Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 9, 2025
07:56
Assessing the Coherence of Parents' Short Narratives Regarding their Child Using the Five-Minute Speech Sample Procedure
Published on: September 19, 2019
10.1K
Love Addiction, Adult Attachment Patterns and Self-Esteem: Testing for Mediation Using Path Analysis
Alessio Gori1,2, Sara Russo1, Eleonora Topino3
1Department of Health Sciences, University of Florence, Via di San Salvi 12, Pad. 26, 50135 Florence, Italy.
Journal of Personalized Medicine
|February 25, 2023
Summary
Love addiction is linked to preoccupied and fearful adult attachment styles. Low self-esteem significantly mediates this relationship, impacting romantic relationship functioning.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Clinical Psychology
- Relationship Science
Background:
- Love addiction is a dysfunctional relational pattern with addiction-like characteristics.
- It negatively impacts multiple life domains for affected individuals.
- Understanding contributing factors is crucial for effective intervention.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze factors associated with love addiction.
- Specifically investigate the roles of adult attachment patterns and self-esteem.
- Examine potential mediation effects of self-esteem.
Main Methods:
- Online survey administered to 300 individuals in romantic relationships.
- Utilized Love Addiction Inventory-Short form, Relationship Questionnaire, and Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale.
- Controlled for gender and age as covariates.
Main Results:
- Significant positive associations found between preoccupied/fearful attachment and love addiction.
- Self-esteem fully mediated the relationship between these attachment styles and love addiction.
- Gender and age influenced self-esteem and love addiction levels.
Conclusions:
- Preoccupied and fearful attachment styles are risk factors for love addiction.
- Self-esteem plays a critical mediating role in this association.
- Findings inform clinical practice and future research on love addiction.
Keywords:
adult attachmentanxious attachmentlove addictionmediationpath analysisself-conceptself-esteemMore Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
03:34Theory of Romantic Attachment in Adulthood
43.6K
Attachment is a long-standing connection or bond with others. While Attachment Theory was conceived in developmental psychology to describe infant-caregiver bonding, it's been extended into adulthood to include romantic relationships.
43.6K
03:00Self-Evaluation: Self-Enhancement and Self-Verification
5.2K
Social psychologists have documented that feeling good about ourselves and maintaining positive self-esteem is a powerful motivator of human behavior (Tavris & Aronson, 2008). In the United States, members of the predominant culture typically think very highly of themselves and view themselves as good people who are above average on many desirable traits (Ehrlinger, Gilovich, & Ross, 2005). Often, our behavior, attitudes, and beliefs are affected when we experience a threat to our...
5.2K
01:28Adler's Individual Psychology
982
Alfred Adler, a prominent figure in psychology, founded the school of individual psychology. In contrast to Freud's emphasis on sexual or aggressive motives, Adler suggested that individuals are primarily motivated by their purposes and goals. He believed that people strive for perfection rather than pleasure. Adler argued that individuals could creatively act upon their genetic inheritance and environmental experiences to shape their own lives, emphasizing conscious motivation over...
982
02:15Sternberg's Triangular Theory of Love
39.6K
We typically love the people with whom we form relationships, but the type of love we have for our family, friends, and lovers differs. Robert Sternberg (1986) proposed that there are three components of love: intimacy, passion, and commitment. These three components form a triangle that defines multiple types of love: this is known as Sternberg’s triangular theory of love. Intimacy is the sharing of details and intimate thoughts and emotions. Passion is the physical attraction—the...
39.6K
02:05Self-Presentation: Self-Monitoring and Self-Handicapping
39.1K
People can go to great lengths to protect their self-image and present themselves in ways that they want others to see them. Sociologist Erving Goffman presented the idea that a person is like an actor on a stage. Calling his theory dramaturgy, Goffman believed that we use “impression management” to present ourselves to others as we hope to be perceived. Each situation is a new scene, and individuals perform different roles depending on who is present (Goffman, 1959). Think about...
39.1K
02:08Trait and State Self-Esteem
10.9K
The term self-esteem is often used generically, to refer to how people feel about themselves. However, according to research, there are three distinct constructs that should not be used interchangeably (Brown & Marshall, 2006).
10.9K