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Automatic activation of attachment-related goals
Omri Gillath1, Mario Mikulincer, Grainne M Fitzsimons
1University of California, Davis, USA.
Personality & Social Psychology Bulletin
|September 12, 2006
Summary
Attachment figures are linked to goals of safety and proximity. Studies show that thinking about attachment figures automatically activates these attachment-related goals, influencing behavior.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Social Psychology
- Attachment Theory
Background:
- Attachment systems activate under threat, motivating individuals to seek protection from attachment figures.
- Mental representations of attachment figures are theoretically linked to goals of safety and proximity.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between mental representations of attachment figures and attachment-related goals.
- To examine how chronic attachment style and exposure to attachment figure names influence the automatic activation of these goals.
Main Methods:
- Studies 1 and 2 exposed participants to security-providing attachment figure names to assess willingness for self-disclosure and support-seeking.
- Study 3 examined the impact of exposure to names of partners associated with secure, anxious, or avoidant attachment on the accessibility of attachment-related goal words.
Main Results:
- Exposure to security-providing attachment figure names increased willingness to self-disclose and seek support.
- Participants showed enhanced accessibility of attachment-related goals after exposure to names linked to their attachment experiences.
Conclusions:
- Mental representations of attachment figures are indeed associated with the automatic activation of attachment-related goals.
- Attachment styles and specific attachment figure representations influence goal activation, supporting theoretical links between attachment and goal pursuit.
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