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A scale to measure nonattachment: a Buddhist complement to Western research on attachment and adaptive functioning
Baljinder Kaur Sahdra1, Phillip R Shaver, Kirk Warren Brown
1Department of Psychology and Center for Mind and Brain, University of California, Davis, CA 95618, USA. bksahdra@ucdavis.edu
Journal of Personality Assessment
|February 16, 2010
Summary
Buddhist nonattachment, a release from mental fixations, differs from Western attachment theory. This study introduces the Nonattachment Scale, finding nonattachment psychologically and socially adaptive.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Buddhist Studies
- Philosophy
Background:
- Attachment theory, focusing on internal working models of security, is a Western construct.
- Buddhist nonattachment involves insight into the impermanent nature of mental representations.
- These concepts are related but distinct, necessitating clear differentiation and measurement.
Purpose of the Study:
- To differentiate Buddhist nonattachment from Western attachment theory.
- To develop and psychometrically evaluate a scale measuring nonattachment.
- To investigate the adaptive psychological and social correlates of nonattachment.
Main Methods:
- Drawing on historical and contemporary Buddhist scholarship.
- Designing and validating the Nonattachment Scale across diverse samples.
- Conducting empirical analyses to assess psychometric properties and adaptive correlates.
Main Results:
- The Nonattachment Scale demonstrated sound psychometric properties.
- Evidence supports the Buddhist theoretical framework of nonattachment.
- Nonattachment was found to be psychologically and socially adaptive.
Conclusions:
- Nonattachment is a distinct psychological construct from attachment.
- The Nonattachment Scale is a valid measure for research.
- Nonattachment shows adaptive benefits, warranting further investigation.
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