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Relationships between attachment security and self-construal orientations
E Olcay Imamoğlu1, Selen Imamoğlu
1Department of Psychology, Middle East Technical University, Ankara 06135, Turkey. eolcay@metu.edu.tr
The Journal of Psychology
|October 16, 2007
Summary
Attachment security is linked to a relational self-view. Combining relatedness with individuation further enhances attachment security, particularly across various relationships.
Area of Science:
- Social Psychology
- Attachment Theory
- Self-Construal Models
Background:
- The balanced integration-differentiation (BID) model proposes distinct yet interconnected aspects of self-construal.
- Attachment theory emphasizes the significance of secure and insecure relational patterns.
- Understanding the interplay between self-construal and attachment is crucial for psychological well-being.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between related and individuated self-construals and general attachment security.
- To examine the association between self-construals and relationship-specific attachment security (family, peers, romantic partners).
- To test the implications of the BID model in the context of attachment security.
Main Methods:
- Two studies were conducted with Turkish university students (N=168 and N=110).
- Self-construal orientations (relatedness and individuation) were assessed.
- Attachment security was measured at general and relationship-specific levels.
Main Results:
- Attachment security showed a general association with relational self-orientation.
- A trend towards enhanced attachment security was observed when relatedness was combined with individuation.
- This trend became statistically significant when considering multiple attachment measures across different relationship contexts.
Conclusions:
- The findings support the BID model's framework for understanding self-construal.
- Results suggest that a balance of relatedness and individuation is beneficial for attachment security.
- The study contributes to attachment theory by highlighting the role of integrated self-construals.
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