiarse si se adopta una perspectiva basada en el apego

To die for a cause but not for a companion: Attachment-related variations in the terror management function of self-sacrifice.

In 8 studies, we examined the terror management function of self-sacrifice and the moderating role of attachment orientations. Studies 1-5 focused on readiness to self-sacrifice for a cause, whereas Studies 6-8 focused on self-sacrifice to save a relationship partner's life. In Studies 1-3 and 6, we examined whether mortality salience increases readiness to self-sacrifice. In Studies 4-5 and 7-8, we examined the defensive nature and anxiety-buffering role of self-sacrifice-that is, whether providing another terror management defense reduces the readiness to self-sacrifice following mortality salience and whether thoughts about self-sacrifice mitigate death-thought accessibility. Findings indicated that self-sacrifice for a cause served a terror management function mainly among attachment-anxious participants, whereas self-sacrifice for a relationship partner served this defensive function mainly among participants scoring low on avoidant attachment. Attachment-avoidant participants reacted to mortality salience with reluctance to self-sacrifice for another person. Discussion focuses on attachment orientation as a basis for using self-sacrifice as an existential defense. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).

Attachment, caregiving in couple relationships, and prosocial behavior in the wider world.

According to attachment theory, a sense of attachment security (confidence that others will be available and supportive when needed) facilitates the functioning of the caregiving behavioral system and the empathic provision of care to suffering others. In this article we review what has been learned during the last decade about attachment-related individual differences in caregiving within couple relationships and prosocial behavior in the wider world. We begin with a brief account of attachment theory and the dynamic interplay of the attachment and caregiving behavioral systems. We then review findings from correlational and experimental studies showing that attachment security has positive influences on noticing and reacting favorably to the suffering of romantic partners and strangers.

Attachment orientations and emotion regulation.

According to attachment theory, individual differences in the availability and responsiveness of close relationship partners, beginning in infancy, and the resulting formation of fairly stable attachment orientations are crucial for understanding the ways people experience and regulate emotions. In this article, we review what has been learned during the last decade about attachment-related individual differences in emotion regulation. We begin with a brief account of the hypothesized links between different forms of attachment insecurity (anxiety, avoidance) and strategies people use in regulating distress and coping with threatening events. We then review findings from correlational and experimental studies showing that individual differences in attachment orientation are reflected in cognitive, behavioral, and neural patterns of emotion regulation.

Developmental processes across the first two years of parenthood: Stability and change in adult attachment style.

The first months after becoming a new parent are a unique and important period in human development. Despite substantial research on the many social and biological changes that occur during the first months of parenthood, little is known about changes in mothers' attachment. The present study examines developmental stability and change in first-time mothers' attachment style across the first 2 years of motherhood. At Time 1, 162 economically stressed primiparous mothers (Mage = 23.98 years, SD = 5.18) completed measures of attachment anxiety and avoidance at five time points: when their children were 0, 6, 12, 18, and 24 months of age. Converging results of stability functions and latent growth curve models suggest that attachment styles were generally stable during the first 2 years of motherhood, even in this economically stressed sample. Furthermore, model comparisons revealed that a prototype model better characterized the developmental dynamics of mothers' attachment style than did a revisionist model, consistent with previous studies of adults and adolescents. This suggests that a relatively enduring prototype underlies mothers' attachment style and anchors the extent to which mothers experience attachment-related changes following the birth of their first child. Within this overall picture of continuity, however, some mothers did show change over time, and specific factors emerged as moderators of attachment stability, including maternal depressive symptoms and overall psychological distress, as well as sensitive care from their own mothers. Findings shed light on patterns of continuity and change in new parents' development. (PsycINFO Database Record

Assessing hyperactivation and deactivation strategies of the caregiving behavioral system: Psychometric studies of the Portuguese version of the Caregiving System Scale.

According to attachment theory, the main goal of the caregiving behavioral system is to relieve others' distress and promote their health and welfare. This is accomplished through a set of caregiving behaviors that are the primary strategy of this system. However, some individuals develop nonoptimal or secondary strategies (hyperactivation or deactivation). The Caregiving System Scale (CSS) is a self-report measure that assesses these nonoptimal caregiving strategies. This study examined the factor structure of the Portuguese version of the CSS using a bifactor model and a 2-factor correlated model; it also examined validity evidence for CSS scores in relation to other relevant variables. The sample comprised 417 women from the general population who completed the CSS, with a subsample of 124 women completing additional measures of attachment, mental representations of caregiving, compassion, and difficulties in emotional regulation. The bifactor model showed the best fit to the data, supporting an orthogonal and reliable 2-factor structure (Hyperactivation and Deactivation). This model also suggested that the Hyperactivation scale is multidimensional. With regard to the validity evidence for the CSS, the results showed that individuals engaged in volunteering activities presented lower levels of deactivation than those who were not engaged in these activities. The CSS scores also correlated as expected with the other measures. In conclusion, this study supports the utilization of Deactivation and Hyperactivation subscales as 2 statistically distinct constructs and demonstrates that the Portuguese version is an adequate measure of nonoptimal caregiving strategies. (PsycINFO Database Record