Assessment of Implicit Attachment-Related Knowledge: Investigating Context Invariance in Word-Prompted...

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Attachment Theory
• Developmental Psychology

Background:

• Attachment scripts are formed from early caregiver interactions, shaping expectations of support.
• Assessing attachment scripts traditionally involves narrative production in interviews.
• New methods are needed to increase flexibility in attachment assessment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate audio-recording and typing as alternative modalities for assessing attachment scripts.
• To determine if these alternative methods yield comparable narrative data to traditional interviews.
• To explore the relationship between attachment script content and coping/personality measures.

Main Methods:

• 156 participants produced narratives via conventional interview, audio-recording, and typing.
• Narratives were transcribed and scored for attachment-related content.
• Participants also completed Brief-COPE and Mini-IPIP questionnaires.

Main Results:

• Narrative length and attachment content were similar across interview, audio-recording, and text modalities.
• A single underlying factor emerged from narratives across all storylines, regardless of modality.
• Interview-based attachment content marginally predicted emotional support coping.

Conclusions:

• Narrative production for attachment script measurement is not limited to traditional interview settings.
• Audio-recording and typing offer viable, flexible alternatives for attachment script assessment.
• These findings support the potential for wider application of attachment script assessment.