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Working models of attachment: implications for explanation, emotion and behavior
1Department of Psychology, State University of New York, Buffalo 14260-4110, USA. ncollins@acsu.buffalo.edu
Journal of Personality and Social Psychology
|October 1, 1996
Summary
Adult attachment styles influence social perception. Preoccupied individuals perceive relationship events negatively, experiencing distress, while avoidant individuals perceive them negatively but without distress, impacting relationship behaviors.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Social Psychology
- Attachment Theory
Background:
- Attachment theory posits that early relationships shape internal working models.
- These models influence adult social perception, emotional responses, and relationship behaviors.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate how different adult attachment styles (secure, preoccupied, avoidant) affect social perception in relationship contexts.
- To examine the mediating roles of explanation patterns and emotional distress in attachment-related behavioral differences.
- To compare the predictive power of attachment style versus relationship quality on social perception outcomes.
Main Methods:
- Two studies were conducted involving participants describing hypothetical relationship events and their emotional/behavioral responses.
- Study 1 utilized open-ended explanations and path analysis to explore mediation.
- Study 2 replicated Study 1 and assessed the relative importance of attachment style and relationship quality.
Main Results:
- Preoccupied participants explained events more negatively and reported higher emotional distress and conflict-prone behaviors compared to secure participants.
- Avoidant participants provided negative explanations but did not report significant emotional distress.
- Attachment style significantly predicted explanation patterns and emotional responses, while relationship quality primarily predicted explanation patterns.
Conclusions:
- Adult attachment styles are linked to distinct patterns of social perception, characterized by specific cognitive (explanation patterns) and affective (emotional distress) processes.
- These cognitive and affective differences, stemming from internal working models of attachment, predispose individuals to think, feel, and behave differently in relationships.
- Attachment style is a crucial factor in understanding individual differences in relationship functioning and social perception.