[Effects of an implicit internal working model on attachment in information processing assessed using Go/No-Go...

Area of Science:

• Attachment theory
• Cognitive psychology
• Social neuroscience

Context:

• Attachment Internal Working Models (IWMs) shape relational experiences.
• Implicit IWMs, distinct from explicit self-reports, influence cognitive processes.
• Understanding implicit attachment styles is crucial for explaining relational behaviors.

Purpose:

• To assess implicit Internal Working Models (IWMs) of attachment using relational-anxiety and avoidance-of-intimacy Go/No-Go Association Tasks (GNATs).
• To investigate how implicit relational anxiety and avoidance of intimacy affect information processing.
• To compare the impact of implicit versus explicit IWMs on cognitive responses.

Summary:

• Implicit IWMs, measured via GNAT, showed distinct effects on information processing compared to explicit questionnaire measures.
• Implicit avoidance of intimacy was linked to faster responses to negative attachment-related words during subliminal priming.
• Implicit relational anxiety predicted slower responses to negative attachment words when self-related stimuli were subliminally primed.

Impact:

• Findings highlight the significant role of implicit attachment representations in cognitive processing of relational information.
• Differentiates the influence of implicit versus explicit attachment styles on information processing.
• Provides insights into the cognitive mechanisms underlying attachment-related anxiety and avoidance.