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Transference and attachment: how do attachment patterns get carried forward from one relationship to the next?
Claudia Chloe Brumbaugh1, R Chris Fraley
1Department of Psychology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 61820, USA. cbrumbau@uiuc.edu
Personality & Social Psychology Bulletin
|March 4, 2006
Summary
Attachment working models transfer to new relationships, influencing perceptions and feelings. People selectively apply past relationship patterns, especially when new partners resemble previous ones, impacting attachment styles.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Social Psychology
- Attachment Theory
Background:
- Attachment theory posits that early relationship experiences shape internal working models.
- These models influence expectations and behaviors in subsequent relationships.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the transfer of attachment working models to new romantic partners.
- To examine how resemblance to past partners affects this transfer.
Main Methods:
- A two-part study involved participants evaluating two hypothetical dating partners.
- One partner resembled a past relationship figure, the other did not.
Main Results:
- Participants applied attachment representations of past partners to both targets.
- This application was stronger when the target resembled a past partner.
- Increased anxiety and decreased avoidance were noted toward the familiar-resembling target.
Conclusions:
- Working models of attachment are transferred to new relationships in both general and selective ways.
- Relationship history significantly shapes perceptions and emotional responses in new romantic contexts.