Mummy, daddy, and addiction: Implicit insecure attachment is associated with substance use in college students

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Addiction Research
• Cognitive Science

Background:

• Indirect cognitive measures are vital in addiction research.
• Parental attachment's link to substance use, particularly via indirect measures, remains under-examined.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the relationship between implicit and explicit parent attachment and substance use in college students.
• To determine if implicit attachment processes predict substance use more effectively than explicit self-reports.

Main Methods:

• A sample of 121 college students completed explicit attachment measures (Relationship Questionnaire, Adult Attachment Styles) and an implicit measure (Single Category Implicit Association Test).
• Participants also reported on their use of tobacco, cannabis, and alcohol.

Main Results:

• Explicit and implicit attachment measures were not correlated.
• Explicit attachment did not predict substance use.
• Implicit attachment showed a significant association with tobacco and cannabis use.
• Insecure implicit attachment was linked to increased polydrug use.

Conclusions:

• Implicit attachment, representing unconscious associations, is a stronger predictor of substance use in college students than explicit attachment.
• Findings suggest implicit attachment processes are crucial for understanding addictive behaviors.
• Further research should explore implicit attachment in clinical populations with severe substance use disorders.