Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 17, 2026

Assessing Activity-based Anorexia in Mice
Published on: May 14, 2018
Attachment Insecurity Predicts Punishment Sensitivity in Anorexia Nervosa
Charlotte Keating1, David J Castle, Richard Newton
1*Brain and Psychological Sciences Research Centre (BPsyC), Faculty of Health, Art and Design, Swinburne University of Technology, Hawthorn; †Department of Psychiatry, St. Vincent's Hospital, Melbourne; ‡Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne; §Austin Health, Heidelberg; ∥The Melbourne Clinic, Melbourne; and ¶Monash Alfred Psychiatry Research Centre (MAPrc), Central Clinical School, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia.
Women with anorexia nervosa (AN) show higher insecure attachment and punishment sensitivity. Anxious attachment independently predicts punishment sensitivity in AN, suggesting a target for treatment.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Clinical Psychology
- Neuroscience
Background:
- Insecure attachment is prevalent in individuals with anorexia nervosa (AN).
- The relationship between attachment styles and sensitivity to punishment/reward in AN requires further investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the association between insecure attachment (anxious and avoidant) and sensitivity to punishment and reward in women with AN.
- To determine if anxious attachment independently predicts punishment sensitivity in AN.
Main Methods:
- Cross-sectional study comparing women with AN (n=24) and comparison women (n=26).
- Utilized The Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire, Depression Anxiety Stress Scale, The Attachment Style Questionnaire, and Sensitivity to Punishment/Sensitivity to Reward Questionnaire.
Main Results:
- Participants with AN reported significantly higher levels of insecure attachment (anxious and avoidant) and sensitivity to punishment compared to controls.
- Sensitivity to punishment positively correlated with anxious attachment and negative emotionality in the AN group.
- Regression analysis indicated that anxious attachment was an independent predictor of punishment sensitivity in women with AN.
Conclusions:
- Anxious attachment experiences are linked to heightened punishment sensitivity in anorexia nervosa, irrespective of negative emotionality and eating disorder symptom severity.
- Findings support the exploration of attachment-focused interventions in the treatment and recovery of AN.
Related Concept Videos
Anorexia Nervosa
Symptoms and Physical Effects
Individuals with anorexia nervosa commonly exhibit extreme...
Hazan and Shaver's Attachment Styles
Theory of Romantic Attachment in Adulthood
Bulimia Nervosa
Attachment Styles
Self-Presentation: Self-Monitoring and Self-Handicapping

