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Investigating Pain-Related Avoidance Behavior using a Robotic Arm-Reaching Paradigm
Published on: October 3, 2020
Proximity seeking in adult attachment: examining the role of automatic approach-avoidance tendencies
Marieke Dewitte1, Jan De Houwer, Ann Buysse
1Department of Experimental Clinical and Health Psychology, Ghent University, Gent, Belgium. Marieke.Dewitte@ugent.be
Abstract:
In two experiments, participants made symbolic approach and avoidance movements towards or away from attachment figure- and acquaintance-related cues after being primed with a distressing or a non-distressing context. Results showed that automatic approach responses towards the attachment figure were stronger in a distressing than in a non-distressing context, regardless of whether the source of distress was attachment-relevant or -irrelevant and regardless of one's attachment style. Individual differences in attachment anxiety and avoidance were associated with the predicted patterns of approach-avoidance tendencies: attachment anxiety heightened the tendency to approach the attachment Figure (Experiments 1 and 2), whereas attachment avoidance reduced this tendency (Experiment 2). Findings are discussed as providing first evidence on the role of automatic action tendencies in adult attachment.
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