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Negative self-synchronization: will I change to be like you when it is bad for me?
Shira Gabriel1, Kerry Kawakami, Christopher Bartak
1Department of Psychology, University at Buffalo, the State University of New York, Buffalo, NY 14260, USA. sgabriel@buffalo.edu
Journal of Personality and Social Psychology
|June 3, 2010
Summary
Securely attached individuals engage in negative self-synchronization, modifying themselves detrimentally to match others. This tendency is linked to attachment security and the need to belong.
Area of Science:
- Social Psychology
- Attachment Theory
- Self-Perception
Background:
- Individuals often adjust their self-perceptions to align with social groups.
- Negative self-synchronization involves detrimental self-modification for social congruence.
- Attachment theory posits that early relationships shape adult social behavior.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the phenomenon of negative self-synchronization.
- To determine the role of attachment security in negative self-synchronization.
- To explore how attachment styles influence self-modification for social congruence.
Main Methods:
- Four experiments were conducted involving participants assessed for attachment security.
- Attachment security was manipulated through priming techniques in some experiments.
- Participants' engagement in negative and positive self-synchronization was measured.
Main Results:
- Individuals with high secure attachment exhibited greater negative self-synchronization.
- Attachment style did not influence positive self-synchronization.
- Priming secure attachment increased negative self-synchronization, while priming insecure attachment decreased it.
Conclusions:
- Secure attachment is a key predictor of negative self-synchronization.
- Negative self-synchronization may be a manifestation of the need to belong in securely attached individuals.
- Findings contribute to understanding social synchronization and attachment dynamics.
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